Pogust Goodhead has recruited veteran commercial litigator Jonathan Wheeler from Morrison Foerster in London to lead the group claim against mining giant BHP over the 2015 Mariana dam collapse in Brazil.
Wheeler was one of Morrison Foerster’s most senior figures in London, having spent seven years as office co-managing partner and 15 years as head of litigation. He has joined Pogust Goodhead as a partner and head of Mariana litigation just days after the firm secured a landmark High Court ruling holding BHP liable for the disaster.
Pogust Goodhead chairman, Howard Morris, said Wheeler was a “heavyweight” addition, adding: “His track record in running some of the most complex cross-border disputes in the English courts, together with his leadership experience, make him exactly the kind of senior figure we need after our historic liability victory.”
Wheeler specialises in cross-border disputes, spanning high-value commercial litigation, civil fraud and asset tracing, international trust disputes, contentious insolvency and investigations. He adds senior firepower to the team driving the Mariana case – one of the largest group claims in English legal history – and is expected to oversee its development as it moves into the next stage, focused on damages and the quantification of losses for more than 600,000 Brazilian claimants.
A MoFo spokesperson commented: “We would like to thank Jonathan for all of his efforts at Morrison Foerster, that over nearly two decades included stints as our London office managing partner and head of London litigation. We wish him the very best in this exciting new chapter in his career.”
Wheeler has joined Pogust Goodhead following a turbulent period for the firm that saw the departure of co-founder and former CEO Tom Goodhead in September, amid reports of tensions with the firm’s principal backer, US investment manager Gramercy, with which it formed a $553m investment partnership in 2023.
Around the same time, the Law Society Gazette reported that filings with Companies House showed that Huw Dolphin, a turnaround consultant and former head of DLA Piper’s Birmingham office, had taken control of the company, holding 75% or more of its shares.
In August, a trio of new directors also joined its board, among them Morris, the former CEO of Dentons, in a move the firm said would “provide further experienced law firm management support to ensure that the firm remains well-positioned to serve the best interests of its clients”.
Wheeler said it was a “privilege” to join Pogust Goodhead at a pivotal moment in the Mariana case. “The recent liability judgment is a watershed for access to justice and corporate accountability,” he added.
Alicia Alina, who succeeded Goodhead as firm CEO, said Pogust Goodhead was bringing in senior disputes talent globally to build “an even more resilient firm” that could “help us deliver justice at scale for our clients”.
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