John graduated in French, Latin and Philosophy from Queen’s University in 1963 and, after a number of years in teaching and youth employment, commenced Articles with Murphy, Kerr & Co., Solicitors, Belfast in 1974. 

He was admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Judicature in Northern Ireland in 1977.  In 1980, John was appointed Assistant Town Solicitor for Belfast before joining the Department of the Environment, Solicitors Branch (later the Departmental Solicitor’s Office) as Senior Legal Advisor in 1985. 

He served as a School Governor for a decade; is a former Chairman of the Housing Benefit Review Board and has, in recent years, acted as a Consultant to a number of public bodies. 

John is External Examiner to the Graduate School of Professional Legal Education (University of Ulster) and the Institute of Professional Legal Studies (Queen's University, Belfast).

Having co-founded the Firm, John now acts as a Consultant on Employment and Planning Law matters.