Tom has a broad practice across all areas of commercial litigation and international arbitration (including investor-state cases), with significant experience in civil fraud, banking and finance, international trade, energy and natural resources, joint ventures, share-purchases, mining, construction and shipbuilding, shipping, insolvency, and general contractual disputes. He frequently acts in high-value cases involving large teams, in addition to his work as sole counsel.

Most of Tom's work has a strong international element, raising issues of jurisdiction and foreign law, with clients coming from around the world, including Singapore, Malaysia, the CIS, the Middle East, India, China and offshore jurisdictions. He has acted for clients in proceedings before the Singapore Court of Appeal and has rights of audience to appear before the AIFC. Recent cases include a US$1.2bn SPA dispute over shares in companies controlling mining interests, a US$600m Russian fraud claim involving refinancing transactions, and a US$1.6bn joint venture dispute over a commodities terminal. 

Tom was appointed to the AIAC's Panel of Arbitrators from 2021 and has significant experience as arbitration counsel, including under LCIA, ICC, SIAC, UNCITRAL, AIAC, HKIAC, LMAA and GAFTA rules.

Complimenting his commercial practice, Tom advises clients on a wide-range of UK and EU sanctions (including asset-freeze and trade prohibitions). He has particular experience of the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018, the regulations for Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Russia, and the UK's Magnitsky sanction regime.

In addition, Tom regularly acts in public, human rights, competition and regulatory disputes, for companies in commercial judicial reviews, community groups, NGOs, government departments, pro bono organisations, and local authorities. He is a member of the Welsh Government B Panel of Junior Counsel (Public Law) and the Attorney General’s B Panel.

Tom has taught Constitutional Law at Christ Church, Oxford.

Before commencing practice, Tom was the Judicial Assistant to Lord Mance in the UK Supreme Court and worked as the editor of the Official Law Reports for several offshore jurisdictions.

Experience

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Commercial

Tom’s commercial litigation experience includes civil fraud, banking and finance, international trade, energy and natural resources, joint ventures, share-purchases, mining, insurance, insolvency, and general contractual disputes.

Tom is also particularly known for his expertise in international arbitration, including investment treaty disputes. He has appeared as sole and junior counsel in arbitrations in London and internationally, including Singapore and Malaysia.

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Arbitration

A leading junior, Tom is particularly known for his expertise in heavy and lengthy international arbitrations, including investment treaty disputes. He has appeared as sole and junior counsel in arbitrations in London and internationally, including in Singapore and Malaysia. He has extensive experience of arbitral appeals and of the LCIA, ICC, SIAC, UNCITRAL, AIAC, HKIAC, LMAA and GAFTA rules.

Tom was appointed to the AIAC's Panel of Arbitrators in 2021.

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Civil Fraud, Asset Recovery & Injunctive Relief

Tom specialises in civil fraud, including injunctive relief, jurisdiction, recovery, receivership, issues of foreign law, corporate duties and insolvency. He has extensive experience working for corporate and individual clients in Russian, the Middle East, and offshore jurisdictions.


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Sanctions

Tom advises clients on a wide-range of UK and EU sanctions-related disputes (including asset-freeze and trade prohibitions) and has spent time working with the sanctions team of a large city law-firm. 

He has particular experience advising clients on the implications of the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018, the regulations for Afghanistan, Myanmar, Yemen, and Russia, sanctions against Al-Qaida, the application of UK sanctions in off-shore jurisdictions, and the UK's Magnitsky sanction regime.

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Public & Regulatory

Tom has taught Constitutional Law at Oxford and frequently acts, both led and unled, on wide-ranging public and regulatory matters, for companies in commercial judicial reviews, community groups, NGOs, government departments, pro bono organisations, and local authorities.

He is a member of the Welsh Government B Panel of Junior Counsel (Public Law) and the Attorney General’s B Panel.

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Civil Liberties & Human Rights

Tom has significant experience of human rights disputes, from commercial judicial reviews raising A1P1 claims to immigration detention disputes. He has advised international organisations and accepts pro bono instructions.

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Competition

Tom accepts instructions in a wide range of competition law disputes.

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Public International Law

Tom acts for clients across various areas of public international law, including investor-state disputes and human rights cases.

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Sport

Tom acts for clubs, sporting bodies, players, regulators, managers, agents and sponsors in a wide range of agency, sponsorship, and other contractual or commercial disputes.

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Achievements

Education

  • MA (Oxon) Law with Law Studies in Europe
  • Erasmus Year, European and Public International Law (Leiden) 
  • LLM (Toronto)
  • Certificate in International Investment Law and Dispute Resolution (BIICL)
  • International Law Summer Programme (Hague Academy)

Publications

  • 'There are Known Unknowns: How Strict is Civil Liability for Breaches of Sanctions?' (2022) 10 Butterworths Journal of International Banking & Financial Law 651. 
  • Access to justice in the 21st century: how can it be maximised?’, winner of the Jonathan Brock Memorial Essay Competition (Runner-Up) Prize 2017.
  • Non-Disputing Parties and Human Rights in Investor-State Arbitration: Bernhard von Pezold v Republic of Zimbabwe (case comment) (2017) 18(5–6) Journal of World Investment & Trade 1062.

Appointments

  • Stipendiary Lecturer, teaching Constitutional Law at Christ Church, Oxford
  • AIAC (Asian International Arbitration Centre) Panel of Arbitrators 
  • Welsh Government's B Panel of Counsel
  • Attorney General's B Panel of Counsel
  • COMBAR Working Group on the Law Commission's Consultation Paper on the Arbitration Act 1996

Academic Awards

  • Jonathan Brock Memorial Essay Competition (Runner-Up) Prize 
  • Walter Wigglesworth Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn 
  • Canadian Rhodes Scholars Foundation Scholarship 
  • Lord Mansfield Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn 
  • Hardwicke Entrance Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn 
  • John V Lovitt Prize for Jurisprudence, Christ Church, University of Oxford 
  • Lovells Scholarship, Christ Church, University of Oxford 
  • Slaughter and May Prize for Constitutional Law, University of Oxford 

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