Thomas has a broad practice covering litigation and arbitration, as well as advisory work, in all areas of commercial and business law and commercial chancery, including civil fraud, contractual disputes and insolvency. Much of his work has an international or offshore element, with clients from and disputes in jurisdictions including Germany, France, Russia/CIS, Cyprus, Italy, the United States, Gibraltar and the Commonwealth Caribbean.
Other recent work in this area has included defending and successfully settling a £45m bribery claim against company directors; advice to a leading Italian fashion brand about its English-law contracts with a Korean franchisee; advice to Premier League football clubs about disputes with their kit sponsors and suppliers; advice to an overseas government about remedies for corruption; advice to an overseas government about the enforceability of an alleged agreement to remit $400m in taxes; advice to an Italian bank about the terms of its UK contracts; and advice to matrimonial counsel and solicitors about trust, contract and conflict-of-laws aspects of an ultra-high-net-worth Russian divorce case.
He is ranked in Chambers and Partners 2021 as a Leading Silk in Chancery Commercial.
Notable Commercial cases
Representing a state-owned oil company in a multi-million-dollar ICC arbitration about expropriation of shares.
Representing a government in a multi-million-dollar LCIA arbitration arising from its citizenship-by-investment programme.
A claim in the Supreme Court of the Eastern Caribbean to enforce a judgment arising from a large property-development transaction.
A long trial in the Business and Property Courts of England & Wales against company directors in respect of multiple breaches of fiduciary duty.
Re Paramount Powers (UK) Ltd [2020] B.C.C. 152 (Court of Appeal)
The relationship between a breakdown of trust and confidence and the power to wind a company up on the ‘just and equitable’ ground.
Badyal v Badyal [2019] EWHC 467 (Ch)
The effect of the order of an Indian court on the English court’s enforcement of English trusts of Indian assets.
Bannerman Town, Millars and John Millars Eleuthera Association v Eleuthera Properties Ltd [2018] UKPC 27, noted [2018] 4 Conv. 379
A dispute before the Privy Council over title to 2,000 acres of development land in the Bahamas.
Aidiniantz v Sherlock Holmes International Society Ltd [2018] B.C.L.C. 188 (Court of Appeal)
Implied variation of articles of association; directors’ authority; doctrine of laches.
Ramsook v Crossley [2018] Lloyd’s Rep. I.R. 471
Amicus curiae before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in a dispute concerning the scope of an insurer’s authority to defend litigation in the name of an insured.
Lederer v Allsop LLP [2018] EWHC 1425 (Ch)
Successful application against a leading fintech ‘peer-to-peer’ loan arranger for disclosure of the names of its unidentified principals.
Shah v Shah [2018] EWCH 2075 (Ch)
Appeal based on fresh evidence in dispute concerning title to land in India.
Dawson-Damer v Grampian Trust Company Ltd (2017) 20 I.T.E.L.R. 722 (Supreme Court of the Bahamas)
Counsel for the Attorney-General of the Bahamas in a dispute over the compatibility of the Bahamas’ rules on trust confidentiality with fundamental rights.
Cassell v Queen [2017] 1 W.L.R. 2738 (Privy Council)
Counsel for the successful appellant in this challenge to a conviction for corporate fraud.
Arawak Homes Ltd v Attorney General of the Bahamas [2016] 1 W.L.R. 5214 (Privy Council)
Acting for leading Bahamas house-builders in dispute with government over valuation of compulsorily acquired land.
Hniazdzilau v Vajgel [2016] EWHC 15 (Ch)
Trial of disputes concerning fraudulent claims to ownership of property in Belarus.
Re Georgy Trefilov (Ch D)
Acting for a Russian businessman in dispute about alleged entitlement under multi-million dollar settlement concerning realisation of interests in Russian commercial property.
