Tom has significant appellate advocacy experience, particularly before the Privy Council, in which he has many reported cases.
Tom has particular experience of heavy High Court trial work, having acted in several lengthy commercial chancery trials, and has considerable experience of working with and leading large teams of solicitors, foreign lawyers and experts.
Much of Tom’s work has an international element, with significant experience in disputes arising from jurisdictions including the Caribbean, Gibraltar, Cyprus and Russia / CIS. As such, he has significant experience of conflicts of laws and offshore issues arising out of multi-jurisdictional claims.
Before taking silk, Tom was a member of the Attorney-General’s “A” Panel for civil counsel and continues to act in a number of high-profile and complex cases involving governmental and public bodies.
Tom is rated by The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners as a leading silk in: Chancery: Commercial, Commercial Dispute Resolution, Civil Fraud, Civil Liberties & Human Rights, Employment, Insolvency, and Offshore.
Tom has extensive experience of appeals to the Privy Council and has appeared in many of the most important constitutional, commercial and criminal appeals of recent years. He is frequently instructed by governments, regulators, corporations and individuals from across the Commonwealth and Caribbean.
Tom has acted in numerous reported Privy Council appeals that have shaped the development of the common law in areas including constitutional rights, judicial review, the death penalty, civil fraud and shareholder disputes. His practice is notable for its breadth, drawing on his expertise in public, constitutional and administrative law as well as commercial litigation, disciplines that often converge in Privy Council work.
Tom has been called to the Bar in several overseas jurisdictions, giving him practical insight into the local courts and legal systems from which appeals arise. He is recognised by Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500 for his expertise in international and offshore work, and is ranked as a Leading Silk for the English Bar Offshore.
He is recommended in the legal directories as a silk who “picks things up very quickly and gets to the nub of the issues” and as “a very, very effective advocate, who is always strategically minded.”
Tom (leading Adam Riley) acted on behalf of the appellant in this legally complex and high value appeal from the Court of Appeal of Trinidad and Tobago to the Privy Council. The appeal arose out of a major infrastructure redevelopment project in Trinidad and concerned the interpretation of the FIDIC Conditions of Contract for Works of Civil Engineering Construction 1987.
The King v Julian Washington [2024] UKPC 34
Tom acted for the Attorney General and Director of Public Prosecutions for Bermuda in this landmark appeal concerning the use of forensic evidence in criminal trials and its implications for fair trial rights under the Bermuda Constitution.
Attorney General v Reid [2024] UKPC 30
Tom (leading Emily Moore) acted for the Respondents in this appeal addressing material non-disclosure in proceeds of crime litigation. The case concerned allegations of a sophisticated fraud on Boeing, with over US$2 million laundered through Bahamian accounts following a false refund request. The Privy Council overturned the Bahamian Court of Appeal’s decision, which had discharged a restraint order against the fraud proceeds on grounds of alleged material non-disclosure.
Tom acted for the DPP of The Bahamas in this appeal that scrutinised joint enterprise principles under Bahamian law. Mr Bastian was convicted of murder and armed robbery in 2015, based on ambiguous oral statements allegedly confessing involvement in a robbery where Kyle Bruner was fatally shot. The Privy Council found that the trial judge misdirected the jury on key legal principles, including the intent required for joint enterprise murder and the scope of any common agreement.
Tom acted for the DPP of The Bahamas in this appeal concerning the issue of foreseeability of consequence pursuant to the Penal Code of the Bahamas.
Charles v Bethel [2022] UKPC 51
Tom acted for the Attorney General of The Bahamas in this appeal concerning habeas corpus and constitutional redress following detention and expulsion from the Bahamas to Haiti.
Boodram v Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago [2022] UKPC 20
Tom acted for the Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago in this appeal concerning the remedies available to the court when vacating the death penalty.
Chandler v The State (No 2) [2022] UKPC 19
Tom acted (with Howard Stevens KC) in this appeal concerning the constitutionality of the mandatory death penalty. Owing to the constitutional significance of the appeal, the Privy Council sat as a nine-member panel.
Tom acted for the DPP of Jamaica in this appeal concerning the right to a fair trial within a reasonable time under the Constitution of Jamaica.
Maharaj v Trinidad and Tobago [2021] UKPC 27
Tom acted for the Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago in this appeal concerning the test of credibility in deciding on the admissibility of fresh evidence, in particular recantation evidence.
Duncan v Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago [2021] UKPC 17
Tom acted for the Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago in this appeal concerning the right to liberty and security of the person under the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago.
Betaudier v Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago [2021] UKPC 7
Tom acted for the Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago in this appeal concerning the test of reasonable and probable cause in a case of false imprisonment and wrongful arrest.
Tom has extensive experience of all aspects of civil fraud litigation, with particular specialism in cases involving bribery, conspiracy, deceit, knowing assistance and breach of trust. Tom regularly undertakes work involving urgent injunctive relief in the fraud context, including search orders, proprietary and freezing injunctions, Norwich Pharmacal and Bankers Trust orders, and anti-suit injunctions. Tom’s civil fraud practice spans both litigation and arbitration, with many of his arbitration cases involving allegations of complex fraud.
Tom is ranked as a leading silk for civil fraud work in 2025 Legal 500. Recent directory feedback includes: “Tom is an exceptionally talented advocate, and his knowledge and skill set in the area of civil fraud is impressive”
Mex Group Worldwide Limited v Duthie & Anor [2025] EWHC 1360 (KB) (on-going)
Tom (leading Katharine Bailey) acting for the for the defendants, Duthie and Duthie Consultants Limited, in this litigation concerning alleged breaches of contractual and non-contractual duties of confidence by a solicitor. Following a heavy two-day application argued before Kerr J in April 2025, the Duthie parties successfully resisted strike out and/or summary judgment, with Kerr J delivering a notable decision concerning the scope of a solicitor’s duty of confidence to his client, and the arguability of defences to a claim in breach of confidence upon the bases of the iniquity exception or a general duty to disclose.
Attorney General of the Bahamas v Jonathan Reid and Others [2024] UKPC 30
Acted for the Respondents in an appeal to the Privy Council concerning restraint orders and associated relief granted following MLAT requests by the US DOJ, following a substantial $20 million fraud against Boeing in the USA.
Mountain Ash Portfolio v Vasilyev
Acted for a corporate trustee in a claim against a very high net worth Russian individual pursuant to a shareholders’ guarantee worth c.$120m.
National Bank Trust v Yurov
Acted (with Paul Stanley KC) for one of the three former directors of National Bank Trust, one of Russia’s largest retail banks, against whom claims valued at over US$1 billion were made as a result of the allegedly dishonest management of the bank. The claim was heard at a nine-week trial and was listed as one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases.
Iris Tech London Limited v Wild Water Ventures SAS
Acted in a multi-million dollar claim concerning an international consultancy agreement alleged to have been procured by fraud.
Acted for the provisional liquidator in a claim to recover in excess of £25 million misappropriated as a result of a substantial labour supply fraud.
Acted for the defendants in a £50 million fraud and conspiracy case concerning intellectual property rights and ‘can-float’ property technology. The claim was heard at a six-week trial in the Chancery Division.
Tom’s practice covers the full range of contentious insolvency work, with particular expertise in bringing and defending claims against directors, misfeasance and breach of duty claims, asset recovery and disqualification proceedings. He is regularly instructed in cases involving complex corporate structures and cross-border asset tracing.
Tom’s insolvency practice has a strong international dimension. He has acted for clients from a wide range of jurisdictions, including the Caribbean, Gibraltar, Cyprus and Russia / CIS, and frequently appears in cases where insolvency issues overlap with chancery commercial disputes.
Tom is ranked as a leading silk in Insolvency in 2025 Legal 500 and as a leading silk in Chancery / Commercial in 2025 Chambers and Partners. Recent directory feedback includes:
Tom is also a member of the R3 Insolvency and Restructuring Group.
Andrew Flowers v Enterprise Insurance Company Plc (In Liquidation) [2024] GCA/005
Acting for a director of a group of insurance companies that went into liquidation in Gibraltar. Liability judgment of £50m+ is being appealed to the Privy Council having been partially successful in the Court of Appeal of Gibraltar.
Re One Blackfriars Limited
Acted for the claimant liquidator in a £250 million claim against the former administrators of One Blackfriars for, amongst other things, selling the landmark building at an undervalue.
Edgeworth Capital (Luxembourg) SARL v Derek Quinlan
Acted for the creditors in a claim for c.£40 million against the well-known business man, Derek Quinlan, arising out of the attempted acquisition of a real estate complex in Madrid.
Gordon v Havener [2021] UKPC 26
Acted in this Privy Council appeal concerning whether proprietary estoppel could, as a matter of principle, be invoked by a contract-breaker where the relevant promise was contained in a contract.
Acted for a Russian trustee in bankruptcy in a claim for a declaration concerning the beneficial ownership of a share in a UK company worth in excess of £50 million.
Tom’s practice extends across the full range of commercial disputes and over recent years has involved a significant number of heavyweight trials with an international element and associated offshore issues. Tom’s commercial practice also sees him instructed in a wide variety of insurance cases.
Tom is recommended as a leading silk for Commercial Dispute Resolution in 2025 Chambers & Partners and Commercial Disputes in 2025 Legal 500 English Bar Offshore. Recent directory feedback includes:
Acted on behalf of the appellant in this legally complex and high value appeal from the Court of Appeal of Trinidad and Tobago to the Privy Council. The appeal arises out of a major infrastructure redevelopment project in Trinidad.
Andrew Flowers v Enterprise Insurance Company Plc (In Liquidation) [2024] GCA/005
Acting for a director of a group of insurance companies that went into liquidation in Gibraltar. Liability judgment of £50m+ is being appealed to the Privy Council having been partially successful in the Court of Appeal of Gibraltar.
Mountain Ash Portfolio v Vasilyev
Acted for a corporate trustee in a claim against a very high net worth Russian individual pursuant to a shareholders’ guarantee worth c.$120m.
Prime Minister and Head of the Cabinet of Trinidad and Tobago v Comprehensive Nephrology Services Limited and Others
Acted for the appellant in this complex commercial appeal to the Court of Appeal of Trinidad and Tobago arising out of a pending public / private contract involving the future commitment of a minimum of $1.8 billion of public money to construct purpose-built renal facilities.
Nulok Global UK Limited v Kingspan Limited
Acted in a multi-million dollar dispute arising out of a breach of an international distribution agreement
Aslani v Taberner [2021] EWHC 3631 (QB)
Acted in a claim arising out of defamation proceedings. The decision provides useful guidance on the relationship between the service provisions contained in CPR 6.9 and CPR 6.15.
Swann v Apollo Bookmakers Limited:
Acted in a claim brought by a high net worth individual for gambling losses in excess of £10 million.
Acted for a director in respect of prospective claims he wishes to bring against co-directors for unfair prejudice arising from breach of confidence and breach of contract.
Tom has a broad and sophisticated international arbitration practice, acting both as counsel and in an advisory capacity in high-value and complex disputes. He appears before arbitral tribunals under all of the major institutional rules, including LCIA, ICC and UNCITRAL, as well as in ad hoc arbitrations, and has extensive experience of applications before the English courts in support of arbitration.
His arbitration work spans a wide range of commercial sectors and frequently involves allegations of fraud, misrepresentation and breach of duty, often with urgent applications for freezing relief and asset recovery measures. He is particularly experienced in shareholder and joint venture disputes, contractual claims, banking and financial services matters, and disputes involving complex cross-border structures.
Confidential
Acted in a multi-million EURO LCIA arbitration concerning breach of an international distribution agreement involving complex issues of frustration, repudiatory breach and the calculation of loss of a change damages.
Confidential
Acted in an LCIA arbitration relating to a Siberian copper mine raising issues of supervening illegality and temporary frustration.
Confidential
Acted in an LCIA arbitration concerning the alleged breach of an international distribution agreement and allegations of frustration and breach of the duty of good faith.
Confidential
Acted in an LCIA arbitration relating to a deadlock situation between a Singaporean company and a Vietnamese company arising out of the provision of corporate services.
Much of Tom’s work has an international element, with a particular emphasis on international and domestic fraud and the identification and recovery of assets. He has clients from a wide range of jurisdictions, including the Caribbean, Gibraltar, Cyprus and Russia/CIS.
Alongside his offshore commercial practice, Tom regularly acts in appeals to the Privy Council and in international arbitration. His Privy Council work includes constitutional, administrative and commercial cases from across the Commonwealth and Caribbean, while his arbitration practice spans a wide range of commercial disputes under LCIA, ICC and UNCITRAL rules.
Tom has also been called to the Bar in several overseas jurisdictions, giving him direct insight into the local courts and legal systems from which these appeals and disputes arise.
Tom is recommended as a leading silk in the 2025 Legal 500 English Bar Offshore. Recent directory feedback includes:
Prime Minister and Head of the Cabinet of Trinidad and Tobago v Comprehensive Nephrology Services Limited [2024]
Acted in an appeal to the Court of Appeal of Trinidad and Tobago in respect of the first public / private contract of its kind involving the commitment of a minimum of $1.8 billion to construct purpose-built renal facilities.
Attorney General of the Bahamas v Reid and others [2024] UKPC 30
Acted in an appeal to the Privy Council concerning the discharge of a restraint order, restraining c.$20 million.
Tom has a broad employment practice covering all aspects of employment law with particular expertise in conducting Tribunal and High Court claims, including injunctive action and relief. Tom’s employment work overlaps with his commercial work. This includes acting for and against directors in claims involving breach of fiduciary duty and post-termination restrictive covenants.
Tom has extensive experience of appellate advocacy, including before the Court of Appeal, the Privy Council and the Supreme Court.
Prior to taking silk Tom was on the Attorney-General’s “A” Panel of Civil Counsel to the Crown for many years and in this capacity undertook some of the Government’s most high-profile and complex employment cases.
Tom is recommended as a leading silk in Employment in 2025 Chambers & Partners. Recent directory feedback includes:
Mex Group Worldwide Limited v Duthie & Anor [2025] EWHC 1360 (KB) (on-going)
Tom (leading Katharine Bailey) acted for the for the defendants, Duthie and Duthie Consultants Limited, in this litigation concerning alleged breaches of contractual and non-contractual duties of confidence by a solicitor. Following a heavy two-day application argued before Kerr J in April 2025, the Duthie parties successfully resisted strike out and/or summary judgment, with Kerr J delivering a notable decision concerning the scope of a solicitor’s duty of confidence to his client, and the arguability of defences to a claim in breach of confidence upon the bases of the iniquity exception or a general duty to disclose.
Proactive Group Holdings Inc & Brighter IR Limited v Peter Meadows & Ors
Tom (leading Alexandra Sidossis) acted for the claimants in this employee competition case in which the claimants alleged breach of contract / fiduciary duty and breach of various pre-termination restrictions (PTRs) against former employees and springboard relief. Tom successfully obtained an interim injunction against the former employees and the new company set up in competition with the claimants.
Ideal Heat Solutions Limited v Rapid Energy Ltd & Ors
Tom acted for the claimant in this claim concerning breach of fiduciary duty, breach of confidentiality and theft of a customer database.
One in a Million Entertainment Ltd v BBC
Tom acted on behalf of the service company of a well-known BBC presenter in his claims against the BBC for whistleblowing, unfair dismissal, race discrimination and breach of contract.
Administrative, Constitutional & Public
Tom undertakes a substantial amount of constitutional and public law work, both in England and Wales and in the Privy Council. He has acted for most of the Governments in the Caribbean in high-profile and legally significant appeals, many of which have concerned fundamental constitutional rights and questions of public law.
Before taking silk, Tom was a member of the Attorney General’s “A” Panel for civil counsel and continues to act in a number of high-profile and complex cases involving governmental and public bodies. His instructions have ranged from sensitive matters for central government departments to challenges involving regulators, professional bodies, public interest groups, companies and individuals.
His domestic practice encompasses the full spectrum of judicial review and related challenges. He has particular expertise in cases involving human rights, standards in public life, and challenges to the decisions of regulatory and professional bodies. He regularly appears in the Court of Appeal and Administrative Court, and his constitutional and public law practice complements his extensive appellate work before the Privy Council.
Tom is recognised in 2025 Chambers and Partners as a leading silk for Civil Liberties and Human Rights. Recent directory feedback includes:
The King v Julian Washington [2024] UKPC 34
Tom acted for the Attorney General and Director of Public Prosecutions for Bermuda in this landmark appeal concerning the use of forensic evidence in criminal trials and its implications for fair trial rights under the Bermuda Constitution.
Charles v Bethel [2022] UKPC 51
Tom acted for the Attorney General of The Bahamas in this appeal concerning habeas corpus and constitutional redress following detention and expulsion from the Bahamas to Haiti.
Boodram v Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago [2022] UKPC 20
Tom acted for the Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago in this appeal concerning the remedies available to the court when vacating the death penalty.
Chandler v The State (No 2) [2022] UKPC 19
Tom acted (with Howard Stevens KC) in this appeal concerning the constitutionality of the mandatory death penalty. Owing to the constitutional significance of the appeal, the Privy Council sat as a nine-member panel.
Tom acted for the DPP of Jamaica in this appeal concerning the right to a fair trial within a reasonable time under the Constitution of Jamaica
Duncan v Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago [2021] UKPC 17
Tom acted for the Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago in this appeal concerning the right to liberty and security of the person under the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago.
Tom has extensive experience of professional negligence claims, particularly those arising in the commercial and financial spheres. He is frequently instructed in cases involving allegations against solicitors, barristers, accountants, auditors and financial professionals, often where the issues overlap with his expertise in insolvency, civil fraud and commercial litigation.
He is regularly instructed in high-value and complex disputes where professional negligence is alleged in the context of failed litigation, corporate transactions, regulatory investigations or the management of insolvency proceedings. Tom is adept at handling cases that require careful analysis of causation and loss, including claims involving multiple professionals and overlapping duties of care.
Tom is known for his clear and pragmatic advice, meticulous preparation and incisive advocacy. He is recommended in the legal directories as a silk who “picks things up very quickly and gets to the nub of the issues” and as “a very, very effective advocate, who is always strategically minded.”
Confidential
Acting in a professional negligence claim against a valuation expert arising out of a major fraud and insolvency dispute.
Confidential
Acting in a professional negligence claim against a firm of solicitors in connection with an international arbitration under a bilateral investment treaty.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Tom has wide experience of alternative dispute resolution, including mediation and early neutral evaluation, both in England and internationally. He is frequently instructed in cases where ADR runs alongside complex litigation or arbitration, particularly in commercial, insolvency and professional negligence disputes.
He is known for his strategic approach and ability to cut through to the real issues in a dispute, qualities that lend themselves to effective negotiation and settlement. Tom regularly represents clients in mediations involving high-value and multi-jurisdictional claims.
Tom has extensive experience of public inquiry work having served for many years on the Attorney-General’s “A” Panel for civil counsel. Tom was involved in setting up the Iraq Fatality Investigations Team alongside Sir George Newman and acted as the Senior Assistant overseeing the team’s first two investigations.
Tom is one of the Lead Counsel to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.
The Iraq Fatality Investigations
Please contact us either by telephone: +44 (0)20 7415 7800 or email: clerks@3harecourt.com
