Tom joined Quadrant Chambers in October 2023, upon successful completion of his pupillage. He accepts instructions across Chambers’ core areas, including commercial litigation, shipping, insurance, banking, and commodities.
Before pupillage, Tom completed the BCL at Oxford, obtaining a Distinction overall and the Peter Birks Prize for coming top of the year in Restitution of Unjust Enrichment. Tom achieved a Distinction in both the GDL and the Bar Course, and was awarded the William Rose Prize for obtaining the highest mark in his year for Drafting. Before coming to law, Tom graduated with a first-class degree in History.
His work so far has included:
- Acting in Zavarco plc v Nasir [2025] UKSC 5 before the UK Supreme Court, (led by Paul Downes KC) (led at an earlier stage by Robert-Jan Temminck KC and Tom Nixon).
- Successfully obtaining (as sole counsel) an order for specific performance requiring the transfer of a bond worth €400 million.
- Appearing (as sole counsel) on two separate occasions for the successful claimants in contempt of court applications in the High Court.
- Acting in a three-week arbitration relating to a lengthy vessel detention in West Africa (led by Philippa Hopkins KC and Emmet Coldrick).
- Acting (as sole counsel) for the successful claimants in a multi-million dollar sale of goods GAFTA arbitration. The central issue was whether a shortage of local currency was a force majeure event excusing the buyer’s failure to open a letter of credit in the seller’s favour.
- Acting (as sole counsel) for the successful claimants in a multi-million dollar sale of goods GAFTA arbitration concerning the scope of a CIF sellers’ entitlement to purchase goods afloat.
- Acting in a week-long LMAA arbitration concerning a multi-million dollar cargo claim and counterclaim for general average (led by Benjamin Coffer).
- Appearing as sole counsel in the Commercial Court, Admiralty Court and County Court for trials and a range of applications.
- Settling pleadings and arbitration submissions in a range of charterparty disputes, commodities, and insurance disputes.
- Advising on a range of insurance matters, including the construction of various professional indemnity policies."
Tom has a particular interest in cases involving claims for restitution of unjust enrichment and has experience of this area in both a professional and academic setting.
Shipping
- Acting in a three-week arbitration relating to a lengthy vessel detention in West Africa (led by Philippa Hopkins KC and Emmet Coldrick).
- Acting in a claim US$11 million claim in the English High Court concerning the scope of the rule in Holme v Brunskill, with a 3-day trial listed for 2026 (led by Yash Kulkarni KC).
- Acting in a US$4m claim in the English High Court in a demurrage dispute, with a 4-day trial listed for 2026 (led by Chris Smith KC).
- Acting in a week-long LMAA arbitration concerning a multi-million dollar cargo claim and counterclaim for general average (led by Benjamin Coffer).
- Acting as sole counsel in a range of LMAA arbitrations concerning issues of off-hire, unseaworthiness, underperformance and cargo damage.
- Acting in several arbitrations relating to the construction and chartering of luxury superyachts.
Commodities & International Trade
- Acting in a US$7m claim in the English High Court for losses arising from the delivery of off-specification oil (led by Paul Toms KC)
- Successfully obtaining an order under section 9 of the Arbitration Act 1996 staying a restitutionary claim brought in respect of a contract for the sale fuel oil.
- Successfully obtaining an order under section 9 of the Arbitration Act 1996 staying a restitutionary claim brought in respect of a contract for the sale fuel oil.
- Acting (as sole counsel) for the successful claimants in a multi-million dollar sale of goods GAFTA arbitration concerning the scope of a CIF sellers’ entitlement to purchase goods afloat.
- Acting (as sole counsel) in a GAFTA arbitration revolving around a seller’s alleged failure to ship within the shipment period.
Commercial Dispute Resolution
- Acting in Zavarco plc v Nasir [2025] UKSC 5 before the UK Supreme Court, (led by Paul Downes KC) (led at an earlier stage by Robert-Jan Temminck KC and Tom Nixon).
- Successfully obtaining (as sole counsel) an order for specific performance requiring the transfer of a bond worth €400 million.
- Appearing (as sole counsel) on two separate occasions for the successful claimants in contempt applications in the High Court.
- Acting in a claim US$11 million claim in the English High Court concerning the scope of the rule in Holme v Brunskill, with a 3-day trial listed for 2026 (led by Yash Kulkarni KC).
- Successfully obtaining an order under section 9 of the Arbitration Act 1996 staying a restitutionary claim brought in respect of a contract for the sale fuel oil.
- Acting in a dispute arising out of a long-term partnership for the use and promotion of a branded cryptocurrency (led by Lawrence Akka KC).
- Acting as sole counsel in a complex share-transfer dispute which involved complex legal points on the law of unjust enrichment.
- Assisting (as a pupil) Stewart Buckingham KC and Ben Gardner on the successful appeal to the Supreme Court in JTI Polska Sp Z o.o. and Ors v Jakubowski & Ors [2023] UKSC.
Interlocutory
Tom has experience with many different types of application. He has acted (successfully) in, and advised on, anti-suit injunctions, summary and default judgment applications, jurisdictional challenges, stays, and ship arrest applications
Aviation & Travel
Tom has represented parties in several aviation disputes, including delay, cancellation and baggage claims.
Insurance
Tom has advised and acted on a number of insurance-related matters.