Cohen & Gresser (UK) LLP

Litigation & Arbitration; White Collar Defense & Regulation

Partner

Tom Shortland is a partner and solicitor advocate in the London office of Cohen & Gresser. He is a member of the firm’s Litigation & Arbitration and White Collar Defense & Regulation practice groups.

Tom advises corporations and senior executives, particularly in the investment funds and financial services industries, on the prosecution and defence of complex commercial disputes, and on the navigation of sensitive and high-stakes investigations, regulatory inquiries, and follow-on litigation.

Tom has considerable experience acting, for both claimants and defendants, in complex and high-value commercial disputes in the English Business & Property Courts, courts in overseas jurisdictions, and before international arbitration tribunals. He has particular expertise in disputes arising out of M&A and financing transactions, joint ventures and shareholdings, insolvency, and allegations of corporate misconduct. Tom is well-versed in group and collective action proceedings in the English courts and in the utilization of litigation finance.

In addition to his commercial disputes practice, Tom regularly advises on internal and disciplinary investigations, regulatory proceedings, director disqualification applications, and economic crime matters. He has handled investigations and prosecutions conducted by a range of UK authorities, including the Serious Fraud Office, the Financial Conduct Authority, the Competition and Markets Authority, Trading Standards, the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and The Insolvency Service. Tom previously practiced as a Principal Investigative Lawyer within the Bribery & Corruption Division of the UK’s Serious Fraud Office and draws on this experience when advising clients on compliance and defence strategies.

The breadth of Tom’s experience across commercial disputes and regulatory matters makes him ideally placed to assist corporations and senior executives in navigating complex contentious matters involving parallel investigations, inquiries and litigation.

Tom is regularly recognized in the legal directories. In The Legal 500’s UK guide, he has been identified as a “Rising Star” and a “Next Generation Partner” in Commercial Litigation: Mid-Market, and as a key lawyer in Regulatory Investigations and Corporate Crime (Advice to Corporates) and in Fraud: White Collar Crime (Advice to Individuals). The Legal 500 has described Tom as “a sensationally good lawyer and commercial litigator” who “advises clients to the highest level as to the strategy and then ensures that it is implemented to guarantee the best result.” He is further described to “combin[e] intelligence with great commercial sense,” as being “very switched on for commercial and sanctions work, and with a very responsive and commercial approach,” and as a “standout partner [who has] broad experience and is very dedicated to his clients.” In 2023 and 2024, he was identified as a “Future Leader” in the Lexology Index (formerly Who’s Who Legal) for Commercial Litigation, a report which is described as identifying “standout practitioners in the litigation field” who are “singled out for their outstanding ability.”

Tom has an active pro bono practice. He regularly volunteers as an advocate in the English Business & Property Courts with the Chancery Bar Association’s Litigant in Person Support (CLIPS) Scheme and has on several occasions been a recipient of the CLIPS Pro Bono Champion Award. He is a mentor with the Social Mobility Foundation.

Prior to joining the firm, Tom trained and qualified in the London office of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, where he practiced for over eight years. He graduated in Law from the University of Cambridge.

England & Wales (Solicitor-Advocate)

Republic of Ireland (non-practicing)

University of Cambridge, Selwyn College (B.A., 2009; M.A., 2012)

University of Law (Legal Practice Course, 2010)