Thomas More Chambers

My practice is quite eclectic and diverse, consisting primarily of commercial litigation, insolvency, financial services, company law and shareholder disputes, professional negligence and property and planning disputes.

Although it is not a comprehensive list, I attach below the main reported Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and High Court cases in which I have been involved, particularly over the last few years. Save for the cases asterisked, my involvement was as the sole advocate.

My two biggest cases over the next three months are:

• a large class action, with 500 clients, for Edwin Coe solicitors; trial has been set down in May 2016 for 18 days;
• two interrelated trials of a £15m claim for wrongful trading and the granting of preferences by company directors of an insolvent company; the second part of first trial is set down for April 2016 for 4 days.

Prior to qualifying as a barrister in 2003, I worked as a financial journalist, after graduating with First Class Honours in Philosophy Politics and Economics from St Catherine’s College Oxford. I was employed by the Financial Times for seven years, covering financial services, in particular as its Securities and Investment Banking Industry Correspondent. While I was working there, the FT also paid for me to take and complete a part-time MBA at London Business School. Thereafter I worked as City Editor of The Mail on Sunday, in charge of its business and financial coverage and the Financial Mail on Sunday section, for six years.

I also set up, edited and partly financed a weekly financial newspaper, the London Financial News, which focused on investment banking and in particular jobs and organisational issues. After 10 years, we sold it for £80 million, in two parts, to the Wall Street Journal (now owned by News Corporation) and to Dice Holdings Inc, a New York Stock Exchange-quoted company.

Selection of High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court cases:

Southern Cross v Deka Immobilien Investment [2005] BPIR 1103 Smurthwaite v Simpson-Smith & Mond [2006] BPIR 1483*(led by Andrew Lenon, now QC)

Mond v Smurthwaite [2006] EWCA Civ 1183, [2006] BPIR 1504

Kamali v City & Country Properties Ltd [2006] EWCA Civ 1879 [2007] 1 WLR 1219

Parker v SJ Berwin [2008] EWHC 3017 (QB), [2009] P.N.L.R. 17* (led by Jeremy Stuart-Smith, QC)

Connolly v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government [2009] EWCA Civ 1059, [2010] 2 P. & C.R. 1

Cowey v Insol Funding Ltd [2012] EWHC 2421 (Ch); [2012] B.P.I.R. 958

Hayes v Hayes [2012] EWHC 1240 (Ch), [2012] B.P.I.R. 739

TAG Capital Ventures Ltd v Potter [2012] EWHC 3323 (Ch)

Clark v In Focus Asset Management & Tax Solutions Ltd [2012] EWHC 3669 (QB) [2013] P.N.L.R. 14

Deutsche Bank (Suisse) SA v Gulzar Ahmed Khan & ors [2013] EWHC 482 (Comm)* (led by Nigel Jones QC)

Wright v Michael Wright (Supplies) Ltd [2013] EWCA Civ 234; and [2013] EWHC 4406 (Ch)

Power v Godfrey [2013] EWHC 4359 (Ch)* (written submissions only)

Hayes v Willoughby [2013] UKSC 17: [2013] 2 All ER 405, [2013] 1 WLR 935

Finch and Others v Hall [2013] EWHC 4360 (Ch), [2013] All ER (D) 92 (Oct)

New Century Media Ltd v Makhlay [2013] EWHC 3556 (QB), [2013] All ER (D) 252 (Nov)

Clark v In Focus Asset Management & Tax Solutions Ltd [2014] EWCA Civ 118, [2014] 1 W.L.R. 2502

Re Guidezone Ltd: Kaneria v Kaneria [2014] EWHC 1165 (Ch), [2014] WLR (D) 177

Girdhar and Parekh v Bradstock [2014] EWHC 1321 (Ch); and [2016] EWCA Civ 88.

Hayes v Butters [2014] EWHC 4557 (Ch), and [2015] 2 WLR 1634;

Hall v Maritek [2015] UKPC 23* (written submissions only)

Lagna v Secretary of State for Justice (Ch. D, Mrs Justice Rose, 2015/001154) (not reported).

Lakeminster Park Ltd v East Riding of Yorkshire Council & Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (QBD, CO/4839/2014) (to be reported).

(1) Saw (SW) 2010 Ltd (2) Neil Wilson Accountancy Ltd v (1) S. Wilson and Ors (2) Nationwide Building Society [2015] EWHC 4069 (Ch).