Thomas Jones > Bird & Bird > Sydney, Australia > Lawyer Profile
Bird & Bird Offices
Level 22
25 Martin Place
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia
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Thomas Jones
Work Department
Commercial
Position
Partner
Career
As a partner in our Competition and Commercial Groups in Sydney, and co-head of the Technology and Communications Group in Australia, I specialise in cross-jurisdictional regulatory issues in technology and communications.
When advising clients, my work combines excellent, technical legal knowledge with innovative, creative approaches.
I enjoy working for Bird & Bird because there are some phenomenally clever lawyers here, working on some of the most challenging international matters in technology and communications for innovative organisations and exciting clients. We work together as one cross-border team, sharing ideas and expertise, to deliver entirely ground-breaking projects for our wide array of clients.
My expertise in technology and communications, particularly on the regulatory side, covers exciting new areas such as 5G and LEO satellites as well as the full range of existing services. Where law is just evolving or technologies are novel, I use my creative problem-solving skills to plot a trajectory with my clients to achieve their desired outcomes. Clients enjoy working with me, and I have been recognised as a ‘star’ by independent research company, Acritas, based on clients’ feedback.
As co-head of the firm’s satellites and space activities team, I am pleased to work with several major satellite businesses and related projects, harnessing the transformative power of satellite technology and related communications to enhance people’s lives, all around the world.
I am also the competition law partner in Australia and work closely with a broad range of clients in the region to help them achieve their commercial objectives in a way that doesn’t fall foul of competition or consumer laws. This includes advice on merger clearance, cartels and anti-competitive agreements as well as misleading or deceptive conduct.
I do have another string to my bow. Initially, I trained as a professional classical violinist before qualifying as a lawyer. A few years ago, I realised that I needed music back in my life. As a result, I founded the Sydney Lawyers Orchestra. The orchestra, which I direct and conduct, brings together other classically trained musicians from across the Sydney legal profession. Classical music combines mind with soul, technique with expression, striking the perfect balance between intellectual and creative, which is so important to me both personally and professionally, including in my work as a lawyer.
Admissions
- Law Society of New South Wales, Australia in 1996
- High Court of Australia in 2001
Education
- University of Melbourne, LLB, Law
- Indiana University, Master of Music, Violin Performance
- Indiana University, Bachelor of Music
Lawyer Rankings
Australia > IT and telecoms
Bird & Bird is a key player in the TMT space and is sought out for its advice, which not only covers data protection and privacy, but also extends to the law covering space, satellites and autonomous vehicles. The team is co-headed by Hamish Fraser, who is active in commercial and regulatory matters in tech, and Thomas Jones, who is well equipped to handle licensing, procurement, distribution and IP issues. Shane Barber is another key partner, specialising in media and communications. All named practitioners are based in Sydney.