Brown Rudnick LLP

Litigation and Dispute Resolution

Counsel

Tom McDonnell is counsel in the firm's Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practice Group in the London office. Tom's practice is focused on resolving commercial and corporate disputes through litigation, arbitration, and all forms of alternative dispute resolution. He has broad final hearing experience, having represented individuals and institutional clients in the English courts, the Dubai International Financial Centre court, and the Qatar International Court, as well as in both domestic and international arbitration. Tom has experience of arbitrations subject to the ICC, LCIA, DIFC-LCIA, and DIAC arbitration rules.

Tom’s recent work includes advising the Claimants/Respondents in the UK Supreme Court, on the issue of whether the court should consider a “but for” test when determining the scope of account against a fiduciary ordered to account for unauthorised profits. The appeal followed a six-week trial acting for the successful Claimants in Commercial Court quantum proceedings and appeals by both parties to the Court of Appeal.

Tom has advised various claimants in large-scale securities litigation pursuant to sections 90 and 90A of and Schedule 10A to the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, against Standard Chartered Bank plc, various directors in defence of allegations regarding the sale of a subsidiary to a connected party and for the respondents to an unfair prejudice petition, and parties in unfair prejudice petitions alleging various breaches of directors’ duties under the Companies Act 2006.

Tom has unique experience of private-sector redress schemes arising from alleged mass torts, having acted for Manchester City Football Club on the design and implementation of its Survivors’ Scheme responding to allegations of historic sexual abuse. Following that instruction, Tom was part of a team that delivered evidence to the ongoing Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in support of a national dispute resolution scheme to resolve historic sexual abuse claims.

Tom has a keen interest in the professional development of junior lawyers and access to the legal profession, and has supported a Legal Apprentice scheme which provided an alternative pathway into the legal profession.

England & Wales (Registered with the Solicitors Regulations Authority as Thomas James McDonnell)

College of Law, LPC

Newcastle University, LL.B