Ten Old Square

Private Client - contentious and non contentious; Private Client: Personal Tax, Property litigation; Partnership; Commercial Chancery; Court of Protection; Charities

Tom has a broad chancery practice with an emphasis on wills, trusts and estate disputes, related non-contentious advisory work (including tax advice), and commercial and property litigation.

He is ranked as a Rising Star for Private Wealth and Probate in the Legal 500 Bar Guide 2025.

Tom is equally happy acting led or unled and is often instructed against counsel considerably senior to him. He appeared as sole counsel in the Court of Appeal in Gorbachev v Guriev [2022] EWCA Civ 1270, [2023] KB 1. He also regularly appears in the County Court and High Court, alongside specialist experience in the First-tier Tribunal, Upper Tribunal and Court of Protection.

Before joining Chambers, Tom worked in the Court of Appeal (Civil Division) as the Judicial Assistant to the Rt. Hon. Lord Justice Patten. He has tutored extensively in trusts law and is a joint editor of Mellows: Taxation for Executors & Trustees. He also writes for Practical Law on a range of topics, and was seconded to a tier 1 London law firm in 2024.

Tom was appointed to the Attorney General’s C Panel in 2024, his first year of eligibility.

Tom also frequently represents individuals in court pro-bono, receiving both the ‘Pro Bono Champion Award’ from the Chancery Bar Litigant in Person Support Scheme (CLIPS), and recognition from Advocate for committing over 25 hours to pro-bono work in 2023.

Recent reported highlights include:

Del Curto v Del Curto – Cross-border succession; led by Professor Jonathan Harris KC (Hon.) and Richard Dew. See [2023] EWHC 2106 (KB). Executors of the estate of Linington and another v Revenue and Customs Commissioners [2023] UKFTT 89 (TC), [2023] WTLR 917 – Inheritance tax valuation of interests in settled property (ongoing); led by James Henderson. See also [2024] UKUT 00070 (TCC), [2024] BTC 505 (protective costs orders). Gorbachev v Guriev [2022] EWCA Civ 1270, [2023] KB 1 – Offshore trustee disclosure. See also [2022] EWHC 1907 (Comm); led by Richard Dew. Paul v Paul [2022] EWHC 1638 (Fam) – Acting for minor beneficiary in a claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975.

Publications:

Joint editor of Mellows: Taxation for Executors & Trustees Regular contributor to Practical Law

Chancery Bar Association Contentious Trusts Association Court of Protection Bar Association

BPP Law School – Excellence Award The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple – Diplock Scholarship The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple – Certificate of Honour BPP Law School, London – Bar Professional Training Course, Outstanding BPP Law School, London – Graduate Diploma in Law, Distinction University of Exeter – BA (Hons) History with Study Abroad, First Class