Tom is a solicitor and Master Mariner who practices in dispute resolution arising out of marine casualties and the related 'dry' contractual disputes. He handles cases in court and in international arbitration. He has investigated and handled a wide variety of marine incidents on different vessel types around the world. These include: collisions; groundings; fire and explosion; crew injuries; unsafe ports; pollution; cargo claims; and salvage, as well as the connected contractual claims such as those under charterparties and bills of lading.
Tom also advises on wider shipping law matters, including: compliance with marine regulations; ship management (including ISM and ISPS related matters); port state control; speed and performance disputes; bunker disputes; marine insurance; and issues concerning superyachts.
Prior to becoming a lawyer, Tom spent 10 years at sea and sailed as Chief Officer. He sailed primarily on commercial vessels (large passenger vessels and freight ro-ro cargo vessels) and also on some of the world's largest superyachts. He subsequently spent four years ashore as a marine superintendent, as part of a team managing a fleet of 60 ships and superyachts operating worldwide.
