Tom Spiller OBE

Tom advises businesses, investors, and high-net-worth individuals on international arbitration and cross-border disputes. He has experience handling complex enforcement issues, misappropriation claims, and contractual disputes across a range of sectors, including financial services, hospitality, and technology.

• Advised an African sovereign wealth fund in relation to an attempt to enforce an improperly obtained arbitration award.
• Advised a high-net-worth overseas investor in relation to a claim for misappropriation of funds in respect of a European hotel development.
• Advised a fintech company in relation to an arbitration claim for breach of contract involving the provision of cross-border payment services.

Tom advises business owners and directors in regulated sectors on high-stakes, often existential disputes and litigation, frequently involving substantial internal investigations.

• Acted for a cryptocurrency issuer in respect of a breach of contract claim against a marketing platform (known as a launchpad) in respect of its launch day.
• Acted for two co-founders of a token issuer in a dispute with another co-founder as to ownership rights.

Tom advises individuals and companies on debt recovery and enforcement matters. He works with clients to recover outstanding funds efficiently, providing strategic advice on collection, enforcement options, and dispute resolution where recovery actions are contested.

• Acted for various high-net-worth individuals in recovering funds lent to persons in overseas jurisdictions in circumstances where no formal loan documentation existed.
• Acting for corporate entities in circumstances where creative enforcement strategies are required.

Tom regularly advises business owners and directors on high-value business-to-business disputes.

• Advised a British political party in respect of claims for breach of copyright.
• Advised an AIM-listed business on its turnaround upon being bought out of administration. This involved a portfolio of disputes involving multiple service providers as well as the amendment of its commercial terms and ongoing renewals of its contracts with its customers. This also involved an investigation into a legacy accounting issue with potentially serious consequences.
• Advised a company in respect of a claim for breach of contract against an influencer agency.
• Advised a business in respect of a breach of contract claim against its data centre provider.

Tom advises individuals, organisations, and businesses on reputational disputes and defamation matters. He assists clients with pre-publication risk assessments, media-related issues, and the defence and pursuit of claims involving allegedly defamatory statements.

• Advised a high-net-worth individual on responding to incorrect statements made by the press alleging involvement in organised crime.
• Advised a British political organisation at the pre-publication stage in relation to its research output.
• Advised a British political organisation in defence of a claim in defamation brought by a former donor.
• Advised a former director of a Thai energy company who had lost a High Court claim for several hundred million pounds and had findings of dishonesty made against them.

Tom advises founders, directors, shareholders, and investors on disputes relating to directors’ duties, governance, and shareholder rights. He has significant experience in claims involving alleged misconduct, breaches of duty, and unfair prejudice across a range of sectors.

• Advised a founder of a telecommunications software company in relation to alleged misconduct brought by private equity investors.
• Advised a founder of a software company in relation to alleged breach of duty and unfair prejudice by professional private equity investors.
• Advised co-owners of a British fashion company in relation to the defence of a claim for unfair prejudice brought by another co-owner.
• Advised directors of a British plc in relation to a claim for breach of duty brought by its founder.

Tom advises business owners and directors in regulated sectors on high-stakes, often existential disputes and litigation, frequently involving substantial internal investigations.

• Advised a financial services company in respect of the impact of potentially institution-ending litigation in the High Court as well as related litigation in America and other European countries. This involved winding down aspects of the client’s regulated business whilst dealing with a related investigation by the FCA which took place alongside live, long-running litigation in multiple jurisdictions.
• Acted for a financial services company in respect of team-poaching by a rival in the DIFC. This involved disputes across several legal forums in the UAE and America.
• Acting for a financial services company in relation to a recovery action in a case involving forged bearer certificates for precious metals.

Tom advises businesses, financial institutions, and insolvency office holders on fraud, asset recovery, and breach of fiduciary duty claims. He has acted in high-profile, cross-border matters involving complex investigations, recovery actions, and allegations of financial misconduct.

• Advised the attorneys for the SIPA Trustee in relation to the Madoff litigation.
• Advised a British financial services company in relation to a recovery action in a case involving forged bearer certificates for precious metals.
• Advised a British financial services company in relation to a fraud claim brought by the state of Denmark, including its European and American off-shoots.
• Advised on a claim for breach of fiduciary duty in respect of a claim against a trusted advisor who acted as investment manager for an UNHWA American investor in respect of investments made in the UK
• Advised an UNHWA client from a former USSR country on their tangential involvement in UNCITRAL arbitration brought against a former USSR state.
• Advised an UNHWA client from a former USSR country on a claim for breach of duty against its investment advisor.
• Advised an UNHWA client from a former USSR country in an investigation into a very long-running fraud by a senior manager within a group of companies who had wholesale diverted more than $500m of the funds of the group to himself.
• Advised an UNHWA client from a former USSR in a contractual claim against a British publisher.

Tom advises clients on resolving complex disputes through mediation and alternative dispute resolution. He has successfully guided parties through settlement negotiations in professional negligence and fiduciary duty claims, helping achieve commercial and cost-effective outcomes.

• Advised on a professional negligence claim in respect of a film finance scheme which settled at mediation.
• Advised on a claim for breach of fiduciary duty in respect of a claim against a trusted advisor who acted as investment manager for an UNHWA American investor in respect of investments made in the UK which settled at mediation.

Tom advises businesses which fall within the National Security and Investment Act 2021 on the, often contentious and always politically sensitive, statutory process for approval of transactions as set out in the Act.

• Application for clearance for a share transaction in an electricity transmission company under the terms of the National Security and Investment Act in circumstances where draconian conditions were proposed by the ISU.

Tom often advises UNHW and business owner clients in respect of novel, high-stakes legal situations with a contentious dynamic which require a unique approach.

• Advised the English Football League on its approach to the dispute resolution mechanism contained in the draft Football Governance Bill which later passed into law.
• Advised in defending claims made under the Building Safety Act against a British main contractor in respect of alleged structural engineering failures, at a time when there was no case law and significant attention to the legislative process was required.

Tom advises a wide range of actors in the British political space in respect of both public and legal processes.

• Advised a former government minister in respect of his evidence to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
• Advised a British political party on its response to a public inquiry.
• Acted for a political party in judicial review proceedings in the Court of Appeal brought by a British media company which, in effect, sought to extend the application of the Freedom of Information Act.
• Advised a British political party on a claim made in respect of the conduct of a Member of Parliament.

Appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) for Public and Political service in 2019