Stephanie Thomas

Stephanie advises on complex commercial disputes, including cross-border claims, asset freezing, judicial review, breach of duty, and product liability. She represents clients across sectors such as aviation, entertainment, healthcare, manufacturing, and automotive, often securing negotiated settlements.

• Advised an airline on a dispute with another airline, including asset freezing.
• Dealt with a judicial review application and damages claim.
• Acted for an overseas hospital in High Court proceedings for alleged breach of duty.
• Resolved a major trustee dispute and negotiated a settlement.
• Represented an overseas company in connection with a claim for faulty manufacturing equipment and consequential losses.
• Negotiated a settlement in a dispute between two overseas motor companies.

Stephanie advises on high-value fraud and asset recovery matters, including freezing orders, search and seizure, cross-border asset disputes, and insolvency-related tracing. She represents clients in litigation involving contested assets, financial fraud, and banking-related losses.

• Acted for a number of UK and foreign nationals in High Court proceedings concerning several multimillion-pound financial fraud and damages claims.
• Obtained freezing orders to protect assets in advance of litigation.
• Executed a search and seizure order in relation to computer equipment and documents.
• Advised clients in business disputes involving contested assets.
• Advised in relation to asset tracing following insolvency proceedings.
• Advised in a cross-border dispute as to the ownership of jewellery.
• Acted for a client in a dispute with a bank following the loss of funds.
• Advised an international bank in connection with the relocation of its UK office.

Stephanie advises clients in the creative industries on copyright, royalties, design protection, branding, and ownership of artistic works. She has represented musicians, designers, and distributors in disputes involving IP infringement and high-value creative assets.

• Acted for a singer-songwriter in a major royalties dispute.
• Resolved various disputes concerning the ownership of art.
• Acted for an overseas distributor in High Court copyright infringement proceedings.
• Advised fashion and design clients in relation to the protection of their designs.
• Advised on branding for new business ventures.

Stephanie advises on art ownership disputes, gallery sales and acquisitions, auction contracts, and banking issues. She has acted in trustee disputes to establish ownership and regularly supports galleries and collectors in resolving complex art-related matters.

• Resolved various disputes concerning the ownership of works of art.
• Advised galleries in relation to sales and acquisitions.
• Provided advice in relation to auction contracts and disputes.
• Advised galleries in banking disputes.
• Established ownership of a work of art in a trustee dispute.

Stephanie advises hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, and bars on premises licensing, lease renewals, rent reviews, and property matters, including representing operators in disputes and advising on potential licence breaches in the hospitality and leisure sector.

• Advised hotels, restaurants, nightclubs and bars on premises licensing.
• Represented operators regarding property issues.
• Advised a nightclub in connection with a potential breach of its licence.
• Acted on various business lease renewal proceedings.
• Advised on disputed rent reviews.

Stephanie advises high-profile individuals on reputation management, privacy and defamation issues, asset division on separation, probate matters, and personal disputes.

• Provided reputation management advice for prominent individuals.
• Advised film and media personalities in connection with breach of privacy and defamation matters.
• Advised individuals in relation to division of assets on separation.
• Acted for clients in probate matters.
• Resolved a dispute concerning the design of a yacht.

Stephanie advises on real estate disputes including redevelopment-driven tenancy terminations, contentious planning applications, construction defects, joint venture profit entitlements, and development injunctions, representing both corporate and private clients across complex property and land-related matters.

• Acted for commercial landlords to facilitate extensive redevelopment projects, involving the termination of business tenancies.
• Advised various private individuals in relation to contentious planning applications.
• Successfully opposed planning and redevelopment applications on behalf of both corporate and private clients.
• Resolved a construction dispute involving defective works.
• Acted for clients in a substantial joint venture dispute and negotiated the share of profits attributable to the parties.
• Obtained an injunction to stop a development project and negotiated the basis for the continuation of the same.

Stephanie advises charities on governance, structural revisions, mergers, fundraising compliance, and breach of duty matters, with experience including memorial projects, asset acquisitions, and advising on the planning, construction, and management of charitable initiatives.

• Advised in connection with the planning, fundraising, construction, and maintenance of the Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park, London.
• Advised a charity in connection with a sensitive breach of duty claim.
• Acted for a charity on the acquisition of the assets and obligations of another charity and the extent of the reorganisation required.
• Advised a charity on the revision of its structure.
• Provided advice to charities on fundraising compliance.

Stephanie advises schools and colleges on safeguarding, exclusions, qualification standards, and public benefit requirements, and regularly delivers talks on legislative changes and compliance affecting the education sector and its regulatory obligations.

• Advised schools on safeguarding matters.
• Provided guidance on public benefit requirements.
• Advised schools and colleges in connection with qualification standards.
• Advised schools and pupils on exclusions.
• Provided talks on legislative changes and compliance.

Stephanie advises healthcare providers and hospitals on litigation, regulatory compliance, medical data use, and commercial matters, including disputes and site development.

• Acted for an overseas hospital in High Court proceedings for alleged breach of duty.
• Advised on the use of medical data.
• Advised on the development of a medical site.
• Advised on doctors’ partnership disputes.

Stephanie advises life sciences clients on litigation, regulatory compliance, and commercial matters, including disputes and innovations in diagnostics and chronic condition treatments.

• Advised on legislative changes and compliance, for example in relation to innovations concerning diagnostics and treatment of chronic conditions.
• Advised in connection with pharmaceutical disputes.

Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts

Freeman of the City of London

Honorary Solicitor to the United Wards’ Club of the City of London

Director of Pragma SCRL, an international alliance of law firms