Biography
Tom acts for a range of clients in high value, complex and cross-border commercial disputes. He has particular expertise dealing with contractual disputes, company and shareholder disputes, professional negligence claims, insurance disputes and insolvency and restructuring issues. Tom also acts regularly for both insurers and insureds in relation to coverage disputes, complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service and in judicial review proceedings.
Tom has a particular focus on the sport and entertainment sector and is recognised as a leading sport lawyer. Tom frequently acts for football clubs (including domestic and international teams), athletes, sponsors and international and national sport governing bodies on a range of contractual and regulatory matters.
Tom also acts for musicians, managers and record and publishing companies in relation to a variety of issues.
He qualified as a solicitor in 2012.
Testimonials
‘Tom Barnard is excellent. He is a top litigator and the all round package in terms of technical skills and excellent strategy.'
'Tom Barnard is excellent and would not be out of place at any top sports practice. He is unflappable and provides a top service on both simple and complicated cases." - Legal 500, 2025 (Next Generation Partner)
"Tom Barnard is phenomenal. I very much trust his instincts and analysis. He is also thoroughly pleasant and easy to work with. Exceptional in all areas" - Legal 500, 2023
"I trust Tom Barnard completely and am very impressed by his coverage of detail and his ability to step back and consider the case in the round. I am easily confident enough in him to make referrals, and have done so." - Legal 500, 2022
Tom Barnard is a "Rising Star" - Legal 500, 2021
Recent highlights
- Successfully defended a claim brought against the Islamic Republic of Pakistan which concerned the supply of high tech industrial equipment to the Government. The claim involved issues of state immunity; disputing the court’s jurisdiction; service of documents out of the jurisdiction; setting aside default judgments; and relief from sanctions.
- Representing a group of creditors in relation to the high profile and high value failure of ARM Asset Backed Securities SA. Tom acted for a group of more than 1,000 retail investors who invested in bonds issued by a securitisation vehicle incorporated in Luxembourg in a high value, complex, cross-border dispute. The matter concerned applications to the English High Court on issues such as trust law (specifically Quistclose and resulting trusts), the FCA client money rules and conflict of law matters.
- Represented Benfica Football Club (Sport Lisboa e Benfica-Futebol SAD) in English High Court proceedings.
- Acting for the International Netball Federation and assisting with governance and drafting issues.
- Acting for a number of professional sportspeople in a range of matters, including in relation to image rights and commercial sponsorship arrangements.
- Acting for a multi-national corporation in the investigation of an international fraud against the client. Most recently Tom has obtained Norwich Pharmacal Orders against a number of banks requiring them to disclose account statements of those with a suspected involvement in the fraud.
Publications
- Tom writes a quarterly column for FC Business magazine on legal issues affecting the football industry.
- He is regularly interviewed by the press in relation to sports law stories and in the past year he has appeared on BBC Radio5 Live, on the BBC and the BBC Website, on the Mail Online and in the Evening Standard.
