Tom Cassels

Tom is a commercial litigator specialising in high stakes and crisis litigation, including public law and funded competition litigation. He is top ranked in leading legal directories such as Chambers UK, Chambers Europe, Chambers Global and The Legal 500. He has won industry awards from the Lawyer and Legal Business and was twice included in The Lawyer “Hot 100”.

Tom works in close collaboration with lawyers from the firm’s other market-leading practice areas, including AFIG, Corporate, Projects and TMT in cross-office, multidisciplinary teams.

Work highlights

Tom has acted for clients in many major public and competition law disputes, investigations and commercial litigation. Recent experience includes representing:

• The UK Government on industry litigation exposure arising out of restructuring of train operation franchises in response to the Coronavirus pandemic
• A major global payments technology company in its defence in defence of multiple group claims in Interchange fee litigation extending to thousands of claims with lead cases before the Supreme Court and now remitted to the CAT
• Defendants in five current opt-out class actions in the CAT
• Advising an international carrier airline in connection with defence of a representative action in relation to flight delays and cancellations
• Camelot: advising on its challenge to the legality of the government’s decision in the tender process to operate the next National Lottery Licence. That licence is estimated to be worth around £3.6bn
• Annington and its investment adviser Terra Firma in judicial review proceedings against the Secretary of State for Defence (the “MOD”) in relation to the MOD’s attempt to enfranchise (i.e. compulsorily acquire) certain properties owned by Annington

Tom is a governor of a local comprehensive school and a former trustee of the Social Mobility Foundation, a charity that aims to make a practical improvement in social mobility for young people from low-income backgrounds.

Tom often acts in pro bono cases, currently including matters for Rainbow Migration. Tom has also advised on the following transactions:

• The Government of Georgia on its successful defence of a claim before the European Court of Human Rights
• The BBC on aspects of its competition and regulatory functions and high profile crisis matters

Tom studied law at Queens’ College, Cambridge University.