"He's superb and will become an absolutely stellar lawyer. He has an easy turn of phrase which the courts like."
Tim is recognised as a leading junior in all his key areas of work. The directories describe him as “An outstanding junior who is able to quickly cut to the key issues in a case” (Legal 500 2020); someone to turn to “for matters of high complexity” (Chambers and Partners 2020); and “practical, sensible [with] a really good sense of what the client has in mind. Clients really like him and value his work ethic and great legal mind."” (Chambers and Partners 2020).
His practice spans public law, public international law and EU/Competition law. He regularly appears in ground-breaking cases such as R (Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union [2017] UKSC 5 and Vedanta Resources Plc and another v Lungowe and others [2019] UKSC 20 (both before the Supreme Court). He is currently instructed in five cases (two unled) before the European Courts in Luxembourg and will appear before the Court of Appeal in three major appeals (two competition law, one public law) in the Michaelmas term of 2019.
Tim is recognised as a leading junior in all his key areas of work. The directories describe him as “An outstanding junior who is able to quickly cut to the key issues in a case” (Legal 500 2020); someone to turn to “for matters of high complexity” (Chambers and Partners 2020); and “practical, sensible [with] a really good sense of what the client has in mind. Clients really like him and value his work ethic and great legal mind."” (Chambers and Partners 2020).
His practice spans public law, public international law and EU/Competition law. He regularly appears in ground-breaking cases such as R (Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union [2017] UKSC 5 and Vedanta Resources Plc and another v Lungowe and others [2019] UKSC 20 (both before the Supreme Court). He is currently instructed in five cases (two unled) before the European Courts in Luxembourg and will appear before the Court of Appeal in three major appeals (two competition law, one public law) in the Michaelmas term of 2019.
The Legal 500 describes Tim as a “bright, up-and-coming public lawyer who finds himself in leading cases.” He will shortly appear before the Court of Appeal resisting an appeal brought by BT, who argue that HMT had acted unlawfully when it indexed public service pensions in a manner that may increase BT’s pension liability by £600 million. He has also appeared in the TfL-Uber litigation before the Court of Appeal, and in Uber's appeal against the decision to revoke its licence in 2018. In the recent past, Tim appeared in the Miller "Article 50" litigation before the Supreme Court, and the Tobacco Plain Packaging judicial review (before the Court of Appeal). He also has considerable public international law experience, acting for NGOs, private parties and States in a variety of forums. He recently acted for the International Commission of Jurists and the CORE Alliance (pro bono) in the Supreme Court in Lungowe and Others v Vedanta Resources Plc [2019] UKSC 20. Tim is currently instructed by one of the Core Participants before the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse.
Tim is currently instructed in two substantial challenges against CMA competition law infringement decisions. He is acting for Pfizer, resisting the CMA’s appeal to the Court of Appeal, in an excessive pricing case. In Ping he is appealing the decision of the Competition Appeal Tribunal that a restriction on internet sales was an abuse of dominant position. He is also instructed to act for the largest claimant group in the Trucks follow-on damages claim and for the defendants in the Smart Card Chips claim.
Legal 500 describes Tim as an “outstanding junior who is able to quickly cut to the key issues in a case”, in the field of EU law. He is called to the Bar in Ireland (2018) and has full rights of audience before the CJEU. He is currently instructed in five cases before the European Courts (two unled). He has previously appeared alone before the European Court of Justice in the UK’s reference concerning the Second Tobacco Products Directive and in a reference from the Supreme Court in Case C-316/15 Hemming v Westminster City Council. He regularly advises and acts for a range of government departments, local authorities and private contractors in the fields of public procurement and State aid.
Tim has particular expertise in private international law, and regularly advises on questions of conflict of laws and jurisdiction. He has also acted in various heavyweight commercial disputes as a junior to Mark Howard QC, Tim Lord QC and Charles Hollander QC. He is currently acting unled for two local authorities in separate, substantial contract disputes (valued at several million pounds). His previous cases include a major LCIA arbitration concerning a joint venture in the Middle East, and a dispute before the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands concerning the ownership of the Ritz Carlton Hotel.
Member of the Attorney General's C Panel of Counsel with Developed Vetting clearance.
Member of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Panel of Counsel.
Member of the Welsh Government Panel of Counsel.
Called to the Bar in Ireland (2018).
Tim is a member of ALBA, COMBAR, Procurement Lawyers Association and the UK State Aid Law Association.
Select Publications:
'Notes From a Small Island: Natural Justice and the Institutional Design and Practice of Competition Authorities and Appellate Courts', in Competition Policy International (2014) (10.1) (with Robert O'Donoghue).
'The Snowden "Revelations": Is GCHQ breaking the law?', in, European Human Rights Law Review (2014) (2) (with Jemima Stratford QC).
Two chapters in K. Bacon, European Union law of State Aid (Forthcoming, OUP).
Contributing author to the forthcoming edition of M. Brealey ed., Competition Litigation: UK Practice and Procedure.
Before coming to the Bar, Tim was a fellow in Modern European History at St Peter’s College Oxford. He is the author of Being Soviet: Identity, Rumour and Everyday Life Under Stalin 1939-53 (OUP) (selected by the Financial Times as one of their non-fiction books of the year in 2011).
He was also occasional consultant to the Oscar-winning film production company Cloud Eight Productions and for Fox-Searchlight Films.
Tim carries out a wide range of public and public international law work, with a particular emphasis on cases that raise complex questions of human rights law.
He has significant expertise in the law of surveillance (including drones), counter-terrorism and information law as well as electoral law.
He is currently instructed to act for one of the Core Participants in the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse.
He is a member of the Attorney General's C Panel of Counsel with Developed Vetting Clearance and provides expert advice to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Drones.
His notable instructions include:
Judicial Review/Administrative Law:
Human Rights:
Public International Law:
Electoral law:
Surveillance, Security and Information Law:
Public Inquiries:
Discrimination:
Sanctions:
Advised on the potential consequences, for the purposes of the sanctions regime, of a commercial joint venture agreement (as a junior to Maya Lester).
Tim has a thriving EU and competition law practice. He is recognised in Legal 500 2018 as an up and coming practitioner who is “bright, quick and able to adjust to work in the way that clients require.”
Legal 500 (2018) describe Tim as "Very responsive, intelligent and commercially minded, one to watch for the future.” In previous years it has noted that he is “a team player who will work all hours to get the job done. He is on a fantastic upward trajectory with his public procurement practice."
Tim is currently instructed in four cases before the European Courts, two of them unled. He regularly advises alone on complex questions of EU law, freedom of establishment, State aid and public procurement.
Tim is currently acting in two leading recent cases before the Court of Appeal concerning abuse of dominant position (Pfizer and Ping). He also has extensive experience in regulatory appeals, particularly in the telecoms sector (BT v Ofcom).
His current notable instructions include:
His notable previous instructions include:
His notable instructions include:
Commercial Agency:
Regulatory:
Tim has a busy commercial litigation and advisory practice.
He is currently instructed to act alone for two different local authorities in substantial commercial disputes with a value of several million pounds.
He has previously advised on a multi-billion pound dispute arising out of a property development (as a junior to Mark Howard QC), appeared in an arbitration concerning a joint venture dispute arbitration in the Middle East (led by Tim Lord QC), as well as acting for a Government department in a substantial contract dispute (unled).
His notable instructions include:
Commercial litigation:
Jurisdiction/Conflict of Laws:
2011-2012: Pupillage Brick Court Chambers.
2010-2011: Bar Professional Training Course (Outstanding).
2009-2010: Graduate Diploma in Law (Distinction).
2003-2007: DPhil Modern History, Keble College, Oxford.
2002-2003: MSt Historical Research, Keble College, Oxford (Distinction).
1998-2001: BA Hons. Modern History, Keble College, Oxford (Double First).
Scholarships and Prizes:
2010-2011: Denning Prize, Lincoln's Inn.
2009-2010: Lord Bowen Scholarship, Lincoln's Inn.
1999-2006: Undergraduate and Graduate Scholar, Keble College, Oxford.
"Sought-after junior with broad expertise across areas including human rights, pensions, licensing and electoral law. He attracts instructions from a number of central government entities." "He's very easy to work with as he understands the broader context of our work and achieves the balance between real-world considerations and pure questions of law." "We often turn to Tim for matters of high complexity. He has a real firm grip of the law, and he can apply that to unique situations. He's very authoritative, which is good for the courtroom and the client." "He's superb and will become an absolutely stellar lawyer. He has an easy turn of phrase which the courts like." (Chambers & Partners 2020)
"You can just give him a call and speak with him openly about the case; he's always available to just have a chat if something is not entirely clear." "He is practical, sensible and has a really good sense of what the client has in mind. Clients really like him and value his work ethic and great legal mind." (Chambers & Partners UK & Global 2020)
"Produces strong written work, has good advocacy skills and is good with clients." (Chambers & Partners 2020)
"A bright, up-and-coming public lawyer who finds himself in leading cases." (Legal 500 2020)
"An outstanding junior who is able to quickly cut to the key issues in a case." (Legal 500 2020)
"Committed and available, he masters his brief. Good at spotting essential points for pleadings." (Legal 500 2020)
"He is bright, quick and able to adjust to work in the way that clients require." (Chambers & Partners 2019)
"Very responsive, intelligent and commercially minded, one to watch for the future." (Legal 500 2018-19)
"He is very supportive, quick to grasp facts and a barrister who provides good, practical advice." (Chambers & Partners 2018)
"An excellent junior, who brings wider public and commercial experience to the case." (Legal 500 2017)
"He combines intelligence and sensitivity with an incredible work ethic. A proactive lawyer who has an excellent sense of humour." "Tim is a team player who will work all hours to get the job done. He is on a fantastic upward trajectory with his public procurement practice." (Chambers & Partners 2017)
"Very responsive and clear in his views." (Legal 500 2016)
