Tom Gentleman

Areas of Practice

Litigation and advice in the fields of Company Law, Shareholder Disputes, Commercial Litigation, Corporate
Fraud, Insolvency and Financial Services

Company law and Shareholder Disputes

Tom advises and represents shareholders, company directors and companies in
relation to shareholders disputes, derivative actions, directors' duties, company
constitutional issues and meetings.

He has particular experience in relation to shareholder disputes, including petitions
under s. 994 of the Companies Act 2006 (formerly s. 459 petitions) and petitions for
just and equitable winding up. He has been involved in such disputes working both
on his own and with leading counsel, in litigation carried on in this jurisdiction,
Bermuda and the Bahamas.

Commercial Litigation  & Financial Services

Tom has been involved as a junior in a number of complex commercial cases.  Many of his cases have an international element, raising conflict of laws questions and jurisdiction disputes.  Recent experience includes:

. acting for an investment fund in its claim to establish a stake in a special purpose
vehicle for investment in a German wind farm project;
. acting in an arbitration arising from a dispute between the investors in a joint
venture owning stakes in Eastern European utility companies;
. acting for Standard Life in its claim to recover from its insurance brokers moneys paid out by way of compensation to mortgage endowment customers
. seeking to establish the jurisdiction of the English courts in relation to a dispute between the shareholders of a leading Ukrainian football company, Dynamo Kiev
 
In addition, he regularly advises and litigates in general contractual disputes, both in  the High Court and County Courts.

Corporate Insolvency and Bankruptcy

Tom advises and represents both creditors and debtors in relation to disputed
winding up and bankruptcy petitions. In addition, he regularly appears on
applications to set aside statutory demands, to restrain presentation or
advertisement of winding up petitions and for creditors orders, and on applications by liquidators or trustees
in bankruptcy in relation to property in the insolvent estate.

Recent cases

Pacific International Sports Club Ltd v Soccer Marketing International Ltd [2009] EWHC 1839 (Ch)
Re Realstar Ltd [2007] EWHC 2921 (Ch) / [2008] BPIR 1391
North Principal Investments Fund v Greenoak Renewable Energy, [2008] EWHC 2047 (Ch) and [2009] 18 EWHC (Ch)

Academic

MA (Oxon), Modern History
Christ Church, Oxford, Scholar
Diploma in Law (City), Distinction
Lincoln's Inn: Lord Brougham Scholar

Professional

Member of the Commercial Bar Association and Chancery Bar Association