Tom Phillips

Called to the Bar:2018

  • Overview

    A bright junior who brings a strategic approach and a forensic eye for detail to every case.

    Corporate and Financial Crime

    Tom represents both individuals and corporate entities and has worked on cases involving allegations of fraud, money laundering, tax evasion and bribery.

    Crime

    Tom is a sought-after advocate with a busy general crime practice including both defence and prosecution work. He has a breadth of experience as a sole junior and is often instructed as a led junior in cases involving the most serious criminality.

    Regulatory 

    Tom has a growing regulatory practice and is instructed by both registrants and regulators.

    Private Prosecutions 

    Tom has experience advising and representing individuals, corporates and national governing bodies in respect of private prosecutions.

    Reviews

    Legal 500 2025: Fraud Crime: Rising Star

    Appointments

    • CPS General Crime Panel Level 3
    • CPS Fraud Panel Level 3
    • CPS Serious Crime Panel Level 2
    • CPS Specialist Panel - Rape and Serious Sexual Offences 
    • SFO Counsel Panel B
    • Goverment Legal Department (B Panel for Regulatory)
    • Government Legal Department Junior Panel
    • Youth Justice Legal Centre Approved Counsel
    • Public Access Qualified
    • Nursing and Midwifery Council Approved Counsel

    Professional Memberships

    • Criminal Bar Association
    • Young Fraud Lawyers Association
    • Health and Safety Lawyers Association
    • Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers

    Education

    • Bar Professional Training Course – BPP Law School
    • Graduate Diploma in Law – City Law School
    • BA (Hons) Philosophy, Politics and Economics, Keble College, University of Oxford

    Scholarships and Awards

    • Pegasus Scholarship to Uganda – Inner Temple (2021)
    • Norman Tapp Memorial Prize for Excellence in Mooting – Gray’s Inn (2018)​
    • BPTC Advocacy Scholarship – BPP Law School (2017)
    • Sir Dingle Foot BPTC Scholarship - Gray’s Inn (2017)
    • Michael Beloff QC Essay Prize Winner - Gray’s Inn (2016)
    • Future Legal Mind Essay Prize Winner – NAHL (2016)

    Languages

    • Fluent in French
    • Conversational in Spanish

       

    Privacy Notice

    Recent Cases

    News

  • Corporate and Financial Crime

    Tom excels in corporate and financial crime, demonstrating commercial nous and a forensic eye for detail.

    Overview 

    Tom’s experience includes working on cases involving cross-jurisdictional allegations of fraud, money laundering, tax evasion and bribery. 

    Experience

    Tom has a thriving fraud practice and is in demand as both a junior alone and a led junior. His eye for detail and the ease with which he handles financial evidence enable him to excel in this area.

    As a led junior, Tom has experience working on serious fraud cases, including those prosecuted by the Serious Fraud Office. He is valued by his leaders for his ability to master the detail of the case and for the quality of his written work, which is persuasive and succinct. He is currently instructed as a led junior in the appeal against conviction of an individual following a trial prosecuted by the SFO. 

    He also appears as a junior alone complex fraud cases. He has been appointed to the CPS Fraud panel at level 3 and his current instructions include the prosecution of individuals involved in a large-scale housing benefit fraud (investigated by the DWP), the prosecution of a dentist for a fraud by abuse of position (investigated by NHS Counter Fraud) and the prosecution of a businessman and his bookkeeper in relation to a VAT fraud in excess of £1m.

    Tom has a particular interest in the corporate offence of failure to prevent bribery (Section 7 of the Bribery Act 2010). He recently co-authored a chapter on the offence in the German book ‘Antikorruptions-Compliance’ (published by C.F. Müller Wirtschaftsrecht).

    In addition, Tom has a growing interest in Health and Safety Cases. He recently assisted Adrian Darbishire KC in defending a company and its director in a case concerning breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

    Recent Cases

    News

    • Tom Phillips awarded Pegasus Scholarship to Uganda

      Tom Phillips has recently commenced his placement as a Pegasus Scholar in Uganda having been awarded the prestigious scholarship earlier this year.Tom is currently based within the High Court of Uganda and is working under the supervision of the Chief Jus...

      Read more

  • Crime

    A bright junior who combines a strategic approach with persuasive advocacy.

    Overview 

    Tom has a thriving general crime practice and is in demand as both a junior alone and a led junior.

    Experience 

    Tom is frequently instructed as a sole junior and has worked on cases involving a wide range of criminal offences. He has been praised for his advocacy and is popular with lay clients who appreciate Tom’s strategic approach and his ability to communicate in a clear and accessible manner.

    As a led junior, Tom has experience working on the most serious cases, including murder. He is valued by his leaders for his ability to master the detail of the case and for the quality of his written work, which is persuasive and succinct.

    Tom enjoys working with his instructing solicitors. He is often engaged in proceedings from an early stage and regularly advises as to how matters might be resolved in a manner which could avoid a criminal proceedings altogether.

    Notable Cases

    R v JO & Ors (2023)

    Led by Benn Maguire in the prosecution of four individuals in relation to vigiliante justice involving false imprisonment and a serious assault.

    R v SF (2023)

    Prosecuted SF who was convicted of the possession of indecent images in a case prosecuted by the CPS Counter Terrorism Unit.

    R v EM (2023)

    Defended EM who was acquitted of ABH following a trial at the Central Criminal Court. 

    R v SW & Ors (2023)

    Prosecuted, led by Sean Larkin KC, three defendants charged with attempted murder involving 18 shots fired at the victim from two handguns.

    R v JH (2023)

    Defending JH who was charged with threatening with a bladed article. JH was acquitted.

    R v MA (2022)

    Defended MA who was acquitted of sexual assault following a five-day trial.

    R v LO (2022)

    Defended LO, charged with social housing fraud. LO was found not guilty.

    R v HJ (2022)

    Led by Philip Evans KC, defended HJ who was charged with murder.

    R v SG (2021)

    Led by Susannah Stevens, successfully prosecuted SG who was charged with perverting the course of justice by forging High Court orders.

    Recent Cases

    News

    • Tom Phillips awarded Pegasus Scholarship to Uganda

      Tom Phillips has recently commenced his placement as a Pegasus Scholar in Uganda having been awarded the prestigious scholarship earlier this year.Tom is currently based within the High Court of Uganda and is working under the supervision of the Chief Jus...

      Read more

  • Regulatory

    Tom’s meticulous approach and the clarity of his advocacy is valued by both registrants and regulators alike.

    Overview 

    Tom has a growing regulatory practice and is instructed by both registrants and regulators.

    Experience 

    Tom has presented cases on behalf of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the General Dental Council and the Teaching Regulation Agency. He has also been instructed by the Health Care Professionals Council to assist with the preparation of cases and has assisted a member of chambers with providing advice to the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries. 

    From a defence perspective, Tom recently represented a nurse facing eighteen charges including sexually motivated behaviour in respect of three patients and two colleagues and a charge of dishonesty. At the conclusion of the substantive hearing, which lasted over seven weeks, the charges relating to sexual misconduct had been found not proven in relation to four of the five individuals and the charge of dishonesty was also found not proven. The panel found proved only six of the original eighteen charges.  

    Tom has also provided advice to a registrant facing an investigation by the taxation disciplinary board and has assisted Selva Ramasamy QC in the representation of a sports coach facing allegations of inappropriate conduct with an athlete. 

    News

    • Tom Phillips awarded Pegasus Scholarship to Uganda

      Tom Phillips has recently commenced his placement as a Pegasus Scholar in Uganda having been awarded the prestigious scholarship earlier this year.Tom is currently based within the High Court of Uganda and is working under the supervision of the Chief Jus...

      Read more

  • Private Prosecutions

    His strategic approach and his ability to rapidly master complex cases at speed enable Tom to provide clear and thoughtful advice and representation on private prosecutions, whether defending or prosecuting.

    Overview

    Tom has experience advising individuals, corporates and national governing bodies on private prosecutions and has also been instructed to defend individuals facing private prosecutions.

    Experience 

    Tom has a growing practice in private prosecutions and has been commended for the clarity and pragmatism of his advice.

    He has advised clients on the merits of bringing a private prosecution and has dealt with several cases involving parallel proceedings in the civil courts. Tom spent two years advising Post Office (instructed by Peters and Peters) in relation to their post-conviction disclosure review which involved postmasters previously convicted of fraud, theft and false accounting.

    Tom has also been instructed to defend individuals faced with private prosecutions and has developed a keen understanding of the ways in which the integrity of a private prosecution can be attacked with a view to having the case dismissed prior to trial.

    Recent Cases

    News

    • Tom Phillips awarded Pegasus Scholarship to Uganda

      Tom Phillips has recently commenced his placement as a Pegasus Scholar in Uganda having been awarded the prestigious scholarship earlier this year.Tom is currently based within the High Court of Uganda and is working under the supervision of the Chief Jus...

      Read more