Tom McKernan - PCB Byrne

Our People — Biographies

Tom McKernan

Partner

tmckernan@pcb-byrne.com

0207 842 1655

07500 935455

Languages:

English

Tom is a partner in our civil litigation team, working across a wide variety of commercial disputes. He has been recognised as one of the firm’s ‘key lawyers’.

Tom specialises in complex, multi-jurisdictional fraud claims in the Commercial Court, which frequently involve asset freezing orders. He has successfully represented a number of high-profile clients from around the world in both litigation and arbitration.

Tom draws on a depth of experience in acting for both Claimants and Defendants in asset recovery cases involving all manner of asset classes, including cryptocurrency. His cases often involve an insolvency aspect.

The directories say:

Legal 500

Tom has been named one of the firm’s ‘key lawyers’ and was also previously recognised as a ‘stand-out associate’.

Notable experience

Tom is leading the defence of the Estate of Fahad Al Rajaan against the claims brought by the Kuwaiti Public Institution for Social Security, one of the largest claims in the English High Court. This high-value and long-running litigation involves myriad legal issues in jurisdictions across the world.
Represented a defendant in the high profile action brought by the administrators of London Capital and Finance, a case involving multiple asset freezing orders and allegations of complex financial fraud.
Led and successfully concluded claims brought by Teva Pharmaceuticals against two prominent ‘Rich List’ entrepreneurs for fraudulent misrepresentation and breach of multiple contractual warranties and fiduciary duties, in a dispute involving several sets of inter-related proceedings.
Acted for a defendant in a $300m claim relating to Ukrainian refinery brought by Russian oil company in the Commercial Court in London (Tatneft –v- Bogolubov and others).
Led the defence of Sir Alan Davies (one of the so-called ‘superhead’ teachers) against multi-million-pound civil fraud allegations brought against him by Brent Council.
Assisted in settling a USD $30 million Commercial Court fraud dispute between investors in a failed oil and gas joint venture, in a case linked to civil and criminal proceedings in both Germany and Luxembourg.
Acted for a defendant in the high-profile trial of Otkritie v Urumov & Ors [2014] EWHC 191 (Comm), which involved a sophisticated and high-value trading fraud and accusations of money laundering in multiple jurisdictions.
Assisted Yukos in obtaining an unprecedented €1.9 billion ECHR judgment against the Russian Federation for 'just satisfaction' in relation to the former oil giant's break-up and nationalisation.

Background

Tom read law at the University of Nottingham and graduated in 2007. He joined the firm in September 2012 after completing his training at Edwards Wildman Palmer’s London office. Tom is a member of the Young Fraud Lawyers Association.