Tom Payne KC
Call: 1998 | Silk: 2024
Personal profile
Tom Payne specialises in Business Crime & Fraud (particularly cases of financial crime involving complex issues of taxation, accountancy and money laundering) and complex general Crime. He is routinely instructed in cases of unusual complexity or sensitivity (e.g. EncroChat, Hillsborough), and his career has included a number of legal firsts:
- the first paperless criminal trials in England and Wales using EPE and iPad jury bundles in a series of highly complex tax frauds;
- the first prosecutions for the cartel offence;
- the first prosecution arising from the Victims Right of Review scheme; and
- the first prosecution for offences under s2(16) CJA 1988.
He is regularly instructed in major cases by the CPS, FRC, and SFO.
Recommendations
― Chambers & Partners (2026)Tom Payne KC is top class.
― Chambers & Partners (2026)He is incredibly clever and hardworking. He is really fabulous.
― Legal 500 (2026)Tom is thorough, diligent and persuasive.
― Legal 500 (2026)Tom has a masterful grasp of the details of a vast case, and has a sound sense of what is important and what is not, which inspires confidence in judges, opponents, and, mostly likely, juries; he picks his battles extremely well, and pursues those aspects which are important with determination whilst not taking up time with points that are less important.
― Chambers UK (2025)Tom is very calm under pressure, deals with judges well and is unflappable, measured and effective in the face of heavy-duty opposition.
― Chambers UK (2025)Tom is a fantastic fraud specialist with an ability to see the detail in a mass of information and explain it in a clear and concise way.
― Chambers UK (2025)Tom is excellent. A very thorough and well-prepared advocate, he is what you want in a complex prosecution.
― Legal 500 (2024)Tom is a hard working, fair and effective prosecutor. He fights his corner well. He is smart, thorough and realistic. He is a decent, humane person to work with too.
― Chambers UK (2023)A fantastic advocate with superb judgement, whose written work is also excellent
― Chambers UK (2023)Tom is a thorough, level-headed and appealing advocate who is well prepared and always on the ball.
― Legal 500 (2023)Tom is a thorough, diligent and persuasive advocate.
― Legal 500 (2023)Tom is a master of the detail of cases. His in depth knowledge of the underlying facts is second-to-none.
― Chambers UK (2022)Fair, effective and highly respected
― Chambers UK (2022)He shows great care and skill when communicating his advice, and takes a tactful and practical approach when focusing his cases.
― Legal 500 (2022)Tom is one of hardest working barristers, with an attention to detail second to none. Always entirely on top of the brief, those instructing Tom can be 100% confident that everything that needs to be done has been done to the very highest standard
Serious & Organised Crime
Tom has a varied general crime practice, with an emphasis on Serious Organised Crime and violence.
Featured Cases
- R v Metcalf and others – Instructed to prosecute the second trial arising from the Hillsborough disaster.
Operation Venetic – Instructed to advise the prosecution in respect of all cases featuring EncroChat encrypted communications evidence. - R v Ibori, R. v Gohil and others (Project Phoenix) (2016–2018) – Instructed to prosecute the applications for leave to appeal against conviction concerning the non-disclosure of material indicating police corruption. See Gohil [2018] EWCA Crim 140 and Ibori [2018] EWCA Crim 2291.
- R v H and others (2015–2022) – Instructed to prosecute a cigarette and alcohol smuggling by an international organised crime group.
- R v W (2016–2017) – Instructed to prosecute the first case arising from the Victims Right of Review scheme (police officer alleged to have committed perjury at inquest).
Fraud
Tom has a formidable Fraud and Money Laundering practice.
Featured Cases
- R v Petrofac – Petrofac Plc for bribery act offences. [Press Report]
- R v Alaghband and others – Instructed to prosecute the directors of Balli Steel Plc for conspiracy to defraud a number of banks.
- Operation Savate – The first three paperless trials to be prosecuted in England and Wales, using EPE and iPad jury bundles.
- Operations Borzoi and Bayweek – Instructed to prosecute a series of linked money laundering conspiracies.
- The marine hose cartel, the BA/Virgin price fixing case – The first prosecutions for the cartel offence.
- Instructed by the SFO in the first prosecution for offences under s2(16) CJA 1988.
Professional Discipline
Tom has a substantial Professional Discipline practice:
Featured Cases
- Advised the FRC in its settlement of proceedings against PwC concerning the audit of Cattles plc.
- FRC v C, FRC v M – Instructed by the FRC in proceedings before the FRC disciplinary tribunal against directors of Welcome Financial Services Ltd.
Education
- MA Jurisprudence, Trinity College, University of Oxford
- LLM, Birmingham University
Awards
- Nominated as Financial Crime Junior of the Year, Legal 500 (2023)
- Jules Thorne Scholar, Middle Temple
Professional appointments
- Recorder (2012)
- CPS Specialist Panel Advocate (Fraud, Organised Crime and Proceeds of Crime) (Grade 4) (2012)
- SFO Panel Advocate (A list) (2012)
Memberships
- Elected member of Bar Council since 2015
- Bar Council Remuneration Committee
- Member of CBA Executive
- Former CBA Treasurer
Publications
- Archbold, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023, Sweet & Maxwell, contributing editor
- Crown Court Index, Sweet & Maxwell, 2022
- Crown Court Index, Sweet & Maxwell, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, with M. Lucraft
- Millington and Sutherland Williams: The Proceeds of Crime, 5th edition, OUP, 2018, contributing author