Tom Payne KC

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“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.”
Chambers UK (2025)
“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.”
Legal 500 (2024)
“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.”
Chambers UK (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.”
Legal 500 (2023)
“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.”
Chambers UK (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”
Legal 500 (2022)

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

Tom is sensible and decent. His attention to detail is second to none, he has good judgement and is a likeable and impressive advocate.

― Legal 500 (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.

― Chambers UK (2025)

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.

― Legal 500 (2024)

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.

― Chambers UK (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.

― Legal 500 (2023)

Fair, effective and highly respected

― Chambers UK (2022)

A safe pair of hands and very easy to deal with. He doesn't put a foot wrong.

― Chambers UK (2022)

He shows great care and skill when communicating his advice, and takes a tactful and practical approach when focusing his cases.

― Chambers UK (2022)

An extremely hard working junior barrister. Those instructing Tom can be completely confident that everything that needs to be done has been done to the very highest standard.

― 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

― Legal 500 (2022)

His judgement, work ethic and ability to process material are all of a high order.

― Chambers UK (2021)

He is meticulous in his preparation and one of the most charming men you will come across and in terms of financial crime his ability is outstanding, as well as his work ethic, ability to process material and his judgement

― Chambers UK (2021)

A serene and sure-footed court performer.

― Legal 500 (2021)

A very firm, no-nonsense prosecutor, who doesn’t make concessions easily. He is a formidable barrister who can be trusted to do his job with the utmost professionalism.

― Chambers UK (2020)

Tom is incredibly diligent, has a great eye for detail and possesses very sound judgement. He is exceptionally clever and has a good eye for detail.

― Chambers UK (2020)

A cool, calm and assured barrister.

― Legal 500 (2020)

He analyses difficult issues well and his judgement and case strategy are exceptional.

― Chambers UK (2019)

A very sound advocate who is calm under pressure, fair minded and approachable.

― Legal 500 (2019)

He is exceptionally bright, an absolute workhorse, and is fazed by nothing.

― Chambers UK (2018)

Very bright and hard-working, he has a mastery of detail that is just phenomenal.

― Chambers UK (2018)

A seasoned prosecution counsel…He knows the law, is confident and self-assured.

― Chambers UK (2017)

A highly professional and accomplished advocate…He has excellent judgement and a keen tactical sense…He can marshal complex facts from a mass of material…

― Legal 500 (2017)

A highly respected crime junior… hard-working, cool and not easily flapped.

― Chambers UK (2016)

A highly sought after junior…expertise in MTIC and tax fraud.

― Chambers UK (2015)

An extremely hardworking, talented advocate.

― Legal 500 (2015)

Admired for his work ethic and unflappable demeanour… Persuasive, charming… meticulous.

― Chambers UK (2014)

A delight to work with.

― Legal 500 (2014)

A real star.

― Legal 500 (2013)

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