Tom De Vecchi

Call 2009; BA (Oxon); GDL, BVC (BPP)
Email: tdevecchi@3vb.com

Tom has a broad commercial practice covering most areas of business disputes including contractual disputes, banking, financial services, insolvency, civil fraud, insurance and conflict of laws. He has appeared before the High Court, FSMA Tribunal, County Courts and arbitrations.

Before coming to the Bar, Tom worked on a range of public policy and legal policy issues at the Bank of England (2002-5), the Financial Services Authority (2005-6) and the Law Commission (2008-9). That experience is proving invaluable in practice at the Bar, as he is able to draw on it in a range of banking and financial services matters.

For example, recent instructions include:-

• Acting for a Dutch pension fund in a claim against a bank's asset management business in connection with investments made between 2007 and 2009 (led by John Odgers QC and Ali Malek QC).
• Acting in various disputes concerning different banking products including several claims relating to complex derivative transactions between an investment bank and Italian municipalities (led by Sonia Tolaney QC): see for example UBS Ltd and UBS AG v Regione Calabria [2012] EWHC 699 (Comm).
• Acting for a bank in its successful defence of a claim concerning the alleged loss of a rare Swedish stamp, giving rise to complex issues of the law of bailment (led by Angharad Start) (Andre and anor v Clydesdale Bank plc [2013] EWHC 169 (Ch)).
• Acting for a former client adviser in at a major financial institution, before the FSMA Tribunal (led by Michael Blair QC) (Karpe v Financial Services Authority (FS/2010/0019).

He also regularly advises in connection with allegations of mis-selling of interest rate swaps and investment products generally.

In addition Tom has been involved in substantial commercial disputes - for example he was instructed in a 3-week ICC arbitration concerning a wireless network in the Middle East (led by David Quest).

Tom has substantial advocacy experience both in the High Court and in the County Courts, having been instructed to appear in number of final hearings and short trials as well as interim hearings. This commenced during pupillage, when he was instructed as sole advocate in a successful defence of a preference / transaction at an undervalue claim, tried over two days in the Companies Court. He works in particular on banking and insolvency disputes, including debt and guarantee claims.

Academic and Professional Education

• BA Philosophy, Politics and Economics - Magdalen College, Oxford - First (2001)
• CPE/GDL - BPP Law School - Distinction (3rd in year overall) (2007).
• BVC - BPP Law School - Outstanding (2008).

Publications

• "Section 83 of the Fires Prevention (Metropolis) Act 1774: Redundant and Pleonastic?" (2009) British Insurance Law Association Journal 117 (with Christopher Carr).
• Contributor to the EU Law division of the Encyclopaedia of Banking Law (ed. Mr Justice Blair).
• Contributor to Key Authorities in Banking Law (forthcoming).
• Contributor to Paget's Law of Banking 14th edition (forthcoming).
  

Professional Memberships

• COMBAR
• LCLCBA
• Inner Temple