
Thomas W Shortland
Partner, London
Thomas W Shortland
Partner, London
Tom Shortland is a partner and solicitor advocate in the London office of Cohen & Gresser. He is a member of the firm’s Litigation & Arbitration and White Collar Defense & Regulation practice groups. Tom represents corporations and individuals in a range of commercial and business disputes encompassing civil, regulatory, and criminal matters.
Tom regularly acts in complex commercial disputes in the English courts, courts in overseas jurisdictions, and in international arbitrations. He has advised on disputes arising out of M&A transactions, investment funds, financial instruments, capital markets, company shareholdings, joint ventures, commercial arrangements, regulatory obligations, directors’ duties, fraud, insurance, corporate governance, data privacy, employment, debt restructurings, construction projects, and insolvency.
Tom also acts in internal and disciplinary investigations, regulatory proceedings, and criminal matters. He has advised on investigations and prosecutions conducted by a range of UK authorities, including the Serious Fraud Office, the Financial Conduct Authority, the Competition and Markets Authority, Trading Standards and The Insolvency Service.
Between 2015 and 2016, Tom was seconded to the Bribery & Corruption Division of the UK’s Serious Fraud Office. Acting as an Investigative Lawyer on complex international investigations, he formulated investigative strategy, managed wide-ranging evidential processes and conducted a broad range of cautioned, compelled and voluntary interviews.
Tom has been recognized as a “Rising Star” in Commercial Litigation in The Legal 500’s UK guide and is also recommended as a key lawyer in Regulatory Investigations and Corporate Crime (Advice to Corporates). The legal directories have noted that he provides “strong support” in commercial and financial disputes and that he “adds value to whatever he is working on.”
Tom has represented clients in a range of industries including banking, financial services, investment funds, media, information technology, telecommunications, e-commerce, construction, retail, manufacturing, oil & gas, energy, public relations, pharmaceuticals, and commodities.
Tom has an active pro bono practice. He regularly volunteers as an advocate with the Chancery Bar Association’s Litigant in Person Support (CLIPS) Scheme and was a recipient of the CLIPS Pro Bono Champion Award in 2021 and 2022. He is a mentor with the Social Mobility Foundation.
Prior to joining the firm, Tom trained and qualified in the London office of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, where he practiced for over eight years. He graduated in Law from the University of Cambridge.
Tom Shortland is a partner and solicitor advocate in the London office of Cohen & Gresser. He is a member of the firm’s Litigation…
Education
University of Cambridge, Selwyn College (B.A. 2009; M.A. 2012); University of Law (Legal Practice Course, 2010)
Bar Admissions
England & Wales (Solicitor-Advocate); Republic of Ireland (non-practicing)
“Congratulations to Tom, Ben, and Louise on their well-deserved promotions,” said Lawrence T Gresser, global managing partner of Cohen & Gresser. “They are a talented group of lawyers who have demonstrated an extraordinary dedication to client service. All three represent Cohen & Gresser’s core values of excellence, integrity, and respect, and we are pleased to recognize their significant achievements and the impact they have within their practices and at the firm.”
Thomas Shortland – Partner, London
Tom Shortland represents corporations and individuals in a range of commercial and business disputes in the English courts, courts in overseas jurisdictions, and in international arbitrations. He also advises on internal and disciplinary investigations, regulatory proceedings, and financial crime matters. Tom has been recognized in The Legal 500 UK’s guide as a “Rising Star” in Commercial Litigation and as a key lawyer in Regulatory Investigations and Corporate Crime.
Benjamin Zhu – Counsel, New York
Ben Zhu focuses his practice on litigation and white collar defense matters. He has represented corporations and individuals in a range civil and criminal matters, including complex commercial disputes, mass tort litigation, legal malpractice actions, and government investigations. He has been named a Rising Star in New York by Super Lawyers since 2021. Ben is a magna cum laude graduate of the New York University School of Law, where he received the Order of the Coif and was a Notes Editor of the Law Review.
Louise Le Guilchet – Counsel, Paris
Louise Le Guilchet focuses her practice on complex litigation (including general civil and commercial matters, shareholder disputes, and post-acquisition litigation) as well as internal and regulatory investigations. Louise holds a master’s degree in Private International Law and International Trade from the Université Panthéon-Assas and a master’s degree in International Finance from HEC Paris (Grande Ecole).
- Regulatory Investigations and Corporate Crime (Advice to Corporates)
- Fraud: White-Collar Crime (Advice to Individuals)
- Commercial Litigation: Mid-Market
- John Gibson: Commercial Litigation: Mid-Market; Fraud: White-Collar Crime (Advice to Individuals); Regulatory Investigations and Corporate Crime (Advice to Corporates)
- Richard Kovalevsky QC: Commercial Litigation: Mid-Market; Fraud: White-Collar Crime (Advice to Individuals); Regulatory Investigations and Corporate Crime (Advice to Corporates)
- Jumana Rahman: Commercial Litigation: Mid-Market
- Thomas Shortland: Commercial Litigation: Mid-Market; Regulatory Investigations and Corporate Crime (Advice to Corporates)
- Tim Harris: Fraud: White-Collar Crime (Advice to Individuals); Regulatory Investigations and Corporate Crime (Advice to Corporates)
Cohen & Gresser announces the promotion of Thomas Shortland to counsel in the firm's London office. Tom advises on a broad range of commercial and business disputes, including English High Court litigation, international arbitration, internal investigations, and regulatory proceedings.
In this C&G Client Alert, Thomas Shortland, John Gibson and Ashley Collins:
- highlight three trends in director disqualification enforcement which emerge from the Report;
- suggest factors that may have contributed to these trends; and
- discuss whether these trends are likely to continue.
They also provide some insights on contested disqualification proceedings from recent cases.
John W Gibson, Thomas Shortland, and Ashley Collins outline the key factors company directors must consider when making business decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic, as they may face scrutiny from a range of interested parties including creditors, employees, trade unions, landlords, customers, regulators, insolvency practitioners, and possibly law enforcement.