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Tom Grodecki is a partner in Cadwalader’s Global Litigation and Compliance, Investigations and Enforcement practices. He represents global organisations and senior leaders in their most complex and novel disputes, investigations and enforcement actions.
Tom has advised numerous major financial services firms and some of the world’s most prominent commodities, energy, retail, transportation, industrial, telecommunications, and media organisations. His corporate clients have included JPMorgan Chase, Deutsche Bank, Shell, BHP, Vitol and Virgin.
Tom has represented individuals that include Heads of State, civil servants at Permanent Secretary and Director General Level, the Board of Shell Plc, Chairs, CEOs and Non-Executive Directors.
Tom has been named to Lawdragon’s inaugural “500 Global Leaders in Crisis Management” and to the “500 Leading Global Litigators” guide in 2025.
Compliance, Investigations and Enforcement
Tom’s extensive practice encompasses regulatory, independent, statutory and internal investigations and inquiries across multiple sectors. Tom also advises on governance issues, as well as the regulatory and litigation risks associated with AI.
His disclosable representations include:
- Successfully defending Malcolm Brinded, (formerly Executive Chairman, Upstream International, and Board member of Royal Dutch Shell) in the OPL 245 criminal bribery proceedings, described by the press as the largest ever bribery trial. Mr Brinded obtained a complete acquittal and declaration that the charges against him should never have been brought.
- The Independent Review into TSB’s migration to a new IT platform, which left millions of its customers temporarily locked out of their bank accounts.
- Advising JPMorgan Chase in respect of cross-border regulatory investigations into its participation in the multi-trillion-dollar spot FX market, and its £222m settlement with the Financial Conduct Authority.
- Defending Standard Life Assurance Limited in the Financial Conduct Authority’s investigation into the alleged mis-sale of non-advised annuities, and its subsequent settlement.
- Advising a core participant and individual witnesses in a prominent statutory public inquiry.
- Representing numerous listed issuers in the context of regulatory securities inquiries.
Litigation and Arbitration
Tom has defended clients against multi-billion-dollar damages claims, and a number of his cases have set significant precedents in English law. His representations have included:
- Successfully defending Shell plc and its Board of Directors from ClientEarth’s application for permission to continue a derivative action. ClientEarth challenged the Board’s management of Shell’s climate strategy and accused them of breach of fiduciary duties.
- Representing BHP Group plc in one of the largest ever cases before the English courts, with over 700,000 claimants seeking in excess of £36bn in damages in relation to the collapse of the Fundão dam.
- Defending MAN SE, in respect of follow-on damages proceedings, in the wake of the EU Commission's c.€3 billion fine against truck manufacturers for cartel infringements.
- Successfully defending a multi-billion dollar claim in confidential arbitration proceedings in the energy & construction sector.
- Representing Virgin in its successful $180m claim against Alaska Airlines (purchaser of Virgin America) for its failure to pay Virgin royalties for the right to use the Virgin brand, and other contractual breaches.
Tom joined Cadwalader after more than a decade practicing at a Magic Circle firm.
Tom earned his B.A. in jurisprudence and his B.C.L with distinction from Oxford University, where he also served as a company law tutor.
Recent Publications
How Top Court Ruling Limits Scope Of Motor Finance Claims | Law360 | August 13, 2025
Whistleblower Rewards May Soon Materialize In UK | Law360 | 05/28/2025
New measures will encourage companies to report fraud | The Times | 05/28/2025
Expect Complex Ruling From UK Justices In Car Dealer Case | Law360 | 05/01/2025
