Profile

Tom is the firm’s global head of cyber and data and he is based in our London office. 

Tom has extensive experience in advising on the management and containment of data breaches and the regulatory issues flowing from them.  He has acted on some of the world’s most high-profile international breaches as well as a huge variety of domestic cyber incidents involving ransomware, data exfiltration and system compromises. 

As well as managing the UK cyber and data team, Tom is responsible for the management, growth and development of the firm’s global cyber and data practice.  Tom’s aim is to cement the firm’s reputation as the world’s number one go-to firm for the management of global cyber incidents.

Tom is widely known as a co-host of Kennedys' Cyber Sounds podcast and as a regular speaker at events across the globe.  He is a member of the IUA Cyber Claims Committee and the FOIL Cyber and Digital Liabilities Sector Focus Group. He contributed to the latest edition of Kennedys’ Claims Handling Law and Practice Guide which was published in February 2021.

Tom Pelham is a delight to work with. His no-fuss approach is exactly what we need and he puts our clients instantly at ease.

Qualifications and admissions

  • Qualified in England and Wales in 2008

Market recognition

  • Winner - 'Cyber Law Firm of the Year'
    Cyber Insurance Awards Europe 2024
  • Recommended lawyer, The Legal 500 UK 2021
  • “He just gets the commercial aspect of the business and is very helpful.”
    The Gracechurch London Market Insurance Law Report 2019
  • Recommended Lawyer, The Legal 500 UK 2019/20
    "Tom Pelham is a delight to work with. His no-fuss approach is exactly what we need and he puts our clients instantly at ease."
  • Recommended Lawyer, The Legal 500 UK 2018/19
    "Tom Pelham is also ‘highly regarded’."
  • Recommended Lawyer, The Legal 500 UK 2017
    "Tom Pelham ‘really understands our business and works with us to deliver a favourable outcome’…"

Work highlights

  • Advising on the management of a data breach involving one of the world’s leading fitness brands, involving 2.5m data subjects across more than 200 jurisdictions
  • Advising on the response to numerous ransomware incidents impacting organisations in the UK, US, Israel and Canada
  • Advising one of the UK’s most recognisable brands on the defence of an ICO investigation concerning alleged breach of PECR
  • Advising Insurers on the management of a data subject class action with an aggregate value of £25m
  • Advising a global luxury car brand on GDPR compliance and the management of data captured in on-board driver management systems