Direct Access Barrister
Mark David Thomas
Direct Access Barrister
Mark David Thomas
He studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford University, worked as an investment banking analyst in the City and then spent two years at law school in London to qualify as a barrister. His commercial background allows Mark to bring business acumen to the advice he provides clients and he has been praised for his practical, problem-solving, approach to dispute resolution.
Mark prides himself on his approachable manner and his ability to find creative solutions to his clients' problems.
Mark aims to responding to all queries received through the DPA Portal within 24 hours.
Mark is willing to travel throughout the United Kingdom and is also able to conduct case conferences via video conference.
Area of Law
Employment and Pensions
Mark regularly appears in Employment Tribunal proceedings for large Respondent organisations and has particular experience advising companies on how to deal with problematic employees, defending complex discrimination claims and litigating bonus disputes.
He is particularly adept at unpicking tricky issues and negotiating favourable settlements for his clients.
Freedom of Information and Data Protection
Mark is a true specialist in Data Protection and Information Law matters. He has appeared before the High Court on numerous occasions dealing with information law issues. He is an expert in issues relating to GDPR, the Freedom of Information Act and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Having represented a range of police forces and household name companies on complex information matters, Mark is ideally placed to assist
• Providing pro-active advice and support in mitigating the damage of data breaches;
• Responding to requests made under the GDPR (including subject access requests and requests for deletion or rectification); and
• Acting in Information Rights cases in the First Tier Tribunal, Upper Tribunal and High Court.
Inquests and Public Inquiries
Mark regularly acts in complex multi-week inquests for police forces, NHS bodies, private charities, individual clinicians, private companies and families.
He is regularly instructed in sensitive inquests with significant press interest. He can guide you through the coronial disclosure process, use robust questioning to challenge witness evidence and provide pro-active advice on how to avoid criticism.
Public and Administrative Law
Mark has been instructed to act in many applications for judicial review, and frequently appears in the High Court. He regularly acts in cases related to information sharing and police decision making. He also has an extensive knowledge of cases arising from decision making in education settings.
What sort of work do I do?
Mark has a diverse public law focused practice, acting for a range of public bodies and private clients. He is an expert in the fields of inquests, police law, judicial review, employment law and information law.
Who do I work for?
He routinely acts for the largest public bodies (including most police forces) and private organisations (Harrods, Carphone Warehouse, John Lewis) in the country up to the Court of Appeal.