Tom Yeoman
Principal
Tom is a principal of the firm bringing over a decade of commercial litigation experience in local and foreign markets, practicing exclusively in strata since 2015.
recent work
Resisting a cost application for a withdrawn appeal: Lu v The Owners - Strata Plan No 66347 [2025] NSWCATAP 2
Representing a group of lot owners on application for a section 237 compulsory appointment, successfully obtaining interim orders to appoint a compulsory strata managing agent for 3 months.
Acting for an owners corporation as a respondent to an Australian Human Rights Commission complaint.
Acting for a building management committee and its subsidiary strata schemes on the termination of each of their agency agreements.
Advising an owners corporation in relation to damage to common property arising in the course of a lot owner’s authorised renovation.
Advising an owners corporation in relation to unauthorised works carried out by a lot owner and subsequent Council implications.
Advising an owners corporation under compulsory appointment regarding the owners corporation’s compliance with with the Act prior to the compulsory appointment.
Acting for a lot owner on a claim for section 106(5) damages, resolving by way of settlement prior to hearing.
recent case summaries
career and experience
Tom is the Principal of Yeoman Legal and a dedicated specialist in NSW strata law. Since 2015, he has practiced exclusively in the strata sector, bringing a wealth of experience in both advisory and litigious matters to owners and owners corporations.
Tom regularly represents clients in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal, Appeal Panel and mediation. His strata practice encompasses a broad range of disputes, including:
claims for section 106(5) damages and repair/maintenance issues;
applications for compulsory appointments of strata managing agents;
the creation, enforcement, and unreasonable refusal of by-laws;
interim applications and civil penalties; and
appeals.
Tom’s specialised focus in strata law is supported by over a decade of commercial litigation experience in both local and international markets. Prior to establishing his practice in Sydney, Tom worked in Singapore at a top-tier local firm and a leading US international arbitration team. During this time, he handled high-stakes matters involving international arbitration, medical negligence, shareholder disputes, and insurance litigation. Notably, he was involved in Singapore’s longest-running medical negligence trial and contributed a chapter to the Singapore Law Society’s legal toolkit on social enterprise funding.
Tom holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New South Wales, is a member of the Law Society of New South Wales and is a Member of the Australian College of Strata Lawyers.
Tom has been involved in a number of seminal cases:
Burbank Montague Pty Ltd v The Owners – Strata Plan No 85312 [2020] NSWCATAP 100
Glenquarry Park Investments Pty Ltd v Hegyesi [2019] NSWSC 425
EB 9 & 10 Pty Ltd v The Owners SP 934 [2018] NSWSC 464
Scharer v Giro Construction Group Pty Ltd (in Liq) (Receiver and Manager Appointed) [2017] NSWSC 1568
Tong Seok May Joanne v Yau Hok Man Gordon [2012] SGHC 252