Before joining Hill Taylor Dickinson in 1993, Tony was a deck officer with ocean fleets between 1978 and 1988.

During this time he sailed on tankers, bulk carriers and general cargo vessels. He then worked in the North Sea on offshore vessels until starting an LLB at Queen Mary and Westfield College, London in September 1989. He obtained experience in the solent navigating ferries during this time. He then did his Law Society Finals at Store Street.

Tony is regularly instructed by the leading P&I clubs and hull underwriters and the owners and operators of vessels to protect their interests following casualties. These include, collisions, groundings, fires, structural failures, and sinkings. Tony has been acting for one of the largest salvage and wreck removal companies for over 20 years, and has been involved in some of the largest wreck removal operations, including the "COSTA CONCORDIA".

Tony obtained a class 1 master mariner (foreign going) certificate of competency in 1991. In 1993 he obtained an LLB 2:1. And in 1994 he passed his Law Society Finals with distinction.