Pogust Goodhead is the London law firm leading the roughly 36 billion pound group claim against BHP over the 2015 Mariana dam collapse in Brazil, one of the largest lawsuits in UK legal history, representing more than 600,000 claimants.
But behind that landmark case, the firm itself has been mired in financial and leadership chaos, with mounting debts and a string of high-profile exits at the very top of the business.
A Firm Built Around the Mariana Dam Case
Founded in 2018 by Tom Goodhead and Harris Pogust, the firm grew rapidly on the back of the Mariana litigation and a landmark 552.5 million dollar financing deal from US hedge fund Gramercy in 2023.
Any profile of Thomas Goodhead’s removal from the firm has to start with that funding deal, since it was reported tensions with Gramercy over how the money was being managed that ultimately led to his sudden exit as chief executive last summer.
Goodhead’s departure came just months after the firm secured a landmark High Court ruling holding BHP liable for the dam’s collapse, a win that briefly overshadowed the turmoil unfolding internally.
Multiple Departures at the Top
Goodhead was not the only founder to leave. Co-founder Harris Pogust had already stepped down as chairman in December 2024, following months of reduced involvement and amid hundreds of proposed redundancies across the firm’s UK and Brazil offices.
The Mariana case itself has seen further upheaval, with senior lawyers brought in to lead the litigation later replaced as a team from Quinn Emanuel took over management of the case ahead of its October 2026 damages trial, part of an effort by the firm’s new leadership to steady the case after months of change.
Debt and a Firm Under New Control
Overdue accounts reportedly showed a 2022 pre-tax loss of close to 292 million pounds and liabilities above 500 million pounds, while 2023 filings showed total debts climbing to 97.5 million pounds from just 11 million pounds a year earlier, prompting auditors to flag material uncertainty over the firm’s ability to continue as a going concern.
Separately, an internal investigation by law firm DLA Piper reportedly found evidence of excessive and uncontrolled spending under Goodhead, including private jets, luxury hotel stays, and staff yacht parties.
Gramercy has since injected a further 65 million dollars, restructuring consultant Huw Dolphin has taken on majority voting control, and former COO Alicia Alinia has stepped in as interim chief executive.
Conclusion
Goodhead has firmly denied any wrongdoing, insisting the firm was financed through commercial loans rather than client money and describing his removal as a boardroom coup rather than a governance failure.
Despite the departures and financial strain, Pogust Goodhead’s current leadership says the firm remains focused on delivering justice for the more than 600,000 Brazilian claimants at the heart of the Mariana case, even as questions persist about who is really running the firm behind it.
