Sir Stephen Tomlinson attended King's College School, Worcester,  where he was a King's Scholar, and then studied law at Worcester College Oxford. He graduated with a first class degree, and was awarded the University's prestigious Eldon Law Scholarship. He was called to the Bar by Inner Temple in 1974 and practised commercial litigation as a member of 7 King's Bench Walk, with particular emphases on shipping, insurance and reinsurance, and international sale of goods. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1988, and was Head of Chambers from 1995 to 2000. He served as a Recorder and as a Deputy High Court Judge from 1996, and also sat as a commercial arbitrator before he was appointed a Judge of the Queen’s Bench Division in 2000. He was nominated to sit as a Commercial Judge, and was Judge In Charge of the Commercial Court from 2003 to 2004. He was a Lord Justice of Appeal from 2010 until 2017, when he retired from the Bench and returned to practice as a commercial arbitrator.

Sir Stephen is a fan of the theatre, as well as opera and other classical music, while his outdoor pursuits include walking and gardening.