After reading law at the University of Cape Town, he qualified as an advocate at the South African Bar.
He came to England and gained an LLM with distinction for commercial law and restitution.
He wrote on legal subjects and was on the committee of the Industrial Relations Law Review.
[1] Tabachnik was a friend of the British prime minister Tony Blair (who trained at 11KBW) and the fundraiser and businessman Lord Levy.
[2] Tabachnik praised Blair for his plans to create an annual Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January, stating "It is essential that we remember the genocides of the last century and learn their lessons for the future.