George Rowell

Practice Areas

George is a commercial barrister specialising in tax disputes, professional negligence and insolvency. He combines heavy-weight advocacy experience with in-depth tax and commercial knowledge.

Professional Negligence

George is routinely instructed as sole counsel in multi-million pound claims against accountants, tax advisers, IFAs and solicitors. He has a particular interest in claims arising from negligent tax advice and failed property investment schemes.

Tax Disputes

George “cut his teeth” in-house with HMRC before moving to independent practice. He represented HMRC as a member of the Attorney-General’s Panel between 2008-2021 but now concentrates on advising businesses and private clients. His main areas of expertise are employment-related taxes, CGT, IHT, VAT, judicial review, avoidance schemes and penalties.

Insolvency

George is routinely instructed as sole counsel in multi-million pound proceedings against directors and shareholders. He has a particular interest in cases with overlapping tax and insolvency issues, such as misfeasance claims arising from failed tax avoidance schemes.

Examples of recent cases:

- £20m negligence claim against promoter of EBT tax scheme

- £10m bribery and negligence claim against accountants and solicitors in respect of 14 tax schemes

- Defending £5m misfeasance claim against directors who used an EBT tax scheme.

- £4.5m negligence and bribery claim against accountants and tax advisers in respect of four tax avoidance schemes

Career

Magdalen College, Oxford (MA Oxon); City University, London (MA in Law)

Call: 2004

Publications

Co-author of Tax Penalties: A Practitioner’s Guide (Sweet & Maxwell; 1st edn 2017; 2nd edn, 2019; 3rd edn, 2023); consultant editor of Simon’s Taxes.