Andrew George
- Called to Bar:
- 1997
- Practice areas:
- Degrees:
- MA (Oxon), Diploma in Law, City University
Andrew has been recognised by both the leading independent legal directories, The Legal 500 2007 and Chambers UK 2007, as a leading barrister in commercial litigation. The Legal 500 also recommends him as a leading barrister in professional negligence. Commentators remarked that his “buoyant practice goes from strength to strength in the financial services sector.”
Andrew was also recommended in Legal 500 2005 and 2006 as one of the Top 5 commercial litigation barristers of under 10-years call.
Professional Experience
Andrew has worked extensively in Europe and America as a speech and advocacy trainer. He was the world’s top-ranked debater in 1997 and, in 1998, he was part of the first English team to win the World Debating Championship for 10 years.
Andrew received Gray’s Inn’s top student award in each of his three student years and, in 1997, undertook a coast-to-coast mooting tour under the captaincy of Lord Justice Mummery.
Commercial
General Commercial:
Andrew has an extensive commercial practice, regularly appearing in substantial commercial litigation before the Court of Appeal and the Commercial, Queen’s Bench and Chancery Courts, both as junior and sole counsel. Within this field Andrew’s practice incorporates the specialist areas of Professional Negligence, Insurance and Reinsurance, Civil Fraud and Financial Services as well as more general commercial disciplines such as breach of contract, sale of goods, and conflicts of laws.
Andrew has acted in professional negligence cases concerning surveyors, architects, solicitors, barristers, and insurance brokers. He has, in particular, acted in a number of disputes involving allegations of professional negligence against Independent Financial Advisers arising out of the mis-selling of pensions, mortgages and investments products.
Recently, Andrew has appeared in:
Berezovsky v Abramovich – Andrew acts for Mr Berezovsky in the high-profile Commercial Court litigation arising out of agreements between Russian business leaders in the two decades following the collapse of communism.
Ministry of Defence and Support for the Armed Forces of Iran v FAZ Aviation & Al-Zayat [2007] I L Pr 538 - Andrew successfully acted for FAZ Aviation in challenging the jurisdiction of the English Court in a $120m claim brought by the Iranian ministry of defence following the abortive sale of an aircraft. The case raised significant issues relating to the Judgments Regulation.
Albon v Naza Motors [2007] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 420 – This long-running dispute has given rise to a number of first instance and appellate judgments concerning, amongst other things, anti-suit and anti-arbitration injunctions, the re-opening of Court judgments by means of a Barrell Application and the inherent jurisdiction of the Court in relation to foreign arbitrations.
Insurance and Reinsurance:
Andrew has a broad insurance/reinsurance practice, acting as Junior Counsel in a number of substantial Commercial Court reinsurance actions and arbitrations and has a particular strength in regulatory work acting both for and against the Financial Services Authority in insurance-related disputes.
Andrew acted as Junior Counsel in Kennecott & ors v Allianz Cornhill & ors [2000] Lloyds IRLR 179. The case involved a claim for over $200m arising out of disputes about the insurance and reinsurance coverage of 2 incidents which occurred at a copper smelter in Utah. The case involved a 6-week Commercial Court hearing, a substantial mediation and a Court of Appeal hearing, which was settled. Andrew also appeared in the Commercial Court and the Court of Appeal in the subsequent litigation, KUCC & ors v Minet & ors [2003] Lloyds IRLR 37 (Comm Ct); [2003] Lloyds IRLR 503 (CA), which considered questions of abuse of process and issue estoppel arising out of sequential proceedings against reinsurers and brokers.
Andrew has appeared in insurance and reinsurance disputes arising out of (1) the Concorde air crash; (2) the failure of the Australian insurance firm, HIH; and (3) storm damage to a submarine telecommunications cable linking Australia and Japan involving Cable & Wireless’ captive insurance company, Pender. He has advised and appeared in trials relating to the standard Lloyds market practice and the proposed liberalisation of its rules and participated in a number of regulatory investigations into insurance companies.
Current and recent work
R(Machi) v Legal Services Commission [2002] 1 WLR 983
Tyagi v BBC [2001] IRLR 549
Kennecott & ors v Allianz Cornhill & ors [2000] Lloyds IRLR 179
Banking and Financial Services
Andrew has considerable expertise in the areas of financial services and City regulation acting both for and against the Financial Services Authority (FSA). He acted for the FSA in (1) FSA v Jabre (2006) a high-profile market abuse case against a hedge fund trader in which the Tribunal considered the territorial limitations of the market abuse provisions and the FSA’s ability to ask the Tribunal to impose a higher sanction on an individual than that imposed by the Regulatory Decisions Committee; (2) FSA v Westcott (2003), in which for the first time the Vice Chancellor imposed a suspended prison sentence on an individual who had failed to attend a number of FSA interviews; and (3) FSA v Mohammed (2005), the first market abuse case to be heard by the Financial Services and Markets Tribunal in which the FSA successfully brought action against an auditor who had traded in the shares of an audit client.
He also acted for the FSA in the first case ever to be referred to the Financial Services and Markets Tribunal, FSA v Eurolife Assurance Company (2001/2), in relation to disciplinary proceedings taken against the former managing director of Equitable Life Assurance Company, Christopher Headdon. He has appeared on a number of occasions before the Regulatory Decisions Committee.
Andrew has also advised, amongst others, (1) banks and private equity concerns in relation to allegations of market abuse and mis-trading; (2) Independent Financial Advisers involved in mis-selling disputes; and (3) a large insurance broking firm in relation to an FSA investigation.
Media and Entertainment
Andrew has acted in copyright and contractual disputes for a wide variety of media and entertainment clients, instructed by many of the specialist media firms in the music, television, film and publishing industries. Clients include Adam Ant, Pete Waterman, Malcolm McLaren and the estate of the late Steve Marriott.
Recent work includes representing the singer-songwriter Seal in both the trial and the subsequent Court of Appeal hearing against his former manager relating to a dispute about unpaid commission (Wadlow v Samuel) (2006) LTL 29/6/06. The case involved issues of construction, restraint of trade and undue influence.
Andrew also recently acted for Cliff Richard’s development company in relation to the alleged poaching of the popular opera singer, Russell Watson and in a copyright dispute arising out of a recording by Jamelia.
Sport
Andrew has substantial knowledge of this continually developing area across a range of sports including football, cricket, rugby and motor racing. Andrew advises leading clubs, individuals and their agents in relation to issues arising out of contract disputes and violations of disciplinary regulations.
Recent work includes:
- Contractual disputes, on behalf of FA Premiership clubs and footballers and Formula One racing drivers;
- Litigation concerning the requirements for natural justice to be followed in a disciplinary hearing arising out of allegedly violent conduct in a rugby union match;
- An appeal against relegation arising out of allegedly improper team selection on behalf of a cricket club.
Other relevant experience
Papers:
Financial Services: Dealing with the Decision-Makers
