George has a broad practice across all of Chambers’ main areas of work, with extensive experience of working both as sole counsel and as a member of large teams. He has appeared unled before the High Court, the County Court, the Supreme Court of Gibraltar, Employment Tribunals, the Employment Appeal Tribunal and various domestic tribunals. Highlights of his led work include Ukraine v Russia (a landmark inter-state case before the ECHR, in which George is acting pro bono for Ukraine); ENRC v Director of the Serious Fraud Office [2022] EWHC 1138 (Comm) (an 11-week Commercial Court trial which was one of The Lawyer's Top 20 Cases for 2021), and 9 Supreme Court or Privy Council appeals. 

George's clients include individuals (ranging from vulnerable prisoners to a billionaire), NGOs (including Liberty, the AIRE Centre, the Public Law Project, the Good Law Project and the International Commission of Jurists), political parties, trade unions, foreign governments, UK government departments, regulators, and businesses large and small. He is a member of the Attorney-General's B Panel of Counsel, the Public International Law C Panel, and the Equality and Human Rights Commission's Panel of Counsel.

George is ranked in Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners, and has been shortlisted for Employment Junior of the Year at the Legal 500 Bar Awards. Recent feedback includes: 

  • "He has a unique superpower in that he is able to strategise and handle very complex cases in a totally calm and efficient manner."- Chambers UK, 2023
  • "Explains things clearly, easy to work with, and dedicated to finding a legal solution where it is not obvious what can be done."- Legal 500, 2023
  • "He is really an exceptionally intelligent barrister, who is very hard-working and dedicated.", "Not only does he have a forensic knowledge of the case, but he is also highly sensitive to clients' needs."- Chambers UK, 2022

George has a strong commitment to pro bono work, and has been nominated (by the Citizens Advice Bureau) for Young Pro Bono Barrister of the Year at the Bar Pro Bono Awards.

Before training for the Bar, George was a Prize Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, where he wrote a book on Anglo-Saxon history.

Experience

Shortlist

Public & Regulatory

George regularly acts (both led and unled) for claimants, defendants and interveners in a wide range of public law cases. His clients include individuals, NGOs, government departments, regulators and businesses operating in regulated industries.

George is a member of the panels of counsel maintained by the Attorney-General (both the general B panel and the Public International Law C panel) and the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and a member of the committee of the Young Public Law Group. He also has a strong commitment to pro bono work, and has been nominated by the Citizens Advice Bureau for Young Pro Bono Barrister of the Year at the Bar Pro Bono Awards.


George is ranked in Legal 500 (Administrative law and human rights: band 4) and Chambers & Partners (Administrative and public law: up and coming).

Highlights of George's experience include:

- Acting for the claimant financial trading company in a challenge to the lawfulness of a decision to cancel contracts for the sale and purchase of nickel futures on the London Metal Exchange - one of The Lawyer's Top 20 Cases for 2023 (R (Jane Street Global Trading, LLC) v (1) The London Metal Exchange; (2) LME Clear Ltd)

- Acting for the Claimant in a high-profile challenge to the use of personal devices/accounts and auto-deletion functions for communications about government business (R (All the Citizens Ltd) v (1) Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport; (2) Minister for the Cabinet Office [2022] EWHC 960 (Admin), [2022] 1 WLR 3748)

- Acting for the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority in the High Court and the Court of Appeal in complex litigation regarding issues of domestic public law and retained EU law (R (SSE Generation Ltd) v Competition and Markets Authority [2022] EWHC 865 (Admin), [2022] 4 WLR 76; [2022] EWCA Civ 1472, [2022] 4 WLR 115)

- Acting in the Privy Council in a challenge to a decision of Gibraltar's telecommunications regulator (Gibfibre Ltd v Gibraltar Regulatory Authority [2021] UKPC 31)

- Acting for the Foreign Secretary in a judicial review brought by the parents of Harry Dunn, who was killed when his motorbike was hit by a car driven by the wife of a member of US Embassy staff (R (Charles & Dunn) v SSFCA [2020] EWHC 3185 (Admin), [2021] 1 WLR 1394).

- Acting for Stonewall and LGBT Foundation in the Supreme Court in a case about voter identification pilot schemes, which was one of The Lawyer's Top 10 Appeals for 2022 (R (Coughlan) v Minister for the Cabinet Office [2022] UKSC 11, [2022] 1 WLR 2389).

- Acting for Detention Action in the Supreme Court in a case concerning the status of asylum appeals which were determined under ultra vires procedural rules (R (TN) (Vietnam) v SSHD [2021] UKSC 41, [2021] 1 WLR 4902).

- Acting for the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions before the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court in (ultimately successful) defence of a complex claim concerning the interaction of the EU Settlement Scheme and entitlement to Universal Credit (R (Fratila) v SSWP [2020] EWHC 998 (Admin), [2020] PTSR 1424; [2020] EWCA Civ 1741, [2021] 3 All ER 1043; [2021] UKSC 53, [2022] 3 All ER 1045).

Cases

Grid view
List view
Shortlist

Civil Liberties & Human Rights

George has experience of a broad range of civil liberties and human rights work, and regularly acts for individuals, NGOs, foreign governments and UK government departments. His experience includes domestic judicial review claims involving various alleged breaches of Convention Rights, applications to the European Court of Human Rights, and high-value private law claims against state and non-state defendants for alleged violations of fundamental rights (see also the "Damages Claims against the State" section of his CV).

George is a member of the panels of counsel maintained by the Attorney-General (both the general B panel and the Public International Law C panel) and the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and a member of the committee of the Young Public Law Group. He also has a strong commitment to pro bono work, and has been nominated by the Citizens Advice Bureau for Young Pro Bono Barrister of the Year at the Bar Pro Bono Awards.

George is ranked in Legal 500 (Administrative law and human rights: Band 4) and Chambers & Partners (Civil liberties and Human Rights: up and coming).


Highlights of George's experience include the following:

- Acting for the Government of Ukraine against Russia in an inter-state case before the European Court of Human Rights, involving allegations of mass and gross violations of multiple Convention Rights (Ukraine v Russian Federation (pending))

- Acting for the Government of Iceland before the European Court of Human Rights in a very high-profile Article 6 case relating to judicial appointments (Ástráðsson v Iceland (app. no. 26374/18, 1 December 2020).

- Acting for the Government of North Macedonia before the European Court of Human Rights, in defence of applications brought under Articles 5 and/or 6 by, among others, the former Prime Minister and the former Minister of the Interior (Taleski & others v North Macedonia (16 February 2023 - ruled inadmissible); Mijalkov v North Macedonia (pending)).

- Acting for an individual in a claim arising out of the alleged involvement of the UK security services in kidnapping and torture in a foreign country.

- Acting for the claimant financial trading company in a $15m+ A1P1 claim, which is one of The Lawyer's Top 20 Cases for 2023 (R (Jane Street Global Trading, LLC v (1) The London Metal Exchange and (2) LME Clear Ltd (Administrative Court, 2022-)).

- Acting for the Foreign Secretary in defence of an Article 6 claim brought by the parents of Harry Dunn, who was killed when his motorbike was hit by a car driven by the wife of a member of US Embassy staff (R (Charles & Dunn) v SSFCA [2020] EWHC 3185, [2021] 1 WLR 1394).

- Acting for the Director of the Serious Fraud Office in defence of a $93m+ claim brought by the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation (Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation Ltd v Director of the Serious Fraud Office [2022] EWHC 1138 (Comm))

- Acting for large numbers of claimants in claims arising out of alleged breaches of fundamental rights by natural resources companies operating in various African countries (e.g. AAA v Petra Diamonds Ltd (settled 2021) and the ongoing Bille/Ogale litigation).

Cases

Grid view
List view
Shortlist

Commercial

George acts in a wide range of commercial matters, both as sole counsel and as a member of large teams. His experience includes fact-heavy Commercial Court trials, appeals to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, numerous unled appearances in the County Court, and applications for freezing injunctions, specific disclosure, non-party disclosure and committal.

Highlights of George's experience include:

- Acting for the Director of the Serious Fraud Office in an 11-week trial, defending a $93m+ claim brought by the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation (ENRC v Director of the Serious Fraud Office [2022] EWHC 1138 (Comm), which was one of The Lawyer's Top 20 Cases for 2021).

- Acting for a major professional services firm in the High Court and the Court of Appeal in a case concerning the proper construction of its LLP agreement (Joseph v Deloitte NSE LLP [2019] EWHC 3583 (QB), [2020] EWCA Civ 1457, [2021] 1 BCLC 325).

- Acting in the Supreme Court in two of the leading cases on jurisdiction and parent companies' duties of care in relation to the acts/omissions of their subsidiaries (Lungowe v Vedanta Resources plc [2019] UKSC 20, [2020] AC 1045 and Okpabi v Royal Dutch Shell plc [2021] UKSC 3, [2021] 1 WLR 1294).

- Acting in the Supreme Court in a leading case on the proper approach to hearsay evidence (Shagang Shipping Company Ltd (in liquidation) v HNA Group Company Ltd [2020] UKSC 34, [2020] 1 WLR 3549).

- Acting for the Claimant in a 3-week trial of an €89m civil fraud claim (Baturina v Chistyakov [2017] EWHC 1049 (Comm)).

- Acting for the defendant in a 7-day trial of a contractual and restitutionary claim relating to an alleged agency agreement (AMP Advisory & Management Partners AG v Force India Formula One Team Ltd (in liquidation)  [2019] EWHC 2426 (Comm).

Cases

Grid view
List view
Shortlist

Employment

George acts both led and unled in a broad range of employment matters. His experience includes Employment Tribunal claims for unfair dismissal, wrongful dismissal, whistleblowing, holiday pay, deductions from wages, equal pay, direct and indirect discrimination (involving a range of protected characteristics), harassment and victimisation. He also has experience of judicial mediation; TUPE; employment status and IR35 issues; pensions disputes; appeals to the EAT; and High Court wrongful dismissal, partnership, employee competition and share option litigation. In addition to his discrimination work in the context of employment, George acts for and against service providers in County Court discrimination claims; for details, please see the "Discrimination" section of his CV.

George is ranked in Chambers & Partners (Employment: band 5) and Legal 500 (Employment: rising star), and has been shortlisted for Employment Junior of the Year at the Legal 500 Bar Awards.


Highlights of George's experience include the following:

- Acting for a leading Formula 1 power unit manufacturer in a high-profile garden leave dispute (Hodgkinson v Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains Ltd (QBD, 2022)).

- Acting unled in a successful appeal to the EAT on the proper approach to anonymity applications and amendment (LQP v City of York Council [2022] EAT 196).

- Acting unled for the respondent in a 5-day trial, successfully defending numerous allegations of discrimination and whistleblowing detriment (El Fath v Secretary of State for Justice (Employment Tribunal, 2022)).

- Acting for a major professional services firm in the High Court and the Court of Appeal in successful defence of a claim which turned on the proper construction of its LLP agreement (Joseph v Deloitte NSE LLP [2019] EWHC 3583 (QB), [2020] EWCA Civ 1457, [2021] 1 BCLC 325).

- Acting for a well-known footwear business in successful defence of a whistleblowing unfair dismissal claim brought by its former CEO (Shearwood v C&J Clark International Ltd (Employment Tribunal, 2019-2021)).

- Advising Carrie Gracie (the BBC's former China editor) and other journalists on equal pay claims against major media organisations.

Cases

Grid view
List view
Shortlist

EU & Competition

George's practice encompasses a wide range of EU, competition and Brexit-related matters, and he is the Secretary of the Bar European Group. His experience includes private law competition claims under Articles 101 and 102 TFEU (and analogous provisions), regulatory disputes (especially in the telecommunications and energy sectors), and litigation concerning citizens' rights in the context of Brexit.

Highlights of George's experience include the following:

- Acting for a claimant telecommunications company in a claim for alleged abuse of dominant position (Gibfibre Ltd v Gibtelecom Ltd (Supreme Court of Gibraltar, 2021-)).

- Acting for claimant retailers in the Merchant Interchange Fee litigation before the Competition Appeal Tribunal (Primark Stores Ltd & others v Visa UK Ltd & others; Primark Stores Ltd & others v Mastercard Incorporated & others (CAT, 2022-)).

- Acting for the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority in defence of an appeal to the Competition and Markets Authority regarding various issues of EU law and domestic public law, and in subsequent litigation before the High Court and the Court of Appeal (SSE Generation Ltd v Gas & Electricity Markets Authority (CMA, 2021); R (SSE Generation Ltd) v Competition and Markets Authority [2022] EWHC 865 (Admin), [2022] 4 WLR 76; [2022] EWCA Civ 1472, [2022] 4 WLR 115).

- Acting for a telecommunications company in an appeal to the Privy Council regarding the proper interpretation of the Access Directive (Gibfibre Ltd v Gibraltar Regulatory Authority [2021] UKPC 31).

- Acting for the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions before the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court in (ultimately successful) defence of a complex claim concerning the interaction of the EU Settlement Scheme and entitlement to Universal Credit (R (Fratila) v SSWP [2020] EWHC 998 (Admin), [2020] PTSR 1424; [2020] EWCA Civ 1741, [2021] 3 All ER 1043; [2021] UKSC 53, [2022] 3 All ER 1045).

Cases

Grid view
List view
Shortlist

Environment

George has a keen interest in environmental issues and his wide experience of both public and private law makes him well-placed to act on cases in this area. His work in the environmental law field includes cases in relation to discharges from sewers, industrial pollution, and obligations in respect of air quality and greenhouse gas emissions.

Highlights of George's experience include:

- Acting in the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court in a case regarding the scope of the Marcic principle and the availability or otherwise of private law claims in respect of discharges of sewage into waterbodies - one of The Lawyer's Top 10 Appeals for 2023 (Manchester Ship Canal Company Ltd v United Utilities Water Ltd [2022] EWCA Civ 852).

- Acting in the Supreme Court in an appeal regarding alleged liability for pollution from oil infrastructure in Nigeria (Okpabi v Royal Dutch Shell plc [2021] UKSC 3, [2021] 1 WLR 1294).

- Following the Supreme Court's decision in Okpabi, acting for the claimants in the ongoing Bille and Ogale Group Litigation regarding oil pollution in the Niger Delta.

- Acting in the Supreme Court in an appeal regarding alleged liability for pollution from a copper mine in Zambia (Lungowe v Vedanta Resources plc [2019] UKSC 20, [2020] AC 1045).

- Advising clients on various matters relating to the Climate Change Act 2008 and air quality issues.

Cases

Grid view
List view
Shortlist

Discrimination

George has considerable experience of equality and discrimination matters, including direct and indirect discrimination, harassment, victimisation, equal pay, and failure to make reasonable adjustments for persons with disabilities. He has experience of cases involving almost all protected characteristics, and is a member of the Equality and Human Rights Commission's Panel of Counsel.

Highlights of George's experience include:

- Acting unled for the respondent in a 5-day trial, successfully defending numerous allegations of race and religious belief discrimination (El Fath v Secretary of State for Justice (Employment Tribunal, 2022)).

- Acting for the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions before the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court in a complex case which concerned (among other things) the nature of the test for direct discrimination (R (Fratila) v SSWP [2020] EWHC 998 (Admin), [2020] PTSR 1424; [2020] EWCA Civ 1741, [2021] 3 All ER 1043; [2021] UKSC 53, [2022] 3 All ER 1045).

- Advising Carrie Gracie (the BBC's former China editor) and other journalists on equal pay claims against major media organisations.

Cases

Grid view
List view
Shortlist

Damages Claims Against the State

George has extensive experience of damages claims against states and state bodies, and acts for claimants (ranging from vulnerable prisoners to large companies), UK public bodies and foreign governments. He has acted in several matters before the European Court of Human Rights, and at the domestic level has experience of claims at common law and under the Human Rights Act 1998, the Equality Act 2010 and the Francovich principle.

Highlights of George's experience include:

- Acting for the Director of the Serious Fraud Office in an 11-week Commercial Court trial of a claim for $93m+, brought by the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation (ENRC v Director of the Serious Fraud Office [2022] EWHC 1138 (Comm), one of The Lawyer's Top 20 Cases for 2021).

- Acting for the Government of Ukraine against Russia in an inter-state case before the European Court of Human Rights, involving allegations of mass and gross violations of multiple Convention Rights (Ukraine v Russian Federation (pending)).

- Acting for the Government of Iceland before the European Court of Human Rights in a very high-profile Article 6 case relating to judicial appointments (Ástráðsson v Iceland (app. no. 26374/18, 1 December 2020).

- Acting for the Government of North Macedonia before the European Court of Human Rights, in defence of applications brought under Articles 5 and/or 6 by, among others, the former Prime Minister and the former Minister of the Interior (Taleski & others v North Macedonia (16 February 2023 - ruled inadmissible); Mijalkov v North Macedonia (pending)).

Cases

Grid view
List view
Shortlist

Public International Law

George is a member of the Attorney-General's Public International Law C Panel, and has experience of several matters in this area.

Highlights of George's experience include:

- Acting for the Government of Ukraine against Russia in an inter-state case before the European Court of Human Rights, involving allegations of mass and gross violations of multiple Convention Rights (Ukraine v Russian Federation (pending)).

- Acting for the Foreign Secretary in a high-profile judicial review claim regarding the scope of diplomatic immunity, brought by the parents of a man who was killed when his motorbike was hit by a car driven by the wife of a member of US Embassy staff (R (Charles & Dunn) v SSFCA [2020] EWHC 3185 (Admin), [2021] 1 WLR 1394).

- Acting for the AIRE Centre in the Supreme Court in a case about the territorial extent of the Refugee Convention (R (Bashir) v SSHD [2018] UKSC 45, [2019] AC 484).

Cases

Grid view
List view
Shortlist

Data Protection, Freedom of Information & Privacy

George has substantial experience of cases involving issues of data protection, freedom of information and/or privacy. His experience includes matters concerning the Public Records Act 1958, the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, the General Data Protection Regulation, and domestic data protection legislation.

Highlights of George's experience include:

- Acting for the claimant in a high-profile case regarding data preservation obligations in the context of the use of non-corporate devices (R (All the Citizens Ltd) v SSDCMS [2022] EWHC 960 (Admin), [2022] 1 WLR 3748)

- Acting for the Public Law Project in a challenge to the refusal of a FOIA request for copies of submissions to the Independent Review of Administrative Law (Public Law Project v Information Commissioner (EA/2021/0378)). 

- Acting unled for the successful appellant in a case regarding the proper approach to anonymity orders in the Employment Tribunal (LQP v City of York Council [2022] EAT 196).

Cases

Grid view
List view
Shortlist

Telecommunications

George's wide experience of both public and private law makes him well-placed to advise and act on telecommunications matters. His experience in this area includes regulatory proceedings, contractual disputes and competition law matters.

Highlights of George's experience include:

- Acting for a claimant telecommunications company in a claim for alleged abuse of dominant position (Gibfibre Ltd v Gibtelecom Ltd (Supreme Court of Gibraltar, 2021-)).

- Acting for a telecommunications company in an appeal to the Privy Council regarding the proper interpretation of the Access Directive (Gibfibre Ltd v Gibraltar Regulatory Authority [2021] UKPC 31).

- Acting for a telecommunications company in a dispute about the Standard Interconnect Agreement and alleged artificial inflation of traffic (24 Seven Communications Ltd v British Telecommunications plc (settled 2019)).

Cases

Grid view
List view
Shortlist

Energy

George regularly acts on matters relating to the energy sector, drawing on his broad experience of both public and private law. He has particular knowledge and experience in relation to electricity transmission, having acted for Ofgem over several years in successive rounds of litigation regarding Regulation 838/2010.

Cases

Grid view
List view
Shortlist

Immigration

George has substantial experience of immigration and nationality matters. At first instance, he has acted unled in cases regarding entry clearance, applications for British nationality and immigration detention. He has also appeared in Supreme Court appeals concerning the status of asylum appeals determined under ultra vires procedural rules (R (TN (Vietnam)) v SSHD [2021] UKSC 41, [2021] 1 WLR 4902), the benefits entitlements of holders of pre-settled status (R (Fratila) v SSWP [2021] UKSC 53, [2022] 3 All ER 1045), and the territorial scope of the Refugee Convention (R (Bashir) v SSHD [2018] UKSC 45, [2019] AC 484).

Cases

Grid view
List view
Shortlist

Sport

George works on a range of sports matters, drawing on his experience of commercial, public/regulatory and employment law. His work in this area includes confidential disciplinary proceedings, employment disputes (e.g. Hodgkinson v Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains Ltd) and commercial litigation (e.g. AMP Advisory & Management Partners AG v Force India Formula One Team Ltd).

George is a co-author of the chapter on "Stadia, Hillsborough, Health & Safety, and Policing" in Nick De Marco (ed.), "Football and the Law" (2nd edition, 2022).

Cases

Grid view
List view

Achievements

Education

BA Modern History (Oxford): 1st class, top of year; DPhil History (Oxford); GDL (City): Distinction, top of year; BPTC (City): Outstanding, top of year

Prizes & Scholarships

  • Scarman Prize (highest mark on BPTC), 2015
  • Busfield Prize (highest mark in Opinion Writing on BPTC), 2015
  • Bar Association of Commerce, Finance and Industry Prize (highest mark in the BPTC Commercial Practice Options), 2015
  • Worshipful Company of Arbitrators Prize (highest marks in Civil Litigation and Commercial Law on BPTC), 2015
  • Inner Temple Princess Royal Scholarship (BPTC), 2014-15
  • 3 Verulam Buildings Prize (highest mark on GDL), 2014
  • Inner Temple Princess Royal Scholarship (GDL), 2013-14
  • Royal Historical Society Alexander Prize (best published article by a current or recent graduate student at a UK university), 2010
  • Gibbs Prize (highest mark in Oxford Modern History finals), 2006
  • H.W.C. Davis Prize (highest mark in Oxford Modern History preliminary examination), 2004

Publications

  • The Formation of the English Kingdom in the Tenth Century (Oxford University Press, 2015) and several articles on medieval history.
  • (with Michael Beloff QC and Shane Sibbel) "Stadia, Hillsborough, Health & Safety and Policing" in Nick De Marco QC (ed.), Football and the Law (Bloomsbury Professional, 2nd edition, 2022), pp. 331-340.

Memberships 

  • Administrative Law Bar Association
  • Association of Lawyers for Animal Welfare
  • Bar European Group
  • Commercial Bar Association
  • Employment Law Bar Association
  • Employment Lawyers' Association
  • Human Rights Lawyers' Association
  • Industrial Law Society
  • Justice
  • Liberty
  • Young Public Law Group

News

VAT registration number: 248640001

Barristers regulated by the Bar Standards Board

+44 (0)207 5831770

Clerks

Staff