Fieldfisher

Tax and Structuring team

Partner, Head of Contentious Tax

George is a Partner specialising in helping clients resolve complicated issues in relation to both direct and indirect tax disputes. He is aided in his ability to do so by the fact that he is a former fast stream civil servant, Inland Revenue tax inspector, and policy adviser on corporation tax. He is also a CEDR accredited mediator.

George advises companies on disclosures to, and disputes with, HMRC, around employer taxes, excise duties, capital allowances, cross border tax restrictions, serious compliance failures, and so on. He also advise (on an emergency basis) companies who find themselves subjected to dawn raids by HMRC.

George advises HNW and professional individuals, such as lawyers, bankers and accountants, who are either subject to or caught up in civil enquiries, or COP 8, COP 9 and criminal investigations by HMRC, including advising at interviews under caution.

George also advises on tax-related judicial review claims and on professional negligence claims against independent financial advisers, accountants and law firms.

The vast majority of matters in which George is engaged are settled without recourse to tribunals or courts, mediation also being an option. He has deep experience of tax litigation from the First-tier Tax Tribunal through to the Supreme Court and the Court of Justice of the European Union, including a number of very high value group litigation cases.

The other demands of practice allowing, George writes book chapters, articles in the specialist press, and posts on tax-related issues for the Fieldfisher 'Insights' section; and he occasionally presents in the UK and EU on cross border tax issues and on complex tax litigation.