Mr George Rowell > Exchange Chambers > Manchester, England > Barrister Profile
Exchange Chambers Offices
201 DEANSGATE
MANCHESTER
M3 3NW
England
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Mr George Rowell
Work Department
Commercial
Position
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. In the field of tax he regularly advises on VAT, IHT, CGT, employment-related taxes, and penalties. His professional negligence practice has a particular focus on claims against accountants, tax advisors and IFAs. He also has a growing specialism in insolvency and directors’ misfeasance cases, especially where there is a tax dimension such as a failed tax avoidance scheme.
George commenced his career in-house with HMRC before moving to independent practice. He was a member of the Attorney-General’s Regional Panel of Counsel between 2008 and 2021 and regularly appeared for HMRC and other Government departments. He recently decided not to apply to renew his membership of the Panel, so as to concentrate on representing businesses, directors, trustees and private clients.
George is co-author of a division of Simon’s Taxes and Tax Penalties: A Practioner’s Guide (Sweet & Maxwell, 2nd edn 2019).
Career
Magdalen College, Oxford (MA Oxon); City University, London (MA in Law)
Call: 2004
Memberships
- Northern Chancery Bar Association
- Bar Pro Bono Unit
Education
- MA (Oxon), Dip. Law, MA in Law (City)
Leisure
Wine, golf, food, real ale, boating, independent travel, property renovation.
Lawyer Rankings
Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Professional negligence
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 1George Rowell – Exchange Chambers ‘George is insanely talented; the depth and breadth of his knowledge is utterly remarkable and unsurpassed by any other counsel. He is unwaveringly committed to his clients’ cause and his advocacy is ruthlessly prepared.’
The professional negligence team at Exchange Chambers, which is praised as a ‘go-to set’, regularly handles claims both for and against a range of professionals, including legal service providers, surveyors, accountants, auditors, and construction professionals, to name a few. George Rowell has particular expertise in claims against accountants and tax advisers, and he frequently acts in cases surrounding failed tax avoidance schemes. James Malam represented the claimant in a professional negligence claim against a stonemason arising from the renovation of a Grade II listed 17th century church (Aled Mission Area v Wolley & Taylor).
Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Chancery, probate, and tax
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 2George Rowell – Exchange Chambers ‘George is insanely talented. The depth and breadth of his knowledge is utterly remarkable , and he is a real fighter who is unwaveringly committed to his client’s cause and will work with his instructing solicitors to ensure the right outcome is achieved.’
At Exchange Chambers, Andrew Williams has a particular focus on chancery matters with property-related elements, and he acted for the defendant in Shepherd & Co Solicitors v Brealey, a Court of Appeal case arising from the solicitor’s charging £150,000 to administer the estate of the defendant’s deceased mother. John Waiting has an active wills and probate practice, while Scott Redpath is especially skilled in tax-related disputes, as is George Rowell. Graham Sellers is also a notable member of the team.
Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Company and insolvency
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 1George Rowell – Exchange Chambers ‘George is a confident and skilled advocate. He is extremely bright, clear, and concise, and he is a standout barrister in tax and insolvency-related matters.’
At Exchange Chambers ‘there is a breadth of expertise across all levels of call in insolvency and company work’, and this encompasses asset tracing and recovery, bankruptcy, administration, shareholder disputes, and director disqualification. The set is home to Giles Maynard-Connor KC, head of the insolvency practice, and he often provides non-contentious advice to office holders and companies. Richard Tetlow‘s insolvency practice encompasses both corporate and personal litigation, as does Carly Sandbach‘s, and she is particularly skilled at handling directors’ disqualification proceedings and public interest winding up petitions. Sandbach acted for the Secretary of State in directors’ disqualification proceedings against two financial advisors following a pension mis-selling scheme. Ian Tucker has a particular interest in cases where insolvency and land law converge, and he has appeared before the Court of Appeal. Tucker represented the trustee in Khan v Singh-Sall & Ano, which concerned an application to annul a bankruptcy order on the grounds that it should not have been made in the first place. George Rowell is another key junior here with experience in insolvency cases that have related tax elements.