Our people

George is a partner in the European Litigation Group. He joined Warner Cranston in May 2000 from Nabarro Nathanson, where he was a partner from 1995 and an assistant solicitor from 1990. He was articled at Breeze and Wyles and qualified in 1983. George then moved to be an in-house solicitor for the British Coal Corporation, where he stayed until 1990, dealing principally with litigious matters including personal injury and disease claims, employment, theft and corruption. When he joined Nabarro Nathanson, George continued to act for British Coal, including working as part of the team dealing with the privatisation. He advised other clients, both domestic and international, on a variety of engineering and construction, professional negligence, and commercial disputes for both claimants and defendants. He has represented clients in the High Court and before Arbitrators, and negotiated settlements of complex actions, acting for clients in mediations and taking matters to trial or final hearing in arbitration.

Since joining Reed Smith, George has continued to act on a wide variety of disputes both international and domestic including product liability disputes, fraud, shareholder disputes, allegations of corruption, negligence, breach of contract, misuse of confidential information, and disputes between joint venture partners, all of which has involved advising clients in many different industries including engineering and construction, life sciences, financial services, oil, e-commerce, computer software and hardware, advertising, armaments and transport. 

George also counsels businesses on the impact of UK and U.S. legislation on corporate marketing, the appointment and need to control the activities of intermediaries, the impact of sanctions, money laundering and effective use of codes of conduct.

He works with, and is a former Board member of, TRACE, a not-for-profit organisation created to provide business intermediaries with an opportunity to commit to an anti-corruption policy.

Representative Matters

• A financial institution instructed Reed Smith to defend a claim for damages brought by a customer. The matter went to trial in the Commercial Court where the judge found that an oral misrepresentation as to the terms and conditions of the relevant contract was not cured by a written contract that was signed and returned by the customer, in which the financial product sold was correctly described. The judgment is now subject to an appeal.

• Reed Smith was instructed by a multinational company, whose contract counterparty suspended performance of a contract because of a strike, which it alleged was a force majeure event.  The dispute was referred to arbitration, after a failed mediation.  The case was fully argued before an Arbitrator in London.  Evidence was taken from one witness in Ireland, an order having been obtained from the Irish Courts to compel that witness to give evidence.  The outcome of the arbitration was an award from the arbitrator of all the damages that had been claimed for profit lost because of the suspension of performance of the contract, together with the recovery of all the client’s costs.

Publications

• "The FSA enforcement action against AON - an insight into anti-corruption controls all companies must adopt to avoid criminal liability in the future", TRACE Quarterly Newsletter, Winter 2008-09.
• “Revised HMRC guidance on Money Laundering Regulations 2007 – Non-executive Directors – Do you need to register?” – Client Alert – September 2008
• “The Perfect Storm” – article about the controversy concerning the ending of the SFO investigation into the Al Yamamah contract – Financial Management,July/August 2008 edition
• “The Impact: The Breadth and Depth of the Anti-money Laundering Provisions Requiring Reporting of Suspicious Activities” (jointly written), Journal of International Banking Law and Regulation, 2008
• "Combating Bribery in the UK: More Questions than Answers" TRACE Quarterly Newsletter, Winter 2007-08
• "Prevention of Corruption – UK Legislation and Enforcement", Journal of Financial Regulation and Compliance, 2007
• "Developments in the prevention of Corruption" CEO Magazine, November 2006
• "Do Lawyers Instructed in Litigation and, Presumably, Sitting as Arbitrators, Have an Obligation to Report Suspected Money Laundering," News From the London Court of International Arbitration, 2005
• "International Controls of Corruption: Recent Responses from the USA and the UK," (jointly written), Journal of Financial Crime 2004
• "The Blame Game,"(an article dealing with the use of net contribution clauses) The Lawyer, 2004
• "Corruption - European Initiatives and Their Impact on Middle East Businesses," chapter contribution to book published in 2001
• Controlling Bribery and Corruption in International Business - book published 1999
• "Without Prejudice Rule," Construction Law, 1997
• "Protection Given to Those Involved in Settlement Negotiations," The International Construction Law Review, 1997
• "Summary Procedures: A Practitioner's Guide,"(jointly written) FT Law & Tax, 1995
• "Architects Hazard Warning - The Continuing Obligation to Warn," (jointly written) The Architects Journal, 1993
• "Manufacturers Beware of Your Continuing Obligations," (jointly written) The British Contract Furnishing Journal, 1993

Experience

Legal Education

Professional Admissions / Qualifications

• England and Wales

Professional Affiliations

• Associated Member of the Institute of Management Services
• Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
• Accredited Mediator for the Centre for Dispute Resolution

Interests

George resides in Kent with his wife and three children.