William George
Of Counsel
London
William leads the complex fraud and asset recovery practice in London and is focused predominantly on High Court litigation with an emphasis on cross-border disputes involving fraud, financial mismanagement, and financial reporting.
William is an experienced lawyer and certified fraud examiner who has acted for shareholders, investors, creditors, insolvency practitioners, and high net worth individuals in all aspects of litigation arising from fraud and financial mismanagement in the UK and all of the major offshore jurisdictions. Will's experience includes applications for injunctive relief and third-party disclosure orders, and claims for deceit, fraudulent misrepresentation, and unlawful means conspiracy.
William also has a depth of experience in shareholder and trusts litigation, having acted for corporations, shareholders, trustees and beneficiaries in high value disputes across multiple jurisdictions, including a leading role in the frequently cited cases of Singh vs. Singh, and Re Edwardian Group Limited.
William's involvement in Pro Bono work around the world has included high profile projects such as the negotiation of the UN Arms Treaty, the development of refugee law in Tanzania, and assisting victims of crypto fraud in the United Kingdom.
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Prior to his legal career, William served in the UK military for 14 years and was commended for his service on operations around the world.
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- Acting as part of a team appointed as global counsel for the Joint Liquidators of an International Bank, working in collaboration with overseas counsel in bringing claims for c. $5 billion deriving from the second largest known Ponzi scheme in history.
- Acting for the administrators of a UK listed corporation found to have fraudulently overstated reported revenues by c. $3 billion, bringing applications for injunctive relief.
- Acting for investors in a UK fraudulent investment scheme valued at c.$700 million, advising in respect of claims in the UK and other jurisdictions.
- Acting for a sovereign government in respect of allegations of fraud and corruption made against a former prime minister, advising in respect of asset tracing investigations and applications for injunctive relief.
- Advising a professional services company in relation to an investigation by the Attorney General for the Republic of Cyprus, and the Central Bank of Cyprus, following the restructuring of the Cypriot banking and financial systems.
- Acting for the manager of a Cayman Islands fund in defence of high-value claims for breach of investment management agreement and professional negligence.
- Acting for the joint liquidators of a BVI Company in high value claims against a Bermuda fund and fund manager for unlawful means conspiracy.
- Acting for a Panamanian company in high value claims for deceit and fraudulent misrepresentation.
- Acting in various FCPA and Bribery Act investigations, including in mainland China and Mozambique.
- Acting for Big Four accountancy firms in various matters related to financial reporting and the audit of UK listed companies.
Please note, William’s experience includes that prior to joining Orrick.