Practice

George Bompas has great experience, having acted over the years in many of the major corporate matters of public interest in the UK. Nevertheless he is approachable, versatile and a good problem solver. He is described in Chambers UK Guide as “brilliant at everything” and “an extremely measured advocate who is lightning-fast at grasping all the implications of a case.” The summary continues, “Interviewees describe him as ‘deceptively lethal – in cross-examination he can totally annihilate a witness whilst never being anything less than courteous’. Out of court [he] has a large advisory practice and is ‘someone whom solicitors go to in order to stress-test solutions'”. He has also acted in major arbitrations and sits as an arbitrator.

George Bompas is listed by Chambers UK as one of the leading Silks in Chancery/Commercial, Commercial Dispute Resolution, Company, Financial Services and Reconstruction/Insolvency; and by the Legal 500 as one of the Leading Silks in Commercial Litigation, Company and Insolvency.

Legal500 says “He is calm and brilliant”

Chambers & Partners says “He has an amazing ability to assimilate and digest a large amount of factual information and distil it to its core issues. George anticipates the implications of the point before most people have even grasped it.”

Additional info

Cases of interest
  • Marex Financial Ltd v Sevilleja Garcia [Supreme Court – 7 Panel Hearing] (reflective loss: whether creditor’s claims barred)
  • Re Nord Anglia Education, Inc [Cayman Islands Grand Court, Financial Services Division] (share valuation in company takeover appraisal proceedings)
  • Realm Therapeutics plc [2019] EWHC 2080 (contested scheme of arrangement)
  • Bott & Co Solicitors v Ryanair [2019] 1 WLR 3375, CA (solicitors’ lien)
  • Re Fourfront Group Ltd [2019] EWHC 3318 (directors’ disqualification)
  • Global Gaming Ventures (Group) Ltd v Global Gaming Ventures (Holdings) Ltd [2018] EWCA Civ 68 (receivership & injunction)
  • Evans v Jones [2017] Ch 1, CA (insolvency: dividends & preferences)
  • Ahmed v Saba [DIFC Court of First Instance, 23 Jan 2017] (derivative proceedings)
  • MF Global UK Ltd [2016] EWCA Civ 569 (insolvency: implied contract)
  • Polonskiy v Dobrovinsky [2016] EWHC 1114 & 1687 (Ch) (civil procedure: stay of proceedings)
  • Edgworth Capital v Ramblas [2016] EWCA Civ 412 (loan agreement, contract terms, penalties)
  • Coghlan v Bailey [2014] EWHC 924 (QB) (Fraudulent misrepresentation)
  • Guidance Investments Ltd v Guidance Hotel Investment Co [2013] EWHC 3412 (Com) (stay of proceedings and set-off)
  • Ageas (UK) Ltd v Kwik-Fit GB Ltd [2013] EWHC 3261 (QB) (contractual interpretation)
  • Chemtrade Ltd v Fuchs Oil Middle East Ltd [BVIHCVAP2013/14] Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal (unfair prejudice remedy)
  • Ener-G Holdings plc v Hormell [2012] 3 EGLR 61, Court of Appeal (contractual interpretation)
  • Enviroco Ltd v Farstad Supply A/S [2011] 1 WLR 921, Supreme Court (meaning of “subsidiary” in Companies Acts)
  • Anglo Irish Asset Finance v Flood & anr [2011] EWCA 799, Court of Appeal (civil procedure – security for costs) 2
  • Rohlig (UK) Ltd v Rock Unique Ltd [2011] EWCA Civ 18, Court of Appeal (contract terms)
  • Revenue & Customs v Maxwell [2010] EWCA Civ 1379, Court of Appeal (voting at creditors’ meetings in administrations)
  • Re Frankice (Golders Green) Ltd [2010] Bus L.R. 1608 (scope of moratorium in administrations)
  • Gresham International Ltd v Moonie [2010] Ch 285 (liquidator’s costs in unsanctioned proceedings)
  • El Bishlawi v Minrealm Ltd [2010] EWCA Civ 780 Court of Appeal (unfair prejudice proceedings)
  • Clydesdale Financial Services v Smailes [2009] BCC 810 (removing administrators)
  • Samut v Manzi [2009] 1 WLR 1834, Privy Council (succession)
  • First Coin v Peace [2008] EWHC 10103 (Ch) (minority shareholders action)
  • Doughty Hanson v Roe [2008] 1 BCLC 404 (pre-emption in company’s articles)
  • Walbrook Trustees v Fattal [2007] EWHC 2808 (Ch) (joint venture rights of pre-emption)
  • Multiplex v Cleveland Bridge [2007] EWCA Civ 433, Court of Appeal (contract interpretation)
  • Deutsche Postbank AG v The Royal Bank of Scotland plc (structured debt instruments)
  • Re Capital Cabs; Music Sales v Shapiro Bernstein; Lloyd v Casey; Re Leeds United Holdings and Re BSB Holdings (No.2) (unfair prejudice proceedings)
  • Shahar v Tsitsekkos (derivative action)
  • Re: TLL Realisations, Re Landhurst Leasing, Dawes & Henderson, SoS v Laing, Re Living Images Ltd and Re Dominion International Group (No.2) (director disqualifications)
  • Re: Barton Manufacturing Co (Insolvency Act s.238)
  • Re Lomax Leisure (administration petition – lessor’s right of peaceable re-entry)
  • Re Regalway Care, Arena Corp v Schroeder, Re Jack Barrs Wholesale and Re Anglo-German Breweries (insolvency and recovery proceedings in MTIC and duty evasion cases)
  • Shogun Finance Ltd v Hudson (House of Lords) (mistaken identity in contract formation)
  • OBG v Allan (professional negligence)
  • Giles v Rhind (reflective loss)
  • Needler Financial Services Ltd v Taber (financial services – measure of damages for negligent financial advice)
  • Re: Cox v Bankside Members Agency (Lloyd’s litigation – Third Parties (Rights Against Insurers) Act).
Publications

OUP “Annotated Companies Acts”;
Tolley’s Company Law, “Company Investigations”;
Butterworth’s Practical Insolvency, “Investigations” and “Funding Litigation and Assigning Claims”.

Career & appointments

Judge of Courts of Appeal of Guernsey & Jersey
Junior Counsel (Chancery) to the Department of Trade and Industry (1989-94)
Deputy High Court Judge

Member of the Commercial Bar Association, the Chancery Bar Association, the Insolvency Lawyers Association and the LCIA.

Foreign jurisdictions

Called to the Bar of the British Virgin Islands and the Bar in the DIFC Court, Dubai; and for specific cases, to the Bars of Trinidad and Tobago and the Cayman Islands.   In these jurisdictions he has appeared in complex, high value and important cases.

George Bompas has given expert evidence / opinions for use in foreign jurisdictions, including in the USA, Belgium, Italy and Switzerland. Cases of note are Carlyle (Phelps v Stomber; Judge Amy Jackson, US District Court for the District of Columbia – financial services and prospectuses); Faifield Sentry (Re Fairfield Sentry Ltd; Judge Bernstein, US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York); and Kingate (Re Kingate Management Ltd; Judge Deborah Betts, US District Court for the Southern District of New York).