Andrew Howell

Andrew is head of Disputes & Investigations in the UK and global co-head of our International Disputes group. He advises on commercial and corporate disputes of all types, and specialises in the financial and professional services sectors.

His clients describe him as a stand-out litigator, a superb team leader, and completely unflappable. Andrew has particular expertise in claims and regulatory investigations involving the accountancy profession and has advised on many large-scale professional negligence disputes and regulatory investigations.

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Career

Since 2011	Partner, Taylor Wessing
2005 - 2011	Partner, Barlow Lyde & Gilbert
1999 - 2005	Associate, Barlow Lyde & Gilbert

1998 - 1999	Associate, Eversheds
1995 - 1998	Trainee/Associate, Frere Cholmeley Bischoff

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Education

1997	Admitted as a lawyer, England & Wales
1994	LLB, University of Bristol, University of Rouen

Publications

"Very personable, clever and thoughtful." - Chambers."

"He's at the top of his game." - Chambers."

Additional languages

English

French

Expertise

Sectors Business & professional services

Experience

Patisserie Holdings plc	Acting on auditor claims for some £200 million, and associated regulatory and criminal proceedings, relating to the collapse of the Patisserie Valerie chain
Manchester Building Society v Grant Thornton UK LLP	Defence of a c.£50 million audit negligence claim relating to losses arising on interest rate swap contracts.
Manchester Building Society	Acting for Grant Thornton on claims relating to losses on interest rate swaps, now the leading Supreme Court authority on scope of duty in tort claims

Cattles and Welcome Financial Services v PwC	Acting for PwC on claims and regulatory matters relating to the collapse of sub-prime lender, Cattles (Cattles and Welcome Financial Services v PwC).
Arbitration proceedings involving alleged breaches of covenant and conspiracy / breach of duty claims	Acting in the defence of claims for breach of covenant in relation to a partnership team move, under LCIA rules
FRC regulatory proceedings	Acting for respondents in relation to numerous Audit Enforcement Procedure and Accountancy Scheme investigations involving Big 4 and other large professional services practices

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Awards

Chambers and Partners UK 2023	Andrew Howell advises on professional negligence claims emerging out of the financial services sector, with a particular focus on professional services clients. "It has always been a pleasure to work with Andrew Howell. He provides sage, commercial advice and is robust with opponents but always professional."
Chambers and Partners UK 2023	Andrew Howell heads the firm's disputes and investigations team. He regularly handles FRC investigations on behalf of major accountancy firms. "It has always been a pleasure to work with Andrew. He provides sage, commercial advice and is robust with opponents but always professional." "He is one of the most level-headed litigators. He is completely unflappable and displays great common sense."
Legal 500 UK 2023	Professional Negligence - Leading Individual: Andrew Howell, 'an intelligent, careful partner, who is sensitive to client priorities' acts on disputes involving accountants, auditors, tax advisers, valuers, architects, surveyors, solicitors and investment advisers.
Legal 500 UK 2023	Professional Negligence - Leading Individual: "Andrew Howell is an intelligent, careful partner, who supports his team very effectively and is sensitive to client priorities." "I have worked with Andrew Howell and Julian Randall mostly, and I would recommend them to anyone with a difficult professional negligence or audit regulatory issue." "Strong at every level. Andrew Howell is one of the leading names in the sector, with a deep knowledge of professional negligence litigation." "Julian Randall and Andrew Howell: decades of experience in audit defence work for the big four and other major auditors. They have a depth of knowledge of the reality of auditing beyond any other London litigation team." "Some of the best individuals in this area – Andrew Howell, Julian Randall, Stuart Broom – mean the team has a real depth of expertise/experience to draw on. In this area, Taylor Wessing punches well above its weight in disputes generally." "Andrew Howell and Stuart Broom are fantastic at applying common sense to strategic and tactical problems: they ask all the right questions to make sure they don’t put a foot wrong."
Legal 500 UK 2022	Leading individual - Professional Negligence: "Andrew Howell is one of the most knowledgeable partners in the market in accountancy work."
Chambers UK 2022	Leading individual - Professional Negligence (Band 3): "He deals with very complicated legal and technical issues, which he is able to distill to provide practical advice."
Chambers UK 2022	Leading Individual - Professional Negligence (Band 2): "Andrew Howell is brimming with common sense as well as technically excellent: he never puts a foot wrong tactically. He is supported by a strong team of associates. Stuart Broom is another strong partner."
Chambers UK 2022	Leading individual - Professional Discipline (Band 4): "He is very bright, experienced and used to dealing with very complicated legal and technical issues." "He is a very strong presence on the defence side of big accountancy cases."
Chambers UK 2021	Leading individual - Professional Negligence (Band 3): "He is a superb operator who cuts through the complexity and is able to navigate through minefields."
Chambers UK 2021	Leading individual - Professional Discipline (Band 5): "He is a really excellent litigator who always seems to make the right judgement call."
Legal 500 UK 2021	Leading Individual - Professional Negligence (Tier 2): "The scarily intelligent Andrew Howell is fantastic to work with." "Andrew Howell is the best solicitor in London for accountants defence work. He has the full skill set." "Andrew Howell is a very experienced partner who deals with many of the substantial accounting professional negligence disputes."
Chambers UK 2020	Leading individual - Professional Discipline (Band 5): Andrew Howell regularly handles FRC investigations on behalf of major accountancy firms. Sources report: "He's terrific - he soaks up pressure like a sponge and gets things done on time like a well-oiled machine."
Chambers UK 2020	Leading individual - Professional Negligence (Band 3): Andrew Howell is an expert at defending accountants from allegations of professional negligence. Market sources say: "He is very smooth, and soaks up pressure like a sponge. He's very efficient - you know everything will be done on time and done right."
Legal 500 UK 2020	Leading individual - Insurance: Professional negligence: Andrew Howell is the complete package for professional negligence defence litigation; he is super-bright yet has bags of common sense and is always in control.
Chambers UK 2019	Leading individual - Professional Negligence: Financial (Band 4): Andrew Howell is well versed in claims relating to clients in the financial services industry. He represents household names including Big Four accounting firms.
Chambers UK 2019	Leading individual - Professional Discipline (Band 5): Andrew Howell is an experienced practitioner who specialises in regulatory investigations involving the accountancy profession. Clients say: "He's very good on details, extremely pleasant and able to be very robust in negotiations. He's also very user-friendly."
Legal 500 UK 2019	Leading individual - Insurance: Professional negligence: Team head Andrew Howell and Julian Randall are ‘outstanding litigators’; Howell is ‘good with clients and managing large teams on the most complex cases’

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