Simon Ellis
Legal Director
0161 836 8780
0755 723 8914
simon.ellis@brabners.com
Simon is a Legal Director in our business crime and compliance team.
A financial regulatory compliance and dispute resolution expert, Simon specialises in dealing with particularly high value disputes that stem from HMRC investigations. He’s highly experienced in dealing with cases that involve significant amounts of evidence, often conducting trials that last for several months.
Some of Simon’s current work highlights include joined Appeals to the Upper Tribunal in respect of VAT and Excise Duty Assessments and Company and Personal Penalties totalling £22m and associated High Court Freezing Orders obtained by HMRC, as well as the settlement of a £4.5m MTIC case in favour of one of the country’s leading wholesalers.
Simon acts as an invaluable adviser across the breadth of regulatory compliance matters — focusing as much on future prevention as the immediate cure. He always starts by gaining a detailed understanding of a client’s business before evaluating the right dispute resolution strategy.
With over 20 years of experience, Simon never loses sight of the fact that regulatory investigations by the state are often devastating. He’s able to help clients deal with both the professional and personal toll and treats each client with care while appreciating the uniqueness of their specific situation.
Recognised as a leading lawyer for contentious tax fraud matters by Chambers and Partners, Simon contributes articles to a number of trade publications and has featured in The Daily Telegraph, The Lawyer and The Law Society Gazette. He also participates in seminars and podcasts.
Simon has worked for several major law firms over the course of his career. He joined us in June 2024 and is based in our Manchester office.
Case Highlights
Serious Fraud Office v Powerscreen International
Prosecution by the Serious Fraud Office against the Financial Controller of a Fortune 500 subsidiary for allegations of false accounting totalling £30m. Case was dismissed at trial.
Serious Fraud Office v SSL International Limited
Prosecution against the Financial Director of an international pharmaceutical company for furnishing false documents to the total of £50m. Case was dismissed on application prior to trial.
HMRC v Sintra Global and Parul Mlade
Advising on the largest ever Tax Tribunal Appeal against HMRC, with penalties totalling £25m in respect of alleged fraudulent evasion of Excise Duty and VAT.
HMRC v Manchester Property Developments Limited
A construction industry dispute now being appealed by HMRC to the Supreme Court.