United Kingdom > London Bar > Tax: corporate and VAT
Index of tables
- Tax: corporate and VAT – Leading Sets
- Tax: corporate – Leading Silks
- Tax (combined) – New Silks
- Tax: VAT – Leading Silks
- Tax: corporate – Leading Juniors
- Tax: VAT – Leading Juniors
Tax: corporate and VAT – Leading Sets
Tax: corporate – Leading Silks
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- Graham Aaronson QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers
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John Gardiner QC -
11 New Square - David Goldberg QC - Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers
- David Milne QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers
- Kevin Prosser QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers
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- Philip Baker QC - Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers
- Michael Flesch QC - Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers
- Malcolm Gammie QC - One Essex Court
- David Goy QC - Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers
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Jonathan Peacock QC -
11 New Square
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- Timothy Brennan QC - Devereux
- Felicity Cullen QC - Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers
- Giles Goodfellow QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers
- Philip Jones QC - Serle Court
- Timothy Lyons QC* (*now at Thirty Nine Essex Street) - 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square
- Ingrid Simler QC - Devereux
- John Walters QC - Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers
- Peter Whiteman QC - QEB Hollis Whiteman
Tax (combined) – New Silks
Tax: VAT – Leading Silks
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- Rupert Baldry QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers
- David Ewart QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers
- Julian Ghosh QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers
- David Goy QC - Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers
- Nicholas Paines QC - Monckton Chambers
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Jonathan Peacock QC -
11 New Square - Philippa Whipple QC - One Crown Office Row
Tax: corporate – Leading Juniors
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Francis Fitzpatrick -
11 New Square - James Henderson - Pump Court Tax Chambers
- Rory Mullan - 15 Old Square
- Aparna Nathan - Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers
- Jonathan Schwarz - Temple Tax Chambers
- Michael Sherry - Temple Tax Chambers
- Patrick Soares - Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers
- Michael Thomas - Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers
- Richard Vallat - Pump Court Tax Chambers
- Patrick Way - Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers
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Francis Fitzpatrick -
Tax: VAT – Leading Juniors
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- Penny Hamilton - Pump Court Tax Chambers
- James Henderson - Pump Court Tax Chambers
- Peter Mantle - Monckton Chambers
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Jolyon Maugham -
11 New Square - Conrad McDonnell - Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers
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- Mario Angiolini - Monckton Chambers
- Edward Brown - Essex Court Chambers
- Tim Brown - Temple Tax Chambers
- Christopher Foulkes - 2 Hare Court
- Raymond Hill - Monckton Chambers
- Paul Key - Essex Court Chambers
- Edmund King - Essex Court Chambers
- Andrew Macnab - Monckton Chambers
- Hui Ling McCarthy - Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers
- Jern-Fei Ng - Essex Court Chambers
- David Southern - Temple Tax Chambers
- Owain Thomas - One Crown Office Row
- Richard Vallat - Pump Court Tax Chambers
- Jeremy White - Pump Court Tax Chambers
- Jeremy Woolf - Pump Court Tax Chambers
Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers is ‘a class apart’, and has a ‘thoroughly modern and professional’ way of operating and ‘superbly helpful and attentive’ clerks. Litigation is a key area, and is complemented by its advisory capability. Leading figures include David Goldberg QC, who is a ‘doyen of the tax Bar’; Felicity Cullen QC, whose ‘opinions illuminate even the most complex tax matter’; and Michael Flesch QC, who is a ‘very powerful force to have on your side’. New silk Nicola Shaw QC is ‘an excellent litigator and a clear and persuasive advocate’. VAT expert Conrad McDonnell ‘displays high levels of skill, intellect, professionalism and commitment to the case and to his client’. Hui Ling McCarthy ‘leaves no stone unturned and is an excellent and clear advocate’. Laurent Sykes’ ‘desire to win is infectious and his work ethic unparalleled’. Nikhil Mehta is ‘incisive and inventive’, and Michael Thomas has ‘an inventive approach to bespoke tax planning opportunities’. Imran Afzal is ‘one of the best young juniors at the tax Bar’.
Pump Court Tax Chambers fields an ‘astonishingly good line-up of silks and juniors’, and its clerks are ‘exceptionally helpful and always at hand when needed’. VAT expert David Milne QC is the ‘gurus ’ guru’, and Graham Aaronson QC has particular expertise in taxation issues affecting multinationals. Kevin Prosser QC has recently represented HMRC and the taxpayer in several notable cases and appeared in an important tribunal case over corporate tax on derivatives contracts. The ‘highly user-friendly’ Rupert Baldry QC’s ‘no-nonsense advice is attracting an increasing following’. Julian Ghosh QC is ‘intellectually outstanding on technical tax issues’ and his ‘tribunal judge expertise gives him an edge on decisions whether to litigate or not’. Andrew Thornhill QC’s corporate tax practice focuses on employee benefit trusts. Jonathan Bremner is ‘very, very bright’ and ‘gives accurate, detailed, highly articulate advice’. James Henderson appeared in JD Wetherspoon v HMRC, James Rivett appeared in the Stamp Duty Reserve Tax GLO, and Roger Thomas appeared in DV3-SDLT, concerning the issue of sub-sale relief in SDLT. Andrew Hitchmough and Penny Hamilton are also recommended.
Essex Court Chambers has very capable VAT expertise, where its silks are among the leaders in the field. The ‘superb’ Roderick Cordara QC has an excellent reputation in the market and continues to be a dominant figure in the VAT arena. David Scorey is a ‘real fighter’ and presents ‘very detailed submissions’. VAT expert Edmund King is ‘very effective, organised and knowledgeable in all complex VAT issues’. Edward Brown has a busy indirect tax practice both for and against HMRC, and is ‘very much a rising star in the firmament of VAT work’. Jern-Fei Ng is a ‘busy and highly regarded VAT practitioner’; and VAT expert Paul Key specialises primarily in international and commercial law and is ‘approachable and responsive’.
Monckton Chambers is known for its expertise in VAT and other indirect tax matters, and its barristers have represented taxpayers and the HMRC at the VAT and Duties Tribunal, High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and European Court of Justice. Paul Lasok QC is a ‘leader in the VAT sector’, and Melanie Hall QC has the ‘drive and determination that clients seek’. Recommended juniors include George Peretz, Raymond Hill and the ‘standout’ Valentina Sloane.
11 New Square has a high profile in the tax advisory and litigation fields, and handles non-finance areas of corporate taxation. Jonathan Peacock QC is ‘an excellent technical lawyer, and good at simplifying complex matters for clients’. John Gardiner QC is also a leader in the field, and appeared in HMRC v DCC Holdings. Michael Ripley is a ‘very bright and hardworking junior’ and a ‘calm and measured advocate’. John Brinsmead-Stockham is ‘incredibly thorough, meticulous and very able’, and Jolyon Maugham is ‘able to explain complex factual and legal issues in an intelligible and persuasive way’.
The ‘highly commendable’ 15 Old Square has a good reputation for direct, indirect and personal tax matters. The ‘respected and valued’ Stephen Brandon QC acted for PA Holdings in a case concerning the issue of whether dividends on employee shares are taxable as earnings and liable to national insurance contributions. Recommended juniors include the ‘brilliant’ Rory Mullan, Amanda Hardy and leading SDLT expert and ‘genuine talent’ Patrick Cannon.
Temple Tax Chambers still offers full-service corporate tax and VAT expertise, despite the move of the hugely influential Michael Conlon QC to Hogan Lovells International LLP to head its indirect tax practice. Leading juniors include Jonathan Schwarz, who is ‘absolutely on top of his subject matter’, ‘highly competent specialist tax barrister’ Michael Sherry, and Alun James, who is ‘thoughtful, helpful, and technically excellent, but practical too’. Stephen Arthur is ‘responsive to time pressures and the concerns of clients’. Philip Ridgway is ‘a key go-to tax counsel for any City practice requiring the experience of a seasoned practitioner’.
Also recommended are the ‘high-flying’ Jonathan Fisher QC, ‘all-round superstar’ Ingrid Simler QC, and the ‘dedicated and dependable’ Timothy Brennan QC at Devereux; VAT expert Sam Grodzinski QC* at Matrix Chambers; Philippa Whipple QC at One Crown Office Row; and Philip Jones QC at Serle Court. *Sam Grodzinski is now at Blackstone Chambers