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
Tax (combined) – New Silks
Tax: VAT – Leading Silks
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- Rupert Baldry QC Pump Court Tax Chambers
- Felicity Cullen QC Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers
- Michael Green QC Fountain Court Chambers
- Michael Kent QC Crown Office Chambers
- Joe Smouha QC Essex Court Chambers
- Christopher Vajda QC Monckton Chambers
- Robert Venables QC 15 Old Square
- John Walters QC Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers
- 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
- Nicola Shaw Gray’s Inn 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
- Jeremy Woolf Pump Court Tax Chambers
Tax: VAT – Leading Juniors
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- Mario Angiolini Monckton 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
- Jolyon Maugham 11 New Square
- David Southern Temple Tax Chambers
- Owain Thomas One Crown Office Row
- Richard Vallat Pump Court Tax Chambers
- Jeremy Woolf Pump Court Tax Chambers
- Jeremy White Pump Court Tax Chambers
Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers is a ‘supremely strong set’ with a ‘modern approach’, and has ‘outstanding and knowledgeable’ clerks. Historically a set with strong tax advisory capabilities, it has seen a large increase in tax litigation work via a wave of active and successful juniors. Among the roll call of high-profile names present, David Goldberg QC’s ‘reputation speaks for itself’, and Felicity Cullen QC is ‘bright and knowledgeable’ and provides ‘excellent’ advice. Other recommended silks include Michael Flesch QC and Philip Baker QC. Among the juniors, the ‘superb’ and ‘fearless’ Nicola Shaw is ‘modern, savvy, and user friendly’ and has extensive experience in VAT litigation; the ‘very bright’ and ‘thorough’ Conrad McDonnell excels in complex, intricate cases and trusts; and offshore expert Marika Lemos gives ‘clear and practical’ advice. The ‘excellent’ Nikhil Mehta has an ‘abundance of experience in tax and commercial transactions’, and the ‘tenacious, thorough and reliable’ Hui Ling McCarthy garners praise for her VAT expertise. Patrick Soares receives many plaudits, and the ‘outstanding’ and ‘personable’ Patrick Way has an ‘excellent and effective’ legal style.
Pump Court Tax Chambers is a ‘leading set for both direct and indirect issues’, and has several of the leading tax silks. The ‘efficient’ clerking team ‘displays good business acumen’, with senior clerk Nigel Jones (the ‘king of tax clerks’) taking the role to a ‘whole new dimension’. Leading VAT expert David Milne QC is a ‘clear leader in his field’, and Kevin Prosser QC is ‘absolutely on top of his game’. David Ewart QC has a ‘strong technical grasp, excellent judgement, and invaluable experience’, and appeared in the notable Vodafone 2 case, as well as leading Richard Vallat (who has ‘deep technical understanding, and is personable, and a pleasure to work with’) in Reed v HMRC. EU tax expert Graham Aaronson QC (‘in a league of his own’) appeared in the significant AstraZeneca transfer pricing dispute with James Henderson and Jonathan Bremner (‘cool under pressure, with a keen analytical approach’). Further silks receiving praise include the ‘highly competent’ Rupert Baldry QC, Julian Ghosh QC (a ‘superb technical lawyer, friendly and approachable’) and Andrew Thornhill QC (‘exceptional for advice and excellent in court’). Several of the juniors have made waves over the past year, including the ‘proactive, impressive and very talented’ James Rivett; SDLT expert Andrew Hitchmough (who has ‘great communication skills, commercialism and promptness’); Roger Thomas (‘succinct and responsive, and gives well-considered advice’); the ‘client-friendly, responsive’ Penny Hamilton, who has expertise in indirect taxes; and Jeremy White (‘extremely strong’ on VAT and customs matters).
Essex Court Chambers maintains a strong profile in tax with excellent capabilities across the board, and particular expertise on the VAT side. Leading VAT silk Roderick Cordara QC has an ‘enviable’ reputation and is ‘well liked’ by clients for his strong abilities. Several of the juniors have strong profiles, including ‘rising star’ and ‘outstanding talent’ in indirect tax David Scorey; VAT specialist Edward Brown has a ‘passion for tax’ and is ‘doggedly determined’; Edmund King’s ‘clarity of thought and insight’ impresses, and he ‘fully commits to clients’; and Jern-Fei Ng’s ‘forensically astute’ manner garners much praise.
Monckton Chambers has excellent VAT capabilities, with several silks among the leaders in the area, and the clerks are ‘exceptionally good, great at reverting, available and helpful’. The renowned Paul Lasok QC has an ‘extremely powerful intellect coupled with unrivalled knowledge of the VAT system’, and the ‘excellent’ Melanie Hall QC is ‘very thorough and always well prepared’, and appeared in Calltel, Mobilx & Blue Sphere. Further recommended silks include Christopher Vajda QC (who is ‘extremely responsive, gives very sound advice’, and ‘commands the respect of judges and other barristers); and the ‘highly rated’ Paul Harris QC, who appeared in ERF v HMRC. Recommended juniors include the ‘proactive’ Valentina Sloane, who is ‘professional in advocacy, preparation and strategy’, the ‘polished’ Mario Angiolini, Peter Mantle and Andrew Macnab.
11 New Square is involved exclusively in corporate and indirect tax matters, and specialises in corporate finance, structured finance, investment trusts and capital markets. The two principal silks are John Gardiner QC and Jonathan Peacock QC, accompanied by experienced juniors Francis Fitzpatrick and Jolyon Maugham.
15 Old Square has strong expertise in all aspects of tax, including direct, indirect and personal tax matters. Stephen Brandon QC ‘gives firm views, is thorough and focused in his preparation’, and is a ‘good communicator’. Leading junior, the ‘very accessible’ Patrick Cannon, is ‘at the cutting-edge’ of SDLT matters.
Temple Tax Chambers provides full-service corporate tax and VAT expertise, and has ‘knowledgeable and commercial’ clerks. ‘First-class’ silk Michael Conlon QC is an expert in VAT duties and litigation, and is praised for his ‘clear and concise’ advice. ‘Very approachable’ junior Alun James has expertise in corporate reorganisations tax, and has ‘very strong practical experience’. International tax expert Jonathan Schwarz is ‘bright, accessible, unflappable, responsive and commercial’, and ‘highly effective advocate’ Michael Sherry has extensive corporate tax capabilities. Philip Ridgway provides ‘excellent value for money’ coupled with ‘focused and practical’ legal advice. David Southern and Anne Redston are also highly recommended.
Also recommended are the ‘very thorough, professional and concise’ Timothy Brennan QC at Devereux; tax avoidance and transfer pricing expert Michael Green QC (an ‘excellent advocate, with a clear and authoritative delivery’) at Fountain Court Chambers; Philippa Whipple QC of One Crown Office Row; Laurence Rabinowitz QC (‘intellectually outstanding with a calm, reassuring demeanour’) at One Essex Court; the ‘brilliant, smooth, polished, accessible’ Philip Jones QC at Serle Court; and ‘top-level’ silk Timothy Lyons QC, an authority on EU customs and trade duties at 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square.