United Kingdom > London > Corporate and commercial > Corporate tax
Index of tables
Corporate tax
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Leading individuals
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- James Anderson Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP
- Mark Baldwin Macfarlanes LLP
- Richard Ballard Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP
- Tony Beare Slaughter and May
- Guy Brannan Linklaters LLP
- Nina Buchan Clifford Chance
- Michael Cant Nabarro LLP
- John Challoner Norton Rose LLP
- Murray Clayson Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP
- Brenda Coleman Weil, Gotshal & Manges
- Heather Corben SJ Berwin LLP
- Nick Cronkshaw Simmons & Simmons
- Chris Davies Clifford Chance
- Nikol Davies Taylor Wessing LLP
- Steve Edge Slaughter and May
- Jonathan Elman Clifford Chance
- Sarah Falk Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP
- Douglas French Clifford Chance
- Philip Gershuny Hogan Lovells International LLP
- Heather Gething Herbert Smith LLP
- Colin Hargreaves Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP
- David Harkness Clifford Chance
- Christopher Harrison Allen & Overy LLP
- David Hughes Allen & Overy LLP
- Karen Hughes Hogan Lovells International LLP
- Hugo Jenney Stephenson Harwood
- Mark Joscelyne Olswang
- Mark Kingstone Linklaters LLP
- Michael L’Estrange Watson, Farley & Williams LLP
- Mike Lane Slaughter and May
- Sara Luder Slaughter and May
- Patrick Mears Allen & Overy LLP
- Howard Murray Herbert Smith LLP
- Peter Nias McDermott Will & Emery UK LLP
- Mark Nichols CMS Cameron McKenna LLP
- Nicholas Noble Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP
- John Overs Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP
- Bradley Phillips Herbert Smith LLP
- Yash Rupal Linklaters LLP
- Charlotte Sallabank Jones Day
- Tim Sanders Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP
- Iain Scoon Shearman & Sterling LLP
- Drew Scott Sidley Austin LLP
- Peter Steiner Mayer Brown International LLP
- David Taylor Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP
- John Watson Ashurst LLP
- Dominic Winter Linklaters LLP
- Michael Wistow Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP’s tax team has ‘excellent technical ability’ and is noted for its ‘very good strength in depth’ and ‘well-directed responses’; the client roster includes some of the country’s highest-profile blue-chip names, such as Barclays, Bank of England, Rolls-Royce, and Tesco. It acted for HSBC Bank on the tax aspects of its restructuring and refinancing of Eversholt Rail, and advised on ongoing work for Eurotunnel, and the Galliform Group. IPOs are an important feature of the group’s work; it recently acted on those of Betfair, Promethean World, and Essar Energy. The 12-partner offering is headed by Sarah Falk, who has ‘technical expertise beyond compare’; other recommended individuals include Richard Ballard, David Haworth, and Murray Clayson.
Linklaters LLP’s ‘very impressive’ seven-partner team is at the ‘top end of the spectrum’, and provides clients with an ‘excellent’ service. Areas of strength for the full-service group include M&A, equity fundraisings and other corporate finance, real estate, and transactions in heavily regulated sectors; notable clients include Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Capital Shopping Centres, and National Grid. It acted for RBS on various disposals including of certain Asian businesses, bank branches, and its Global Merchant Services division; and also advised Lloyds Banking Group on the restructuring of various liabilities. Clients praise the whole team, with group head Yash Rupal and Dominic Winter receiving particular mention.
Slaughter and May’s team attracts plaudits for its ‘platinum service’, coupled with ‘excellent technical ability’ and ‘first-class delivery’. Key clients include United Utilities, Goldman Sachs, Arsenal FC, Diageo, and Royal Mail. It acted for Prudential on its ultimately unsuccessful attempt to acquire AIA Group from AIG for $35.5bn, and for Santander UK on its agreement to acquire parts of the banking businesses of RBS, involving 311 branches nationwide. Group head Steve Edge is ‘technically brilliant’, and Mike Lane, Sara Luder, and ‘real asset and value-adder’ Graham Airs are also recommended.
Allen & Overy LLP’s eight-partner group demonstrates ‘excellent business acumen and industry knowledge’ and has noteworthy capabilities in areas such as funds, structured finance, banking matters, and innovative real estate issues; key clients include Royal Bank of Canada, BNP Paribas Fortis, and Misys. Significant matters included advising Goldman Sachs International and others, as sponsors, on Ocado’s IPO, and Nationwide Building Society on a residential mortgage backed securitisation. Patrick Mears, Lydia Challen, and Christopher Harrison are key figures.
Clifford Chance provides ‘extremely good, technically sound’ advice, and acts for a host of blue-chip clients, including Barclays, BlackRock, Legal & General, and RBS; areas of strength include Islamic finance, private equity and funds work. The team advised Eurostar on the implementation of its ‘Futur Eurostar’ project, and Babcock & Brown on the sale of a 50/50 joint venture portfolio of wind farms and wind energy service companies. Nina Buchan, David Harkness and Etienne Wong are highly regarded by clients and peers alike.
Herbert Smith LLP has ‘particularly strong business acumen’ and ‘focuses on getting the job done’. It acts for a range of important clients such as BAA, British American Tobacco, Stagecoach, and BSkyB, with areas of expertise including insurance, investment funds, energy, outsourcing, real estate, and corporate rescue and restructuring. It advised EDF on the UK tax aspects of the £5.8bn sale of its regulated and non-regulated network of distributions assets to an overseas buyer, and Bharti Airtel on its complex, multi-jurisdictional $10.7bn acquisition of Zain Africa. Recommended individuals include Bradley Phillips, Howard Murray, and Neil Warriner.
Ashurst LLP’s six-partner practice receives outstanding praise from clients; its advice is ‘always appropriate, commercial and wonderful value’. Real estate, structured finance, and private equity are all areas of strength, and key clients include British Land, REO, Crossrail and Tesco. Matters of note included acting for RBS and a consortium of banks on the possible creation of a pan-European card scheme, and for the shareholders of Ontex on the sale of the company to Goldman Sachs and TPG. John Watson is ‘brilliant, and has one of the best minds in the profession’, and Alexander Cox is ‘dedicated and knowledgeable’. Simon Swann made partner in 2010.
Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP’s large team provides an ‘excellent’ service, with clients noting the seamless way in which its various teams operate together. Areas of strength include real estate, funds, securitisation and international matters. Landmark matters for the firm included acting for JP Morgan Asset Management on its £557m acquisition of Bishops Square, and for Tesco on a large securitised property-backed bond issue. Practice head Michael Wistow is a ‘leading’ figure noted for his outstanding technical understanding of securitisation; Charles Goddard is an ‘excellent deal adviser’; and John Overs is also recommended.
Hogan Lovells International LLP provides ‘consistently high standards of service and support’ to key clients such as Prudential, SABMiller, ITV, and Henderson Global Investors. Key matters for the team included acting for Straumur-Burdaras Investment Bank on the €2.3bn restructuring of creditor claims pursuant to a court-approved composition agreement, and for Santander on the integration of Alliance & Leicester’s business in the Santander Group. Head of the practice Karen Hughes is popular with clients, and Kevin Ashman and Philip Gershuny are also recommended.
Norton Rose LLP has a ‘solid, very consistent’ offering, and notable expertise in asset finance and Islamic finance. The team advised AXA on the £2.75bn sale of its UK-based traditional life and pensions businesses, its IFA protection and corporate pension businesses, and its annuity businesses to Resolution; and acted for International Innovative Technologies Limited in the UK’s first-ever sukuk. Recommended partner John Challoner is ‘personable’ and ‘identifies the problem’, and Dominic Stuttaford has a ‘clear and pragmatic’ approach.
Travers Smith LLP provides ‘well-calibrated’, ‘clear’ and ‘concise’ advice, with private equity matters an area of great expertise. The team acted for Bridgepoint on the sale of Pets at Home to KKR for £955m; the Peel Group on the sale of the Trafford Centre to Capital Shopping Centres; and Firstsource Solutions on an outsourcing agreement with Barclaycard. Simon Yates is appreciated for his ‘sensible, pragmatic advice’, and Kathleen Russ is also recommended.
Baker & McKenzie LLP provides ‘detailed, responsive, real-world’ advice, and has notable specialisms in transfer pricing and cross-border matters. It provided UK tax planning advice to Emerson, the NYSE-listed global manufacturing and technology company, on its $1.5bn acquisition of Chloride Group. Group head Alex Chadwick is recommended.
CMS Cameron McKenna LLP’s ‘professional, client-oriented’ advice is much appreciated by clients, who praise the team’s responsive and helpful attitude. Strengths include structured finance and cross-border transactional matters. Mark Nichols has expertise in M&A and private equity matters, and practice head Richard Croker specialises in real estate and fund structuring.
Latham & Watkins LLP has an enviable international profile and expertise in global and structured finance matters. It acts for many blue-chip clients including JP Morgan, SAB Miller, and Barclays, and advised Qatar Holding (a wholly owned subsidiary of Qatar Investment Authority) on its acquisition of the Harrods Group. Sean Finn and Daniel Friel are recommended.
Macfarlanes LLP ‘understands the needs of the client’, and has ‘excellent commercial sense’. The team is active in investment funds, including the structuring of private funds, and transactional matters, and recently advised Haymarket Financial on the tax structuring of its €400m fundraising with the Australia Future Fund. Ashley Greenbank and Damien Crossley are the figures to note.
Nabarro LLP has an excellent name in property-related corporate tax matters, and is also notable for its expertise in large international joint ventures and funds. It acted for Land Securities on the sale of 20 Fenchurch Street to a newly formed partnership between the client and Canary Wharf Group. Clients note the ‘high technical ability’ of the group and also its ‘friendly approach’; Michael Cant is ‘particularly strong in property-related transactions’.
Olswang’s team is ‘very responsive and client focused’, with notable expertise in media, technology, telecoms, gambling and leisure matters, and an increasing international profile. It acted for the management team of Shed Media on their £99.9m takeover of the company, backed by Warner Bros Entertainment. Mark Joscelyne is recommended, and Graham Chase has ‘first-class’ technical knowledge.
Strengths of SJ Berwin LLP’s team include real estate and private equity funds matters. It acted for Pantheon on the $775m acquisition of the Pantheon business by AMG from Russell Investments and the reorganisation of the business into a UK LLP. Practice head Heather Corben is well respected in the industry, and Gareth Amdor is also recommended.
Simmons & Simmons’ tax team is ‘very strong’, with ‘powerful business acumen’. Specialisms include hedge fund work, and the team recently acted for BlueCrest Capital Management on the reorganisation of its business in Switzerland and Guernsey, with UK tax implications. The team also acted for British Land on its proposed construction of new headquarters for UBS on the Broadgate estate. Martin Shah is appreciated for his ‘strong legal analysis’, and Nick Cronkshaw is also recommended.
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP has a ‘refreshing ability to deliver practical and workable solutions’, and acts on many strategic tax planning and tax implementation issues associated with multi-jurisdictional and cross-border transactions. It advised BSG Resources on the tax aspects of the creation of a joint venture with Vale to develop mining rights in the Republic of Guinea. Tim Sanders is ‘very responsive, and has great technical knowledge and business acumen’, and James Anderson provides ‘excellent advice and insights’.
DLA Piper UK LLP’s growing team has expertise in areas such as structured finance, regulatory capital and infrastructure. Key clients include Deutsche Bank London, Pearl Assurance, and HIG Europe, and it recently acted for Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings on the acquisition of the UK electricity distribution business of EDF Energy. Recommended practice head Stephen Hoyle joined in 2010 from Ernst & Young.
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a strong choice for cross-border matters, gaining strength from the wider firm’s prominent international profile. It acts on a wide range of matters, with fund formation, secondary acquisitions and M&A deals featuring prominently. It acted for American International Group on the proposed sale of its Asian life insurance unit, American International Assurance, to Prudential for $35.5bn. Richard Ward is recommended.
Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP’s team is ‘extremely helpful, competent, dedicated and persuasive’. It acts on a range of cross-border and financial matters for clients such as BNP Paribas, Catlin, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank, and its strong US profile helps it gain many instructions from US clients conducting business in Europe. Judith Harger and Fred Gander are recommended.
Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP’s ‘user-friendly’ team is ‘knowledgeable, practical and good value’. Areas of strength include media and film matters, transfer pricing and tax structuring. Nicholas Noble has ‘very broad knowledge’ and is ‘commercial and excellent to work with’, and practice head Graeme Nuttall is also recommended. Andrew Prowse recently made partner.
Kirkland & Ellis International LLP’s corporate tax offering is closely aligned with its fund formation, corporate and restructuring capabilities. The team advised Bain Capital and Advent International on the tax aspects of the financing of their successful £2bn bid to acquire the RBS WorldPay merchant services business from RBS. Ian Taplin, John Baldry and Jane Scobie are recommended.
Mayer Brown International LLP is ‘attentive, commercial, and able’, with recommended individuals including Peter Steiner (‘very innovative’), Sandy Bhogal (‘personable and commercially astute’), and James Hill. It advised JP Morgan Chase on the acquisition and refurbishment of 25 Bank Street from the Canary Wharf Group; and also acted for the five selling shareholders, including Cadbury and Royal Mail, on the sale of Camelot Group to Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.
McDermott Will & Emery UK LLP is ‘highly responsive and commercially knowledgeable’. It advises on a range of matters across transfer pricing, restructurings, and M&A, including acting for US companies seeking tax advice in other jurisdictions. Recommended tax head Peter Nias has close links with HMRC, and is ‘at the heart’ of any matter.
SNR Denton advises on a range of complex and technical corporate tax matters for blue-chip clients including Total, Sainsbury’s, Tata Steel, and RBS. It advised Virgin Money on its takeover of Church House Trust, and Datacash on a recommended £333m takeover (via a scheme of arrangement) by MasterCard/Europa. Alex Thomas and Jeremy Cape are the names to note.
The team at Shearman & Sterling LLP is ‘commercial and practical, and communicates effectively’, acting on many high-profile, complex and multi-jurisdictional matters. It advised long-time client New England Sports Ventures on its successful acquisition of Liverpool FC, and American Sugar Holdings on its £211m acquisition of Tate & Lyle’s EU sugar-refining business. Well-respected partner Iain Scoon ‘identifies problems and solutions quickly’.
Sidley Austin LLP has expertise in funds work and financial services, and advised a major US corporate client on a novel and complex structured financing for UK subsidiaries, with significant tax implications. It also assisted a number of clients on the UK tax aspects of various structured finance and restructuring transactions. Drew Scott is recommended.
Stephenson Harwood provides an ‘excellent service’, and is valued for its ‘knowledge and competence’. In addition to its record in shipping matters, the team has expertise in areas ranging from M&A, funds and real estate, to complex tax-enhanced financing arrangements. Clients include British Land, The London Development Agency, KPMG and Macdonald. Hugo Jenney is the name to note.
Taylor Wessing LLP’s team is ‘always available, and very practical’. It has strength in transactional matters and also a niche in Islamic finance, championing innovative developments in the area. It acted for Highland Spring on its acquisition of the Greencore Group water business, and for London International Hospitals on the UK’s first commercial sukuk launch. Recommended individuals include Peter Jackson, and the ‘pragmatic, efficient, and inventive’ Nikol Davies.
Watson, Farley & Williams LLP’s team is headed by the well-respected Michael L’Estrange, and saw an upturn in renewable energy related matters, while cross-border tax-based asset finance is another significant specialism. Clients include Seaspan Corporation and Bayerngas UK, which the firm recently assisted on two acquisitions relating to gas development projects. Chris Comyn is also recommended.
Weil, Gotshal & Manges is ‘excellent and thorough’, and ‘takes the initiative’, with particular strength in private equity matters. It recently advised Advent International on the sale of Poundland to Warburg Pincus, and also on its acquisition of the Global Merchant Services business of RBS. Brenda Coleman is ‘excellent’.