The specialist corporate tax practice at Birketts LLP is 'of excellent quality, backed by professional leadership at partner level, an unique capacity and distinguished reputation in providing top-class legal services at extremely competitive costs to clients'. Head of corporate tax Karl Pocock and associate Ben Clarke in Norwich are highly recommended, as is Ipswich-based head of employee incentives Lisa Hayward, with clients noting that 'the team quickly understood the challenge we had and provided a workable solution in a timely manner'. Pocock recently advised the owners of Potters Resort on the tax aspects of the sale and purchase documentation as part of the company's expansion to a new location.
Corporate tax in East Anglia
Birketts LLP
Practice head(s):
Karl Pocock; Lisa Hayward
Other key lawyers:
Ben Clarke
Testimonials
‘The team at Birketts quickly understood the challenge we had and provided a workable solution in a timely manner.’
‘Karl Pocock and Ben Clarke drafted a practical and succinct covering letter which got to the root of the issue with HMRC and clarified our position leading to a successful result.’
‘Based on two decades of dealings with Birketts LLP, I consider its law practice of excellent quality, backed by professional leadership at partner level, an unique capacity and distinguished reputation in providing top-class legal services at extremely competitive costs to clients. Staff are well trained and exhibit a consistent corporate culture of attentiveness. The depth-of-team strengths is impressive.’
‘They are very responsive and knowledgeable. The quality of their services have consistently been so high at regional hourly rates that I sometimes pinched myself when comparing their billing levels with that of another London City law firm of comparable quality. For the same costs, I am able to gain far more frequent and greater depth of analytical consultation with a Birketts partner than an equivalent London law partner.’
‘Karl Pocock is a standout with a strong capacity in dissecting details and complexity, a solid knowledge base, and good writing skills in the delivery of precise advice on UK corporation tax to his clients. You can count on his timeliness and accuracy, particularly crucial elements in tax area. Highly sensitive of our need as international clients.’
Key clients
Potters Resort
Fullers (Builders) Limited
Vanilla Electronics Limited
Shareholders of Time4Advice
Buckingham Group Contracting Limited
Freightforce Distribution Limited
Denny Bros Limited
Brentwood Borough Council
EMG Motor Group
Redcat Pub Company Limited
Work highlights
- Advised Redcat Pub Company Limited on a private equity investment of £200m from leading US asset manager Oaktree.
- Advised Buckingham Group Contracting Limited on it becoming a majority owned Employee Ownership Trust, the realisation of an existing CSOP incentive scheme and the implementation of a new growth share scheme.
- Advised Potters Resorts on the acquisition of Five Lakes Resort in Essex.
Mills & Reeve LLP
Mills & Reeve LLP has a dedicated corporate tax practice that is ‘technically proficient with commercial astuteness‘ and clients note that the firm has ‘a good and deep tax practice that is well integrated so that matters are looked after without interruption even when the lead partner is not available‘. Principal associate Matthew Short, who works from both the Cambridge and Norwich offices, leads the tax practice in East Anglia. He is ‘a dedicated and well versed tax counsel who provides in-depth as well as practical tax advice‘. Principal associate John Kahn, who joined in 2021 from Birketts LLP, is also proficient in tax matters. Short recently assisted Kadans Science Partner UK Holding Limited with tax aspects of the purchase of a large property in central London.
Practice head(s):
Matthew Short
Other key lawyers:
John Kahn
Testimonials
‘Technically proficient with commercial astuteness. Collaborated well with our accountants and achieved the result we needed.’
‘The firm has a good and deep tax practice that is well integrated so that matters are looked after without interruption even when the lead partner is not available – something that was highly relevant during the pandemic.’
‘Matthew Short is a dedicated and well versed tax counsel that provides in depth as well as practical tax advice.’
Key clients
Floreat Real Estate
Lendlease
Railpen RPMI
Urban & Civic pls
Trinity College, Cambridge
Royal Mail Pension Plan (on instructions of LaSalle Investment Management)
Oxford University Endowment Management
Fidelity UK Real Estate Fund
The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)
Exeter College, Oxford