Private Client: Personal Tax

Leading Silks

Jonathan Davey KC – Wilberforce Chambers ‘Jonathan’s advocacy and leadership skills are exceptional. He is one of the best advocates.’

David Ewart KC –Pump Court Tax Chambers 'David is a tenacious advocate and has great eye for detail.'

Amanda Hardy KC –5 Stone Buildings ‘Amanda gives a first rate advice mixed with an incredible ability to make everything sound simple, even to lay clients. She makes herself available at short notice and advises calmly and authoritatively. She carries a very practical approach without losing sight of the technical detail.’

James Kessler KC - Old Square Tax Chambers

William Massey KC –Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘William has the firmest grasp of extremely complex areas and is well worth the investment on high value and complex matters. He is also extremely responsive and willing to listen to other's opinions, adapting his view as facts and circumstances shift.’

Kevin Prosser KC –Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘Kevin always knows the answer and he absorbs the facts and the issues very quickly.’

Rupert Baldry KC –Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘Rupert has the ability to give very clear advice, including advice as to strategy and client handling.’

Felicity Cullen KC –Devereux ‘Felicity is leagues above competitors. She provides robust advice and with a real team approach.’

Michael Furness KC – Wilberforce Chambers

Julian Ghosh KC –One Essex Court ‘Julian is go to barrister for complex tax advice. In consultation, he communicates in a way that clients can understand and with authoritative clarity. He takes a practical and realistic view of prospects of success which clients and advisers appreciate. ’

Giles Goodfellow KC - Pump Court Tax Chambers

Brian Green KC – Wilberforce Chambers

James Rivett KC –Pump Court Tax Chambers

Patrick Way KC –Field Court Tax Chambers ‘Patrick has in depth knowledge of the workings of HMRC. He provides very practical advice and is very hands on with clients. His opinions are precise and easy to implement.’

Philip Baker KC - Field Court Tax Chambers

Jonathan Bremner KC – One Essex Court ‘Jonathan is an excellent advocate. He provides succinct submissions and does carefully structured arguments.’

Hui Ling McCarthy KC –11 New Square

Aparna Nathan KC –Devereux ‘Aparna is an excellent advocate - calm, clear, eloquent and robust. She is also very bright and she brings a wealth of experience and expertise to any tax problem.’

Akash Nawbatt KC - Devereux

John Tallon KC - Pump Court Tax Chambers

Richard Vallat KC –Pump Court Tax Chambers 'Richard is very bright. He gives clear and unequivocal advice on complex matters.'

Robert Venables KC - Old Square Tax Chambers

David Yates KC - Pump Court Tax Chambers 'David is a sharp, super clever barrister with a fantastically practical approach and ability to recognise what a client will value in his advice. He is accessible for discussion of ideas on ongoing matters, and clear in his responses.'

2023 Silks

John Brinsmead-Stockham KC - 11 New Square

Michael Thomas KC - Pump Court Tax Chambers

Leading Juniors

Emma Chamberlain –Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘Emma is a leader in the area. Her technical abilities are quite awe-inspiring, and she delivers her conclusions in an understandable and clear manner.'

Marika Lemos –Devereux ‘Marika is one of the best junior tax counsel on the market. She is incredibly knowledgeable, clear in her advice and practical in her approach.’

Imran Afzal –Field Court Tax Chambers ‘Imran is a very talented junior with great attention to detail in relation to tricky points of tax law. His advocacy is very detailed, clear and focussed.’

Thomas Chacko –Pump Court Tax Chambers

Jonathan Schwarz –Temple Tax Chambers

‘Jonathan is very thorough and provide advice on cross-border personal taxation on VAT and income tax matters. ’

Michael Sherry –Temple Tax Chambers

Patrick Soares –Field Court Tax Chambers

Christopher Stone –Devereux ‘Christopher is very responsive, and always gives detailed advice with practical suggestions.’

Jeremy Woolf - Pump Court Tax Chambers

Barrie Akin –Devereux ‘Barrie is very forensic and detailed and always reliable. ’

Robert Arnfield –Ten Old Square

Stephen Arthur –Temple Tax Chambers

Georgia Bedworth –Ten Old Square ‘Georgia is very knowledgeable and gives very clear opinions.'

Harriet Brown –Old Square Tax Chambers

‘Excellent technical skills, clearly communicated advice.’

Oliver Conolly –Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘Oliver provides comprehensive advice and precise opinions on technical areas.’

Ben Elliott – Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘Ben is high-powered intellectually and a forceful advocate. He works extremely hard and already has wide experience in the tax field.’

Ruth Hughes - 5 Stone Buildings 'Ruth is incredibly knowledgeable in her field, her drafting is impeccable and her advocacy boils down complex issues clearly for the court.'

Laura Inglis –Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers ‘Laura is very thorough and presents well to clients.’

Ciaran Keller -Essex Court Chambers

James MacDougald –Ten Old Square ‘James is exceptionally bright and very astute. He is able to explain complex issues clearly and has a keen focus on finding pragmatic, client focused solutions.’

Nicholas Macklam - Radcliffe Chambers

Oliver Marre –5 Stone Buildings ‘Oliver is an exceptional communicator. His written advocacy skill is very good.’

Jan Matthews - Pump Court Tax Chambers

Susannah Meadway - Ten Old Square

Rebecca Murray - Devereux

Emma Pearce –Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘Emma is a very strong junior barrister with a good grasp of the tax rules. She deals with very complicated matters in a very clear and comprehensive style.’

Laura Poots –Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘Laura is very clear and concise and always on point. She is practical and efficient. ’

Ian Richards - Pump Court Tax Chambers

Michael Ripley –11 New Square

Rising Stars

Ross Birkbeck –Old Square Tax Chambers

Private client: personal tax in London Bar

Tier 1 sets

Pump Court Tax Chambers

Pump Court Tax Chambers is ‘the standout tax chamber’ with ‘a large number of very good counsel’. Kevin Prosser KC is ‘one of the best tax counsels around’ and appeared before the FTT on behalf of a major hedge fund concerning the taxation of individual members’ profits. Rupert Baldry KC is admired for ‘his clear and practical advice’ and has particular expertise in cross-over corporate and personal tax issues applied to other fields such as intellectual property, entertainment and sports, and divorce proceedings.

Testimonials

Set

‘The depth of tax expertise in chambers is excellent.’

‘A good set and barristers are excellent.’

‘A very strong set with many excellent tax barristers.’

‘Pump Court Tax Chambers are a go to set for all tax disputes with excellent experience and expertise at all levels.’

‘Good strength in depth for all personal tax matters.’

Clearking

‘Excellent, truly top drawer service from the clerks.’

Tier 2 sets

Devereux

Devereux has an ‘excellent tax team’ with a ‘very good range of juniors to back up its excellent silks’. Felicity Cullen KC is ‘loved by her clients for her robust advice’ and her work often involves advising high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals. Aparna Nathan KC gives ‘incredibly clear and well thought out advice on tax problems’ and is working with the HMRC on a matter related to the issuance of an accelerated payment notice in relation to PAYE income. Akash Nawbatt KC is currently representing HMRC in a multi-million-pound domicile and residence appeal that also involves transfer of assets abroad and settlement issues. Marika Lemos is regarded as ‘one of the best junior tax counsel on the market’, while the ‘very affable’. Christopher Stone has a high-profile tax litigation practice which covers key private client topics, such as residence and domicile, and relief from inheritance tax and capital gains tax.

Testimonials

Set

‘The set is growing in stature as a leading tax set as they increasingly have a good range of juniors to back up the excellent silks.’

‘Devereux is obviously a good set and its tax team seems to be going from strength to strength.’

‘Devereux has an excellent tax team. It has a number of very good advocates, who can cover all areas of revenue law.’

‘Devereux is an excellent set.’

Clearking

‘The clerks room is excellent – attentive, responsive and always keen to make things work.’

Work highlights

Wilberforce Chambers

Wilberforce Chambers has a strong reputation of providing advice on taxation of trusts and estates as well as on the taxation aspects of pension schemes and capital gains tax. Jonathan Davey KC garners praise for his ‘exceptional advocacy and leadership skills’ and recently assisted HMRC with a complex piece of tax litigation related to a £1.6bn dispute regarding the proper tax analysis in respect of high-net-worth individuals investing in partnerships involved in the film and games industries. Michael Furness KC and Brian Green KC are other key contacts for tax litigation.

Work highlights

Tier 3 sets

Field Court Tax Chambers

Field Court Tax Chambers is regarded as a ‘top set for tax related matters’ that advises governments, multinational enterprises, major corporations, smaller businesses, as well as wealthy individuals, charities, celebrities and tax authorities from across the world. Patrick Way KC ‘has in-depth knowledge of working on tax related matters with the HMRC’ and recently handled a matter related to taxation of interest on overseas loans in the first-tier tax tribunal. Philip Baker KC successfully represented a family before the upper tribunal in a matter related to exit tax on trustees and EU law. Leading junior Imran S Afzal is described as a ‘brilliant advocate who can grasp difficult concepts immediately’.

Testimonials

Set

‘The chamber has a great breadth of experience.’

Clerking

‘Good clerking support.’

Work highlights

Temple Tax Chambers

Temple Tax Chambers is a well-known specialist tax set with barristers offering a wide range of expertise to a variety of clients, including high net worth individuals, property developers, hedge fund managers, and private equity managers. Jonathan Schwarz is a ‘very thorough and able advocate’ who specializes in solving cross-border tax problems and assisted a British citizen in the Australian Addy v Commissioner of Taxation case concerning the "backpacker tax". Michael Sherry and Stephen Arthur are also recommended.

Coverage By Practice AreaLondon Bar