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Leading Silks

David Ewart KCPump Court Tax Chambers ‘David is a terrific lateral thinker and a great appeal advocate.’
David Goldberg KCGray’s Inn Tax Chambers ‘David is an exceptional tax barrister. He has a very in depth knowledge of tax law. He grasps complicated facts quickly, and he has an unparalleled ability to think outside the box. David is very calm under pressure and always measured.’
David Milne KCPump Court Tax Chambers ‘He is very thoughtful and has deep knowledge of the law.’
Jonathan Peacock KC  – 11 New Square ‘The best in the business. Superb advocate, technically very strong, great team player, strategic and tactical instincts first-rate.’
Kevin Prosser KCPump Court Tax Chambers ‘Kevin has no weaknesses. He is extraordinarily quick in grasping all the facts and finding the particular answer which solves the problem and then effecting it.’
Nicola Shaw KCGray’s Inn Tax Chambers ‘A unicorn amongst tax silks: cuttingly technical, she commands the respect of the tax judiciary and other silks, but all wrapped up in a client-first approach.’
Jonathan Bremner KCOne Essex Court 'He has become one of the best advocates of his generation and the best in corporate tax.’
Jonathan Davey KCWilberforce Chambers ‘Jonathan is an excellent advocate - able to quickly judge the mood of the Tribunal and to adapt as necessary. He is eloquent and extremely persuasive.’
Francis Fitzpatrick KC  – 11 New Square ‘He makes the client feel very looked after, but that does not detract from his wisdom and the sharpness of his intellect.’
Sam Grodzinski KC – Blackstone Chambers ‘Sam is an excellent advocate. He is very clear and measured in his legal submissions and is an extremely effective cross-examiner. He leads the team brilliantly and is extremely thorough.’
Michael Jones KC – Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers ‘Michael is a very intelligent barrister. He has a deep understanding of the law and is able to quickly grasp complex legal concepts. He is also able to think critically and creatively about legal issues.’
Timothy Lyons KC39 Essex Chambers ‘He has a deep understanding of the root reasons why legislation in relation to cross-border tax operates as it does. A stylish advocate.’
Hui Ling McCarthy KC  – 11 New Square ‘She is incredibly quick witted and grasps the key issue at hand with incredible speed. She is hugely conscientious and is always completely on top of her brief and indeed what everyone else should be doing.’
James Rivett KC  – Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘Technically very strong, very good with the client in terms of explaining the merits of the case and very clear on the proposed approach.’
Laurent Sykes KC – Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers ‘Laurent is responsive and flexible. His range of expertise is impressive. Unsurprisingly, he is very strong on what can be used to persuade HMRC of a point. ’
David Yates KC – Pump Court Tax Chambers – ‘Very user-friendly, down-to-earth but giving practical and sensible litigation advice to clients. His no-nonsense approach to disputes lands well with clients, and he is a great team member when it comes to case prep.’
Amanda Hardy KC5 Stone Buildings ‘Amanda is very user-friendly and practical, which can be difficult to find in top tier tax counsel.’
Aparna Nathan KC – Devereux – ‘Aparna is one of the cleverest - and nicest - tax silks: she is a joy to work with. Her knowledge and understanding of the technical requirements of tax charges and reliefs are second-to-none.’
David Southern KC  – Field Court Tax Chambers ‘Very informed and knowledgable. Hugely experienced and a logical thinker.’
Patrick Way KC – Field Court Tax Chambers ‘Boasts knowledge of the area of tax law, ability to communicate and explain complicated concepts to the client, works well with groups and teams of professionals.'
Elizabeth Wilson KCPump Court Tax Chambers ‘Analytical, thorough and with an excellent courtroom manner.’

2023 Silks

John Brinsmead-Stockham KC – 11 New Square ‘John is excellent. He has extreme clarity of expression – oral and written – coupled with a deep knowledge of his practice areas.’
Michael Thomas KCPump Court Tax Chambers ‘Michael's advice is second to none.’
Michael Thomas KCPump Court Tax ChambersMichael is a market leading tax barrister. His advice is second-to-none.’

2024 Silks

Michael Lewis Firth KC – Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers 'He is incredibly knowledgeable but also, somewhat uniquely for tax counsel, very strategically astute and commercially aware. His written advices are always perfect.'
Christopher Stone KC – Devereux ‘Chris is an able and clear advocate. His written advocacy is simple to follow and well drafted his oral advocacy is fluid and confident, he is agile when questioned by the judge.’

Leading Juniors

Imran S Afzal – Field Court Tax Chambers ‘He is a highly skilled advocate and can grasp difficult and deal with difficult tax problems in an instant. He is in great demand and clients find him a joy to work with. His quick thinking is a joy to watch in court.’
Zizhen Yang – Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘A keen eye for detail, very collaborative in approach and incredibly clever - a real pleasure to work with.’
Kate Balmer – Devereux ‘Excellent technical knowledge, strategic insight and judgement.’
Barbara Belgrano – Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘Thorough, super bright and just so hard-working, Barbara is an absolute star.’ 
Thomas Chacko – Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘Good knowledge of the law and a strategic eye for how cases are likely to progress against HMRC.’
Ben Elliott – Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘Ben is an excellent advocate whose style combines attention to detail with persuasive force. He is an extremely hard worker and technically strong.’
Hartley FosterAddington Chambers ‘Very knowledgeable in tax avoidance cases.’
James Henderson – Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘James is careful, considered and measured. He makes insightful technical and strategic points while being pragmatic and commercial in his approach, which inspires trust.’
Laura Kathryn Inglis – Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers ‘Thorough, bright and excellent attention to detail. Responsive and a pleasure to work with.’
Alun James – Temple Tax Chambers ‘Alun is a joy to work with, flexible, pragmatic, always willing to discuss points in as much detail as necessary, engages in genuine dialogue with the person instructing, and is equally good with lay clients.’
Marika Lemos – Devereux ‘Marika is simply one of the best juniors at the tax Bar. She has an attention to detail that is second-to-none, an encyclopedic knowledge of tax law, and a wonderfully empathetic client manner.’
Ximena Montes Manzano – Temple Tax Chambers ‘Ximena is a strong advocate who prepares thoroughly.’
Oliver Marre – 5 Stone Buildings ‘Oliver has a unique ability to make the most complex tax analyses seem simple. He is personable and technically excellent; he inspires confidence and is a thoroughly nice person with whom to work.’
Nikhil Mehta – Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers ‘Nikhil is a great all-rounder. He has deep technical knowledge, extensive experience and excellent strategic insight.’
Rebecca Murray – Devereux ‘Very strong technical expertise, the ability to think creatively, excellent commercial awareness, very responsive and willing to go the extra mile, a real pleasure to work with.’
Philip Ridgway – Temple Tax Chambers ‘Understanding of both tax law and accounting issues and bringing these to his opinions.’ 
Michael Ripley11 New Square 'Michael's written advocacy is extremely strong.'
Jonathan Schwarz – Temple Tax Chambers ‘He is excellent and always goes the extra mile for clients.’
Michael Sherry – Temple Tax Chambers ‘Michael is a tenacious and thorough advocate who leaves no stone unturned. He is passionate about his cases and a delight to work with.’
Patrick C Soares – Field Court Tax Chambers 'Patrick is extraordinarily intelligent, with an encyclopaedic knowledge of UK taxation (both personal and corporate). Patrick is approachable, sensible and eminently practical in his advice.'
Kelly Stricklin-Coutinho – 39 Essex Chambers ‘Kelly is exceptionally personable and always on hand to assist and answer client queries. She is particular strong advising the lay client where commercial knowledge is as useful as the legal knowledge.’
Peter Vaines – Field Court Tax Chambers ‘He is highly perceptive, insightful and has impeccable judgement. He is fully committed to his clients, which inspires considerable confidence and one can feel that he is 100% committed to excellence.’
Michael AvientTemple Tax Chambers ‘Michael's strengths are his honesty, persistence and work ethic in analysing the case before him in depth and objectively, but always with the interests of his client as the priority.’
Sarah Black11 New Square 'Sarah is organised, extremely responsive and diligent. She is a huge asset to the team and is a pleasure to work with.'
Charles Bradley – Pump Court Tax ChambersHe is both thorough and articulate.’
Harriet Brown - Old Square Tax Chambers 'Responsive and thorough. Able to combine a forensic knowledge of Jersey law with appropriate English precedent, which is fairly unique in the market.'
Joshua Carey - Devereux 'Josh is commercially minded and provides sensible advice on the merits of a case. He is a passionate and compelling advocate with creativity in his approach.'
Dilpreet K Dhanoa - Field Court Tax Chambers  'Dilpreet is commercially astute, extremely responsive, dependable and - it almost goes without saying - highly knowledgeable, experienced and capable in her field.'
Keith Gordon – Temple Tax ChambersKeith has a good understanding of commercial impacts of the case in point and the effects of potential outcomes.’
Georgia Hicks – Devereux 'Very clear, analytical thinking, well expressed in writing. Georgia has a very good appreciation of the relevant legal principles and their application in the context of complex statutory codes.'
Nicholas Macklam – Radcliffe ChambersNicholas is superb at everything he turns his hand to. Crystal-clear written and oral advocacy. Practical and strategic in approach. Excellent client manner.’
David Pett – Temple Tax Chambers ‘David’s advice is clear and comprehensively deals with the issues clients request him to cover. He is always courteous and happy to field follow-up queries.’

Rising Stars

Edward Hellier11 New SquareHands-on, brilliant attention to detail, responsive and very capable.’
Ronan Magee – Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘Ronan is an excellent junior. He is incredibly bright, very hardworking and totally reliable. ’
Laura Ruxandu  – Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘Remarkable attention to detail and very easy to deal with.’

Tax: corporate in London Bar

Devereux


The Devereux tax group covers a broad range of contentious and non-contentious tax matters, and benefits from internal strength in core areas such as employment, commercial disputes and professional negligence. Members are regularly active for HMRC, but appear for both taxpayers and the government at all levels of the courts. Felicity Cullen KC advises owner managed businesses on complex international matters. Crossing over with his employment and sports expertise, Akash Nawbatt KC appeared before the Supreme Court in HMRC v Professional Game Match Officials Ltd, on the employment status and tax treatment of professional football referees. Aparna Nathan KC utilised capital allowances expertise as sole counsel for HMRC in Cheshire Cavity Storage 1 Limited, EDF Energy v HMRC, while Christopher Stone KC has a highly active disputes practice. Glenn Billenness was appointed director of clerking and business development in 2023.

Testimonials

‘Clerks are responsive and helpful – very easy to deal with.’

‘Glenn Billeness – nice guy, approachable and down-to-earth and all in all a very decent guy. Knows our needs and makes the right recommendations for us, always going the extra mile.’

‘The clerks, Glenn Billeness in particular, are proactive and have a great understanding of their barristers; matching needs with experience perfectly in all of their recommendations.’

‘Glenn Billeness is fantastic. He is responsive, a delight to work with and always happy to try and accommodate urgent requests.’

‘In recent years, Devereux has built one of the pre-eminent tax practices in London, which has considerable strength in depth. They now rank alongside the very best specialist tax sets.’

‘Devereux is, in my view, one of the best Tax chambers out there. The people in the tax practice are of the highest quality in and out of court.’

‘I instruct the silks at Devereux regularly, it is a broad tax set with a wealth of experience and talent.’

‘Devereux is a market leading tax set with a great breadth of experience.’

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GRAY'S INN TAX CHAMBERS


Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers, described as an ‘intellectual powerhouse’, attracts prestige domestic and multinational clients for both litigation and advisory matters. Primarily active against HMRC, members have appeared before the tax courts at all levels, and are persistently active in significant cases. Nicola Shaw KC, who ‘commands the respect of the tax judiciary and other silks’, has broad tax expertise, and recently appeared before the Upper Tribunal in HMRC v VolkerRail, regarding group relief of losses incurred by the UK permanent establishment of a European company. Laurent Sykes KC is active on numerous high-profile private client matters, and has an advisory practice which includes employment tax, capital gains, and business tax. Michael Jones KC acts for both taxpayers and HMRC, and is experienced in commercial disputes and restitutionary claims which include a tax element. Senior junior Nikhil Mehta advises on both UK and Indian tax law. Laura Kathryn Inglis acted for energy supplier Scottish Power in Scottish Power Ltd et al v HMRC, a dispute as to the deductibility of consumer redress payments agreed between Scottish Power and Ofgem.

Testimonials

‘Ben Stern runs a tight ship and bends over backwards to assist instructing solicitors. He is reliable and knows exactly the right barrister for the job.’

‘The senior clerk Ben Stern is first-rate. He acts as a great conduit between counsel and instructing solicitors, and also with the court. He is always available and receptive. A pleasure to work with.’

‘Ben Stern deserves a special mention. He is a legend.’

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Pump Court Tax Chambers


Pump Court Tax Chambers includes a ‘good mix of pre-eminent and up-and-coming silks and juniors‘, which covers a broad range of corporate tax matters, including transfer pricing, property tax, employment tax and unallowable purpose issues. David Milne KC is highly active on both complex advisory matters and high profile disputes, such as Irish Bank Resolution Corporation Ltd v HMRC, a test case concerning the interpretation of the UK-Republic of Ireland double tax treaty. Kevin Prosser KC acts for a varied list of high profile and highly international clients, including BlackRock in BlackRock Holdco 5 LLC v HMRC, on the deductibility of interest of $4bn of intra-group loans involved in the 2009 purchase of Barclays Global Investors. David Ewart KC was opposing counsel. James Rivett KC appeared in the Supreme Court in the MODS Group Litigation, a test case challenging the UK’s imposition of tax charges on foreign manufactured overseas dividends. Laura Poots has key expertise in pension tax disputes and public law issues in the tax context.

Testimonials

‘Really helpful clerking team – Rob Adam particularly stands out for his collaborative approach.’

‘Bruno Antoniotti is excellent, keeping us up to date with progress and assisting with the instruction.’

‘John Poyser is fabulous.’

‘The clerks are sensible and easy to deal with; the service they offer is smooth and practical.’

‘As a set, Pump Court offers an unparalleled breadth of expertise in all areas of tax, with a good mix of pre-eminent and up-and-coming silks and juniors. The training programme they offer is varied, pitched at a good level and a good way to showcase talent to new clients.’

‘Pump Court is the leading tax chambers.’

‘Second to none.’

‘Go to set for tax. Guaranteed excellent knowledge of the law.’

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11 New Square


Specialist tax set 11 New Square maintains a membership of barristers praised by clients for their ‘technical expertise across a broad spectrum of issues.’ Members advise on a diverse range of high value transactions, and represent both the taxpayer and HMRC in disputes in the tribunals system, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court. ‘Best in the business’ Jonathan Peacock KC appeared before the Supreme Court during 2023 in SSE Generation Limited v HMRC, one of a number of important capital allowances cases Peacock has appeared in recently. Hui Ling McCarthy KC acted as leading counsel for the revenue in HMRC v Tooth, a test case on the twenty year time limit and the concept of ‘staleness’. Francis Fitzpatrick KC covers both contentious and advisory matters, with a practice which encompasses intangible assets, energy infrastructure, controlled foreign companies and cryptocurrency. John Brinsmead-Stockham KC, who took silk in 2023, is well regraded for his ‘extreme clarity of expression.’ 

Testimonials

‘Tom Rook is extremely helpful, responsive and accommodating.’

‘Very strong service. We know Tom Rook in particular, and he is proactive and very helpful.’

‘We have always found the clerks at 11 New Square quick to respond and always practical and helpful.’

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Field Court Tax Chambers


Members of Field Court Tax Chambers have appeared as advocates throughout the UK courts, as well as in the European Court of Justice, the Privy Council, and foreign courts. International taxation expert Philip Baker KC has a long record of lecturing, and is published on double taxation treaties. Head of chambers Patrick Soares advises on the structuring of land transactions. Patrick Way KC, who is a co-founder of the set, handles a broad range of matters including taxation of interest. Imran S Afzal, described as ‘a joy to watch in court’, provided advocacy in Gallaher Limited v HMRC, a dispute as to availability of domestic law tax relief which went before the Court of Justice of the European Union, one of the last British cases to do so. Dilpreet K Dhanoa appears for a broad range of clients on domestic and international tax matters, and appeared for Hargreaves Property Holdings in Hargreaves Property Holdings Ltd v HMRC, a case on the taxation of interest on overseas loans which was appealed to the Upper Tribunal.

Testimonials

‘Stephanie Talbot has been excellent at every turn. She is always prompt to respond, accommodating, and a pleasure to deal with.’

‘The clerks’ room is totally professional and efficient. Marie Burke and Stephanie Talbot are consummate professionals, and tremendously reassuring.’

‘I have worked with Stephanie Talbot who is the assistant practice manager who is responsive.’

‘I have always found the clerks at the Chambers to be most helpful and very prompt.’

‘Very hard-working.’

‘Field Court Tax Chambers is one of the leading sets of tax chambers.’

‘All of the members of the set are tax specialists, covering the entire field of tax, and all subscribe to the same philosophy of practicality and approachability.’

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Temple Tax Chambers


Specialist tax set Temple Tax Chambers includes members experienced in litigation at all levels, in addition to a broad range of advisory matters. Alun James  ’s advisory practice covers corporate reorganisations, debt restructuring, and venture capital trusts, among others. Ximena Montes Manzano, who appeared before the Court of Appeal in key IR35 case Atholl House Productions Limited v HMRC, is highly active for taxpayers. Jonathan Schwarz focuses on international disputes and cross-border tax issues, including acting for the Danish customs and tax administration in Skatteforvaltningen v Solo Capital Partners LLP & Ors, a case concerning the attempted recovery of €1.7bn from a Dubai-based hedge fund that the Danish revenue alleges are the proceeds of “cum-ex” fraud. Philip Ridgway acts on the full range of tax matters, including both litigious and advisory issues. David Pett, who was formerly head of tax at Pinsent Masons LLP, has key strength in employment tax.

Testimonials

‘The clerks are unfailingly helpful and hospitable.’

‘They were very efficient and easy to deal with.’

‘Both the clerks are very helpful, responsive and willing to assist.’

‘The clerks are professional, effective, and friendly.’

‘They are my go-to set.’

‘There is a good depth in the team on tax technical matters and good support was given.’

‘I have a positive view of Temple Tax Chambers. Great strength in depth across all UK tax. I have instructed a number of Counsel at the Chambers.’

‘They are relatively small and friendly by comparison with some of the chambers I have dealt with. They are user-friendly.’