‘The team at JHA all seem to work together and work moves around the team seamlessly. They are all great at explaining complex legal matters in terms that can be understood by non-legal people.’

‘The stand out partner for me is Simon Whitehead who is always engaging on calls and provides sage advice and opinions.’

‘I have engaged with the JHA team for over 10 years. They have been assisting my company with a tax litigation. JHA are the experts in this matter. I have always found the team has been able to explain very complicated matters to me in a simple and understandable manner, and to fully engage with me as the case has developed over the years.’

‘I have mainly worked with Simon Whitehead of JHA. He is very helpful in explaining the development of the litigation, including potential impacts on the eventual valuation of the case, for my company. Simon is very commercially aware, fully understanding the costs / benefits consequences of the case for my company and is fully aware of the cost constraints affecting my company. I do have regular calls with Simon to discuss the implications of the litigation to my company – at the moment there are separate, but connected, actions affecting the case, and of course, HMRC often raise complicated arguments to the claims of the taxpayers, which Simon is able to fully explain and assess potential implications for my company.’

‘Pioneers of the tax GLO. Market leading team. Hugely impressive tacticians and technically excellent.’

‘Practical, responsive provide solutions and solve problems’

‘Shofiqur Miah has always been reliable, responsive and extremely thorough.’

‘Approachable, no frills solid advice!’

‘Slaughter and May has a legendary tax team with an excellent reputation spanning many decades.’

‘This is an exceptional team with outstanding legal ability and analysis and a huge range of experience of all areas of tax and industry.’

‘Unrivalled technical expertise, knowledge and confidence in backing own position.’

‘Always on and commitment to deliver results on time.’

‘A deep knowledge of tax and client care that is second to none: they leave me feeling I am in safe hands and even the most intractable problem can be resolved.’

‘Steve Edge is a living legend in the UK tax world. He learned his craft from people who were practicing when corporation tax and capital gains tax were introduced in 1965. His breadth of experience is unparalleled. But he is no mere elder statesman, wheeled out on grand occasions to utter a few platitudes and reel off tired anecdotes from days gone by: he is as sharp as ever and more able to focus on work and clients that he finds interesting and where he thinks he can add value. He is a great ally to have.’

‘The Slaughter and May team were absolute experts in tax litigation, but they were unique in how they brought a very focused and commercial approach as well as their expertise to this litigation. These capabilities with their collaborative and creative approach set them apart from any other advisers and meant that collaboration with the Slaughter and May team was seamless and delivered an exceptional services at all times.’

‘James Stacey and his team William Burrows and Ross O’Mahony were highly skilled professionals, very commercial and focused and quick to get to the nub of matters. They were fully committed to solving the case and any problem was addressed fully and comprehensively.’

‘This team is unique because it has a wealth of experience in this field and can draw upon a diverse experience of inter connected and related practice areas. I have worked with the team on matters that have included internal investigations, civil/criminal cross over cases, as well as matters that have progressed to criminal prosecutions by HMRC. The team therefore sets itself apart from its competitors.’

‘Andy Brown heads the team and is impressive. He has vast experience and is particularly well organised and is able to break down complex issues into their most important parts. In addition, he is adept at providing practical advice to the firm’s clients. The associates in the team are high level, notably Chris Young.’

‘They are sophisticated and practical at the same time which is relatively rare in their field. Cross border tax disputes and remediation in the context of M&A is normally the preserve of the Big 4. This team however is very adept at creating a process and structure which will help a deal happen when tax might otherwise have caused it to abort.’

‘Andy Brown and Chris Young are a good double act. However Andy Brown is stand out. I would happily bring him in where there is a tricky tax problem which may need remediation in multiple jurisdictions to save a deal. Good value, practical, but technical enough for the nerds in the room.’

‘Strong team of hard-working solicitors with good technical knowledge and fully focused on the needs of the client.’

‘Chris Young is hard-working, practical and good understanding of principles. Excellent on litigation, advice and transactional work.’

‘Very experienced team under the leadership of well-respected Partner Andy Brown who are well able to handle all types of tax dispute resolution work with tax authorities. Particularly impressive in respect of being able to bring other specialist to the table (VAT, Transfer Pricing, IT specialists, Forensic Accountants etc.) and manage disputes across multiple jurisdictions with a strong network of local experts both within and outside Bird & Bird. Andy is able to “open the door” to the impressive cross firm cross geographic capabilities of Bird & Bird, but is not afraid to pull in subject matter experts outside the firm when the case requires external input.’

‘Andy Brown is my go-to Partner for tax dispute questions and complex disclosure projects. He combines deep technical skills with strong project management capabilities and stays cool under pressure. I have personally seen him navigate and resolve complex and at times very difficult meetings where emotions were high, and participants had very conflicting objectives. He is almost always able to propose a resolution that all parties can eventually agree, however intransigent initial positions appear or difficult the case may be.’

‘Very efficient and responsive. Practical and down to earth, whilst being very reassuring to the clients.’

‘Kate Ison is terrific – clever, sensible, hard working and very efficient. She has absolutely no edge or ego.’

‘There is a very good synergy between the commercial litigators and the VAT team. Each play to their strengths which significantly improves their offering to the client.’

‘Alan Synor and Kate Ison are standout. Both technically very sound and work well together as a team, Kate focusing on litigation strategy and Alan on VAT technical issues.’

‘George Gillham is one of the best tax litigators around, highly experienced with excellent background in tax work.’

‘Excellent technical knowledge as well as practical experience in dealing with HMRC.’

‘Matthew Sharp is both technically excellent and has strong client service skills.’

‘A team with breadth and strength in depth. Significant expertise in both high court litigation and before the tax tribunal combined with strong technical tax knowledge.’

‘Matthew Sharp is a real gem – an eye for detail without losing sight of the broader commercial strategy.’

‘Particular expertise in property taxes. Boutique.’

‘The team is highly efficient, and very commercial in its attitude. Very high degree of expertise in the field.’

‘A large tax focused team with a great deal of depth and knowledge.’

‘KPMG’s tax investigations team is very experienced and are astute in dealing with HMRC investigations.’

‘It can draw on its extensive accountancy and consulting practice.’

‘KPMG Law has real depth of talent, from the top partner level down to the trainees. Everyone seems to work very well as a team, collaborating and cooperating. They have particular strength in large tax litigation matters, and can manage cases all the way through a dispute.’

‘Matt Fleming is excellent. His VAT knowledge is second to none. He inspires confidence.’

‘Amanda Brown KC is a class act. The grand dame of indirect tax.’

‘I like working with Amanda Brown. She is extremely knowledgeable, as would be expected of a KC, however is pragmatic and able to think commercially. She is able to explain complex legal jargon in a non-patronising, inclusive way, and clear with her analysis of a situation.’

‘The quality of solicitors working in the team are able to attract top quality private clients. The litigation and investigations team fits very well with the private client teams to resolve disputes with HMRC.’

‘Very hard working. Substantial experience in litigation and investigations. Very high quality recent hires from HMRC.’

‘Exceptionally hard working. Technically brilliant. Savvy litigators.’

‘The superb Gideon Sanitt.’

‘Macfarlanes has a specialist team which conducts it’s tax litigation and investigations practice. As with everything that Macfarlanes does, the standard applied is excellent, maintained and enhanced by knowledge and experience.’

‘The tax litigation and investigations team at Macfarlanes is led by Gideon Sanitt, a practitoner of huge experience and the ability to explain the issues which arise in litigation to lay clients in terms which they can understand. Gideon is supported by a large team with large resources. All the members of the team are exceptionally able and approachable and available.’

‘The team are very commercially minded and able to apply complex tax law to the real world and explain it to clients in a way they understand. They are technically very strong and understand the law but not at the expense of being personable and clear in their advice. They are very responsive and pro active and offer clear advice and explanations of risks and legal process. They do no shy away from giving advice that may not be what the client was expecting/hoping to hear. They are experts in their field and work very well with barristers and their clients.’

‘Unusually compared to many other firms, the members of the team are on the one hand very intelligent and therefore able to deal with technical issues, but also very commercial.’

‘Expert knowledge on technical tax issues, dealt with efficiently.’

‘Good communication skills.’

‘Very approachable.’

‘Edward Griffth is very approachable and gives timely updates.’

‘An engaging and client focused team offering practical yet cutting edge strategic advice on contentious tax issues. Giles leads an excellent technically strong team who are all very pleasant to deal with.’

‘Giles Salmond is the go to tax litigator and his technical expertise and know how – both in terms of direct and indirect tax matters is second to none.’

‘The Tax Litigation and Investigations team is extremely strong. They are prepared to go the extra mile to support their clients. They will make time at unsociable hours of the day to ensure that a client’s needs a met. Even when not in the office they are available. In my experience, it compares very favourably compared to other firms. They have also embraced a hybrid form of working which they deploy in every case. Where appropriate they ensure face to face meetings still happen, but to save client’s time and money if it doesn’t need to be face to face they do not insist on doing so.’

‘Giles Salmond and Ed Griffiths are brilliant. They are permanently contactable and incredibly clever. They are thorough individuals who do not let anything slip by them. They have been involved in, and run, incredibly complicated investigations to support their clients who have been accused of serious criminal activity. I cannot speak highly enough in support of them.’

‘Mishcon’s tax team is right at the top of the tree. They are involved in the most important and high value cases in this area. They have strength throughout their team.’

‘Leslie Allen has years of experience. He is excellent to work with, and is both clever and pragmatic.’

‘We have used Mishcon for specialist tax advice regarding a dispute with HMRC for which they have the appropriate skills, knowledge & experience.’

‘Mishcon is unusual in that it has a specialist tax litigation team and the tax department is fully integrated with the litigation team – an arrangement that works admirably. Mishcon is one of only a handful of firms with a disputes practice which spans both indirect and direct tax, for both corporate and private clients, as well as civil and criminal investigations, in contrast with those tax teams who cannot turn their hands to disputes. We have enjoyed working closely with Mishcon very much.’

‘The team possesses a number of extremely sharp minds. Things get done quickly and well. There is great cohesion between members of the litigation team and an informality which allows the free exchange of ideas irrespective of seniority.’

‘Their attention to detail, willingness to engage in a debate in order to explain and explore the options available, matched with a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter.’

‘Very approachable and reliable in all dealings.’

‘A down to earth and super dedicated and talented team with great reputation, standing and industry knowledge.’

‘A stand out team that offers great client centered and commercial advice combined with the outstanding legal skills of a leading City law form.’

‘I have worked with Dominic Stuttaford, partner, on many occasions and admire his great experience, knowledge and manner.’

‘Dominic Stuttaford has a brain the size of a planet, and what he doesn’t know about tax law isn’t worth knowing. It’s impossible not to feel in awe when he explains a complex tax statute or authority with such ease and simplicity. He’s a stunningly impressive tax practitioner.’

‘Aditya is a stunningly impressive solicitor, he works terrifyingly hard and produces breathtakingly well-analysed documents. If I could have him on every one of my cases I’d be delighted. Top quality.’

‘Excellent relationship with HMRC which assists clients in getting to heart of dispute quickly. Former HMRC senior officers on the team help understand HMRC thinking. Very accessible and responsive partners.’

‘Partner Lee Ellis has exceptional grasp of complex and technical issues, leverages his in house experience at HMRC Solicitors Office wisely and gives clients great insight into the mindset of Revenue.’

‘Stewarts key strengths are their extensive experience and in-depth knowledge of tax litigation which enables them to give insightful, pragmatic and exceptional strategic advice in addition to first class technical tax advice. This in my view is what makes the team stand out from other legal advisers.’

‘Lee Ellis has extensive experience of both tax advisory and tax litigation both from an HMRC and taxpayer perspective. This enables him to give taxpayers exceptionally astute, strategic and pragmatic advice on all all stages of tax investigations and tax litigation more generally. In addition to being an exception technical tax lawyer, he also has exceptionally sound judgement and is strategically astute.’

‘Excellent team with excellent leadership from David. technically very capable lawyers, approachable and easy to work with.’

‘David Pickstone is noted for his technical ability and leadership skills’

‘Strong litigation team combined with technical knowledge.’

‘I have recently worked with Victor Kramer and Krishna Mahajan, and they were both excellent – communicative, practical, technical and commercial.’

‘Strong litigation team combined with technical knowledge.’

‘Working with this team, what marks them out is their clarity of instruction and commercial acumen.’

‘I found their instructions clear and well reasoned and the case was well prepared.’

‘The associate I have worked closely with is Stuart Pibworth, a very bright person with good judgment and a commercial manner.’

‘International approach to the business, very skilled individuals within the teams, capable of handling complex matters efficiently.’

‘London team are great to work with, very capable but easy to work with.’

‘Truly exceptional in terms of client care. Dedicated and know their stuff, inside out.’

‘Hayley Lund. The hardest working litigator I’ve ever met. She is an investigation specialist – and will almost certainly end up being the go to lawyer in that field. She knows a frightening amount about tax investigations, with an impressive practice in that field.’

‘The team at Weil is fantastic. They are thorough, efficient, organised and all-round great to work with.’

‘The Weil tax team consistently display excellent client service, exemplified by an ability to explain complex contractual matters to non-lawyers in a clear, concise, and commercial manner. They are always accessible and very responsive, and work well in conjunction with their commercial colleagues.’

‘In my view, Bark and Co is one of the pre-eminent firms in both areas of criminal practice (fraud and general crime) with great strength and depth in the team. They also have a very effective tax/civil department that compliments what they do, particularly with regard to fraud.’

‘As stated above the firm has great strength and depth. I would wish to single out Giles Bark-Jones who remains the back bone of the firm and very much in control of the whole show. He is an excellent lawyer and very much the power house that drives the firm forward and ensures that it provides the excellent quality of service that it does.’

‘Bark & Co’s is one of the leading boutique white-collar crime firms, with particular experience of investigations and prosecutions relating to tax frauds, meaning that they have a wealth of expertise in dealing with tax investigations and the litigation that flows from it.’

‘Giles Bark-Jones is still one of the real heavyweights. He is actively involved in client management and providing high-level strategic and tactical advice. Clients really know that he is on their side.’

‘Peter Finbow is someone who provides a reassuring presence in any case. He has excellent instincts, and is adept at spotting and resolving issues long before they become a problem.’

‘Maria Stalbow gets under the skin of a case and has a knack of getting straight to the heart of the case. Clients like her and she’s always on top of the detail.’

‘One of the top firms in london with a series of great work and high profile cases.’

‘Similar to their white collar crime offering, the firm excel in their offering to clients in the tax litigation and investigations market. They are becoming full service for contentious criminal/civil cross over work, an area of work which we are seeing a large increase of volume in over the last few years.’

‘Paul Lennon is standout in this area. He has a big following in the financial crime market and this complements this part of his practice’

‘Unparalleled expertise in the financial crime space. Consistently delivering outcomes above and beyond those that could be reasonably anticipated.’

‘Harry Travers combines a very powerful analytical mind, with deep technical skills and industry leading experience. Harry works tirelessly to ensure clients benefit from the best possible outcomes in the hazardous environment of serious tax investigations.’

‘Greg Mailer has strong technical skills and is a very skilled negotiator and problem solver. Greg is a very safe pair of hands in the daunting environment of serious tax investigations.’

‘This is a highly capable team with an ability to get up to speed on technical tax points and to handle difficult investigations. It has excellent relations with HMRC and is highly strategic.’

‘Harry Travers is extremely competent, quick and thorough. Umar Azmeh – very thorough, diligent and user friendly.’

‘BCL have an amazing client base which is a testament to the quality of the work they do. They appear to be the firm of choice for high profile clients where there is a lot at stake (criminal and/or civil), which reflects a long standing history of achieving the best results.’

‘Ian Burton is exceptional. He has the ability to build and maintain excellent relationships with both the client and HMRC, inspiring confidence on both sides.’

‘Harry Travers is a comforting and intelligent presence.’

‘Excellent attention to detail and commerciality.’

‘Hugh Gunson has shown a very pragmatic and commercial approach and his attention to detail is highly impressive, which inspires confidence in his handling of affairs.’

‘This is a technically excellent and highly responsive team. The tax litigation team was able to work seamlessly with the private client team to provide a joined up offering.’

‘Hugh Gunson was highly knowledgeable, technically excellent and very responsive. He provided invaluable strategic input in a complex matter and was very good at presenting matters to the client so that they felt fully informed as to and involved in the process.’

‘A very good technical grasp of tax both in terms of traditional trust and personal issues and highly technical corporate taxation.’

‘The team showed great responsiveness and willingness to engage with a new client. They brought practical thinking to a transaction, and recognised the client’s need for a straight forward solution.’

‘Hugh Gunson made himself available for the client and took a collaborative approach to working with other professional advisors, with a focus on a the strong outcome for the client.’

‘We have been engaged to assist the CRS team with the accounting and numerical aspects of a major tax disclosure, complementing the clearly demonstrated technical expertise and excellence of the team.’

‘The team at KN has an incredibly client focused approach, the client is always number one. The team is always thinking about what is best for the client, how issues can be best communicated and how they can put together the right group of professional representatives. The pursuit of excellence in this way is massively reassuring for clients and gives them real confidence that their case is being dealt with properly and promptly.’

‘The team also has lawyers of the highest quality, who seek to learn and get better at what they do.’

‘They are just so impressive and I would recommend them to anyone.’

‘David Sleight is a star individual who really gets how the client is feeling and what he needs to do to put them at ease. He is also a top lawyer and a superb tactician. He can see many steps ahead which allows him to cut through even the most difficult cases with ease. I regard him as one of the pre-eminent lawyers in this work space and I can only see him becoming better and better over the next 5-10 years.’

‘KN have a solid reputation in all areas of financial crime and a growing reputation in tax investigations.’

‘A strong team which has considerable experience in dealing with individual tax problems.’

‘Waqar Shah is first rate and a future leader is this field. He is very client-friendly and achieves excellent results.’

‘Knowledge, experience and client care from a team who really put their clients’ best interests first. We have worked alongside this team and they are impressive.’

‘The firm is well known in this area with good technical tax knowledge and known for excellent client care.’

‘Robert Levy is popular, collegiate, technically able, experienced and strategically astute.’

‘Wendi Bussin is also well regarded and has excellent client handling skills.’

‘Great interpersonal skills with a focus on developing a collaborative approach to working on wide ranging issues. Highly regarded as a ‘go to’ law firm.’

‘Robert Levy has a great depth of experience and is a pleasure to work with. Easily approachable and has a strong focus on building relationships to resolve complex and wide ranging issues.’

‘Wendi Bussin is a stand out performer Her knowledge of the law is first class Client friendly and very commercial aware’

‘Customer focus, personalised approach. Responsive to any type of client inquiry. Very personal.’

‘This is a tightly-focused team, able to deliver in relation to tax disputes and advisory matters across all taxes. Great at collaborating and innovative in relation in particular to disputes work and Alternative Dispute Resolution with HMRC.’

‘Ian Hyde in particular is a standout individual. He is a part-time tribunal judge and CEDR-accredited mediator as well, so he has real insight to offer in terms of dispute resolution with HMRC and how a court or tribunal might view any given case. He is personable and efficient, as well as being a technical expert.’

‘Ian Hyde combines technical knowledge with a real feel for litigation.’

‘The team are very technically able, friendly and commercial.’

‘The practice seem to show true understanding and compassion for my situation and I felt went above and beyond, day or night to put my mind at ease.’

‘Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom was instrumental in fielding a counterclaim in an arbitration where they did literally “dig out” tax and financial information hidden by the Claimant.’

‘David Kavanagh had a superb grasp of the financial and tax implication of the obvious and non-obvious aspects of the case.’

‘Strong consistent team with deep knowledge in their specialism and of our business.’

‘Great balance of technical vs practical advice. Easy to work and have open discussions with. Very quick to turnaround requests. Our team consists of James Anderson and Alex Rigby.’