The corporate tax team at Burges Salmon LLP combines strong transactional support, where the group works closely with the firm’s other departments including corporate and real estate, with a varied portfolio of standalone tax matters. Acting across sectors, it is regularly sought out for its expertise in inbound investments, corporate restructurings, and financing arrangements, amongst others. Ian Carnochan heads up the practice and sports in-depth knowledge in various areas of corporate tax, such as VAT and property development. Hilary Barclay is noted for her experience relating to group tax advice as well as with transactions and restructurings.
Corporate tax in South West
Burges Salmon LLP
Practice head(s):
Ian Carnochan
Other key lawyers:
Hilary Barclay
Testimonials
‘Excellent team. Ian Carnochan is a first-class tax lawyer – very commercial and gets things done.’
‘Ian Carnochan is a pleasure to work with. Technically excellent, very commercial and pragmatic. Fantastic lawyer.’
‘Both corporate tax partners, Ian Carnochan and Hilary Barclay are exceptional. Technically excellent and human with it.’
‘Ian Carnochan is a very learned advisor and extremely smart.’
‘From start to finish everything was done very professionally. Worked within our timescales and very responsive.’
‘People are kind and approachable. In-depth knowledge.’
‘Ian Carnochan is a good technician.’
‘The corporate tax team are very knowledgeable and commercially aware.’
Key clients
Atrato Onsite Energy plc
Drax Energy Solutions
Oxygen Conservation Limited
Bristol City Council
Virgin Group
FirstGroup plc
Octopus
Stevenage Borough Council
Work highlights
- Advised Oxygen Conservation on the tax aspects of the acquisition of estates in Scotland and England.
- Provided tax advice to Atrato Onsite Energy plc on its acquisition programme.
- Advised Drax Energy Solutions on its acquisition of a leading UK electric vehicle charge point installer.
Osborne Clarke LLP
Praised for its ‘depth of knowledge’, Osborne Clarke LLP's practice is active at both regional and national level, and leverages its tax expertise to advise clients on fund structuring, investments, as well as real estate and corporate transactions. The group is also particularly well-versed in matters arising in the financial services, built environment, and utilities sectors. Tracey Wright, who heads the firm’s corporate tax team, focuses on real estate and infrastructure-related tax issues, while Erika Jupe serves as head of the international tax group and is noted for her experience in fund structuring and cross-border matters. The ‘outstanding’ Elizabeth Shanahan handles a varied workload ranging from VAT and stamp duty issues to international tax structuring and cross-border property investments.
Practice head(s):
Tracey Wright; Erika Jupe
Other key lawyers:
Elizabeth Shanahan
Testimonials
‘Broad range of expertise across a number of disciplines and importantly for our business, across different locations. Always reliable and contactable with a real tenacity to get the job done. The teams collaborate well and appear to internally brief well.’
‘Quick responses to queries, good knowledge of the sector (e.g. around what is ‘market’ in terms of LPAs). Bring in appropriate resources when necessary to deal with more complex issues.’
‘Superb tax team, who deliver clear-cut advice.’
‘Tracey Wright was superb. Inspired confidence on the technical points, dealt effortlessly with HMRC, led negotiations with the other side who were US and not familiar with some of the UK tax issues.’
‘Detailed advice that it delivered in a practical and commercial way that the user can both understand and make good decisions with.’
‘With tax law, you just want to feel confident in the advice you get. The advice we have got has been clear, concise, well-thought through and calmly delivered. The depth of their knowledge is really impressive.’
‘Excellent teamwork and client communication along with clear articulation of the issues being raised. Dedication to the client and a real tenacity in getting the job done. Always felt 100% confident in the team.’
‘A special mention to Elizabeth Shanahan who is outstanding. She really deeply understands fund-level tax and the interaction between a raft of different regimes, and can explain it all calmly, respectfully, humbly and succinctly to accountants, auditors and others. She is friendly, courteous, practical and reliable.’
Key clients
Pension Protection Fund
Bridges Fund Management
Foresight
PGIM Limited
Equitix
BDW Trading Limited
Vodafone Group
M&G Residential Property Fund
GLP
Barwood Capital
Taylor Wimpey
Edmond de Rothschild Residential Property Fund
British Land
Vistry Group
Places for People
Newcore Capital
National Gird Electricity Distribution
Illuminate Financial Management
Kester Capital
Work highlights
- Advised the shareholders on the sale of an insurance group.
- Advised on the structuring of Foresight’s new Foresight Scotland Fund.
- Advised the client on tax structuring for its consumer arm.
Ashfords LLP
Ashfords LLP is known for its strength in reorganisation and the team is often sought out by real estate companies in relation to demergers. Employment taxes, stamp duty, and transactional tax support further form the group’s portfolio of work. The group is under the leadership of Exeter-based Angus Bauer, whose clients include both public and private sector entities. John Pindard in Plymouth is another key figure who covers EIS and SEIS, reorganisation, and venture capital relief cases, amongst others.
Practice head(s):
Angus Bauer
Other key lawyers:
John Pindard
Testimonials
‘Always happy to discuss complex tax issues and offer practical advice. Some areas can be very technical and we find that other professionals do not have such a good grasp of the fundamentals and therefore can offer solutions that don’t work in practice or carry higher risk.’
‘I insist on seeing John Pindard because of clarity of thought and advice. Can also translate into layman’s terms for the uninitiated.’
‘John Pindard is forward-thinking, innovative, approachable and honest. He is also friendly, pro-active, and a practical thinker who offers pragmatic advice. He simplifies a complex area and gives advice that can go to the board without any internal translation. Fun to work with.’
‘This is a strong team who are able to respond to a diverse range of tax issues quickly and decisively.’
‘John Pindard is an exceptional talent with a wealth of experience whose primary objective is to find solutions, not create problems. The teams who work with him are incredibly supportive.’
‘Ashfords LLP is multi-disciplinary law firm and their cross department communication and teamwork has been invaluable to me and my business over the past year. Each team is very efficient and clearly the partners all echo the same message of customer services and quality of work. ’
‘They always make time for clients, and ensure work is executed to the highest of standards.’
Key clients
Learnd Limited
Learnd SE
Gent Family
Mike Burton Group
Ardonagh Advisory Holdings Limited
NCQ16 Limited
Zahid Group
Adelie Advisers
Turas Nadarra Limited
British Solar Renewals
Work highlights
- Advising Learnd Ltd on the most tax efficient way to place a Luxembourg holding company whose shares are currently trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
- Advising Learnd SE on and establishing a HMRC approved all employee save-as-you-earn scheme, including liaising with HMRC and drafting scheme documentation.
- Advising Gent Family on the sale of Recresco Limited to Portuguese BA Glass and advising on pre-sale demerger of aluminium business.
TLT
With an offering that is split into dedicated tax practices, such as real estate, corporate, incentives, and disputes, TLT is regularly sought out by national and regional clients to advise on a broad range of tax matters, including providing support on high-profile transactions. Based in Bristol, the team is headed by Ben Watson, who focuses on employee incentives and employee ownership. Mark Braude‘s advisory work includes stamp duties and value added tax, while Emma Bradley regularly handles incentive schemes and tax issues arising out of transactions.
Practice head(s):
Ben Watson
Other key lawyers:
Mark Braude; Emma Bradley
Testimonials
‘The team is strong and adds significant value in relation to complex tax matters on any transaction.’
‘Mark Braude is excellent, a top performer in his field with an wonderful ability to communicate complex tax matters simply.’
‘Good team depth and interchangeability without any issues.’
‘All excellent, hardworking and work as a team very well. Fun to work with. Forward-thinking, innovative, approachable and honest.’
Key clients
Intelligent Land Investments Group
Innova Energy
Happy Days Nurseries
Zeus Packaging
McGills Bus Service Limited
The Briars Group
Morgan Lloyd Trustees Limited
OCR Alpha Limited
XPS Pensions Group
Mike Burton Group
Foresight Data Machines Limited
Work highlights
- Advised a private equity investor in technology businesses, on the carve-out of CA Design Services (CADS) from Netherlands-based Boskalis.
- Advised Morgan Lloyd Trustees Limited in relation to the taxation of SIPPs and SSASs.
- Advised XPS Pensions Group on its hive down and sale of the National Pensions Trust.
Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP
The private equity and energy sectors form particular areas of focus for Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP‘s tax practice, which often advises on cross-border tax structuring. Property taxes, employee incentives and shareholding-related issues are also parts of the group’s portfolio. Jeremy Smith leads overall from Newcastle, while the group's South West offering is spearheaded by Ronan Lowney, who was promoted to partnership in July 2023.
Practice head(s):
Jeremy Smith
Other key lawyers:
Ronan Lowney
Key clients
FiscalNote Inc.
LDC
Sterling Pharma Solutions
Patrizia Property Developments Limited
Niedax Galvanik
RES UK & Ireland
Immediate Media
Unicard
Work highlights
- Advised FiscalNote on the cross-border acquisition of Dragonfly, involving tax issues concerning employee incentives, target reorganisation and cross-border finance.
- Acted for LDC on the investment into Clerksroom Chambers, advising on issues relating to the negotiation of the tax aspects of the transaction as well as issues on incentivisation and finance of the transaction.
- Advised Sterling Pharma Solutions on the acquisition of NewChem Technologies, including advising on issues relating to R&D tax credits and a more complex consideration structure.