A formidable line-up of blue-chip corporations and financial services companies turn to DLA Piper’s tax team for assistance in complex, big-ticket deals. Mark Burgess possesses decades of experience advising a litany of public sector bodies and private companies in all areas of corporate and real estate taxation. Senior associate Nick Hinton maintains an equally broad focus, ranging from employee incentive share option arrangements to multi-million pound, transatlantic joint ventures. All named lawyers are based in Birmingham.
Corporate tax in West Midlands
DLA Piper
Practice head(s):
Mark Burgess
Other key lawyers:
Nick Hinton
Key clients
John Lewis Partnership Pension Fund
Prologis
MKS Instruments, Inc
NatWest Group
Universities Superannuation Scheme
Dignity plc
Deloitte
Aviva
AXA
Sytner Group
Harrison Street Real Estate
Work highlights
- Advising the founder and other shareholders of Pangaea in connection with Inflexion’s investment into the group.
- Assiting Harrison Street Real Estate Capital in a tranasction involving the acquisition of a number of substantial real estate assets into a pre-existing joint venture with a separation of real estate ownership and research activities.
- Advising an institutional investor client on the structure of a new fund investing in a joint venture property partnership.
DWF
DWF handles the tax aspects of various M&A deals, share schemes, and private equity-backed transactions for a diverse mix of corporates, REITs and other institutional investors. Practice chair Jon Stevens is a highly experienced tax and private capital specialist with a deep knowledge of cross-border real estate fund matters. Legal director Tajinder Barring, who joined the firm from DBT & Partners in January 2022, is well-versed in HMRC litigious proceedings, both civil and criminal, and has most recently been engaged by clients in relation to Covid relief fund misappropriation claims and investigations. Newly promoted associate Alex Tolcher specialises in real estate investment and development tax. All named lawyers are based in Birmingham. Associate Deborah Payne, formerly head of the firm’s Midlands share scheme practice, left the practice in May 2022.
Practice head(s):
Jon Stevens
Other key lawyers:
Tajinder Barring; Alex Tolcher
Key clients
London Luton Hotel BPRA Property Fund LLP
LXi REIT PLC (part of Alvarium Investments)
Home REIT PLC (part of Alvarium Investments)
Whitbread Group PLC
Keywords UK Holdings Limited
BT PLC
Ares Management
Future Planet Capital
Evans Randall Investors Limited
Kin and Carta PLC
Work highlights
- Advised Ares Management on the complex disposal of Castle Vale Retail Park in Birmingham for circa £63m.
- Advised LXI REIT PLC on a significant number of high value corporate and real estate transactions.
- Advised Evans Randall Investors Limited in relation to their entry into a development joint venture for the development of MIRA Technology Park, Nuneaton.
Gowling WLG
The ‘excellent’ tax practice at Gowling WLG works closely with the firm’s wider corporate team on high-value transactions and projects for a multitude of real estate investors, developers, occupiers, and development and logistics companies. National tax chair Lee Nuttall‘s broad capabilities are principally concentrated on property and private investment fund taxation. Principal associate Tom Rank regularly handles the tax aspects of cross-border M&A transactions, employee share schemes, and VAT reviews. Senior associate Michael Sweeney focuses chiefly on real estate work and the practice further bolstered its ranks at the junior end through the arrival of principal associate Elizabeth Emerson, who joined from White & Case LLP in March 2021.
Practice head(s):
Lee Nuttall
Other key lawyers:
Tom Rank; Michael Sweeney; Elizabeth Emerson
Testimonials
‘Can only say that I have had an excellent service from the team at Gowling WLG with timely responses to all my enquiries and very good results with all the tax issues that they have assisted me with.’
Key clients
Aldgate Developments Limited
Bellway Homes
Birmingham City Council
Birmingham Commonwealth Games
Blackstone Bloor Holdings Limited
Bracknell Regeneration Limited Partnership
Columbia Threadneedle Investments
Coventry City Council
Cummings Inc
Diageo Pension Trust
Empiric Student Property plc
Government Property Agency
Halfords
Harbert
Helical
Highways England (National Highways)
Hill & Smith Holdings Plc
HSBC Bank Pension Fund
IM Properties
Jaguar Land Rover
Legal & General
Lidl
Lloyds Development Capital
London Borough of Barnet
M&G Real Estate
M Group Holdings
Miller Homes
National Farmers Union Mutual
Northern Ireland Local Government Officers Superannuation Committee
Persimmon Homes
Prologis
Red Bull Racing
Royal London Mutual
Sanctuary Housing Association
Schroder Real Estate Finance
SEGRO PLC
St Modwen Plc
Tarmac
Taylor Wimpey
The Arch Company
Work highlights
- Acted for Royal London Asset Management Limited on all tax aspects of its 50:50 joint venture with CDC Investissement Immobilier on the £115m acquisition of 1 St John’s Lane in Farringdon.
- Advised Lincoln UK Services Limited in delivering a transformational £750m mixed-use regeneration scheme for Station Hill, Reading and the Thames Valley.
- Handling the tax aspects of the creation of a network of interlocking strategic land agreements for Thakeham Homes to support UK’s first zero-carbon community in South-West Cambridge.
Parisi Tax LLP
Roundly praised for its ‘excellent‘ work, and ‘commercial and responsive‘ sensibility in matters, Parisi Tax LLP‘s boutique practice is a regular port of call for a litany of law firms, private companies, management teams, and entrepreneurs. Founding partner Lisa Stevenson focuses chiefly on the latter two groups, and also frequently advises a number of Midlands-based corporate finance firms. Becky Rees focuses on buyer and seller-side transactional tax planning, as well as debt restructurings and executive share incentive plans. Jon Robinson is lauded for his diligence and technical excellence in M&A and private equity-driven work, while legal director Patrick Allan concentrates chiefly on property tax.
Practice head(s):
Lisa Stevenson; Becky Rees
Other key lawyers:
Jon Robinson; Patrick Allan
Testimonials
‘A great extension to our team. Commercial and responsive.’
‘They work well with our team and our clients, finding practical and innovative solutions.’
‘Parisi Tax, and its lawyers, are excellent. Parisi always give pragmatic advice, in a very commercial way. Their people are all technically excellent and also work collaboratively with us on our deals. They are the only firm of tax lawyers that we work with.’
‘Jon Robinson, in particular, stands out. He is technically excellent, and very commercial in his approach. He is extremely diligent, and delivers his advice in a structured, pragmatic, and seamless way.’
‘Parisi provide first class tax transaction support services. They are consistently good across all partners and associates.’
‘Excellent tax expertise! Very commercial and good client-facing service.’
‘Patrick Allen is always happy to go the distance in terms for client engagement and relationships.’
Key clients
Locke Lord
KPMG
DevOpsGroup Limited
Progeny
Granger Herzog Limited
Shareholders of Cult Beauty
Incopro Limited
Bethnal Green Ventures
Thriva Limited
Shareholders of Health and Case Management Limited
Work highlights
- Acted for Ability Matters and O’Byrne family on the sale to G Square.
- Acted for Cult Beauty and the main shareholders on the sale to the Hut group.
- Acted alongside KPMG Legal on a 4-way merger that created the Synetiq group (including the Motorhog and Car Transplants businesses), then in October 2021 on the £225m sale of the merged group to IAA, Inc.
Browne Jacobson LLP
Helmed by dual-qualified chartered tax advisor and solicitor Andrew Noble , Browne Jacobson LLP‘s collaborative tax team is routinely engaged by various local authorities, private equity houses, and businesses seeking assistance regarding transactional and structuring matters. Nottingham-based legal director Beth Dowson focuses on property tax, employee share schemes, and corporate deals, including vendor tax planning issues. Senior associate Rebecca Burge is sought out by blue-chip MNCs for her expertise in stamp duty land tax. All named lawyers are based in Birmingham unless stated otherwise.
Practice head(s):
Andrew Noble
Other key lawyers:
Beth Dowson; Rebecca Burge
Key clients
Douglas Gill International Limited
Cooper Software Ltd
Apiary Capital LLP
Chesterfield Borough Council
London Borough of Sutton
Oxford City Council
enX Group Limited
Lloyds Development Capital (Holdings) Ltd
Weight Partners Capital
Construction Testing Solutions Group
Work highlights
- Advised the Myers Family Office, on its purchase of Vian Marketing.
- Advised Chesterfield Borough Council on tax aspects of its acquisition of the Pavements Shopping Centre back from private sector ownership.
- Acted for the Johannesburg Stock Exchange listed enX Group Limited on the tax (and UK disclosure) aspects of the sale of its UK forklift and container handling equipment business to French group Monnoyeur.
Mills & Reeve LLP
Mills & Reeve LLP handles the tax aspects of various corporate and commercial ventures for a diverse range of clients active in both the public and private sector. National corporate tax head Kevin Lowe is also a chartered tax advisor, with recent engagements including private equity transactions for clients in the tech sector. Practice co-chair Neil Pearson focuses on social investments, venture capital schemes, and employee share ownership issues. Matthew Short anchors the firm’s real estate tax and charity tax offering, while senior associate Carrie Ferris concentrates on employment tax and share incentives. All named lawyers are based in Birmingham.
Practice head(s):
Kevin Lowe; Neil Pearson
Other key lawyers:
Matthew Short; Carrie Ferris
Key clients
Triumph Motorcycles
BAE Systems
Big Society Capital
Xaar
Randall & Quilter
EET Group
Tilney, Smith & Williamson
HSBC
Eckoh
VetPartners
Work highlights
Higgs LLP
Regularly going ‘above and beyond’ for a varied roster of owner-managed businesses, family investment companies, and high-net-worth individuals, Higgs LLP is consistently engaged on a host of corporate deals and planning matters. Department head Susheel Gupta is renowned for his capabilities in mid-market transactions and structuring mandates, as well as first tier tax tribunals proceedings opposite HMRC. Senior associate Johnathan Hunter specialises in corporation, capital gains, and income tax issues, including share scheme implementation strategies and restructurings. Legal director Richard Ferguson returned to the practice from Freeths LLP in November 2021. All named lawyers are based in Brierley Hill.
Practice head(s):
Susheel Gupta
Other key lawyers:
Johnathan Hunter; Richard Ferguson
Testimonials
‘The Higgs team are incredibly skilled and knowledgeable and more importantly they can connect with clients on the right level – making the whole process easy for the client to understand at each step along the way.’
‘Susheel Gupta is a leading legal adviser and provides superb advice in a down to earth fashion that earns respect across the industry.’
‘They go above and beyond most other corporate teams we have previously used.’
‘Susheel Gupta is excellent with clients, providing clear guidance and offering alternative solutions.’
‘The team is down to earth and approachable, which allows them to collaborate effectively with clients and other professionals.’
‘The team has strength in depth and is able to turn work around efficiently and accurately.’
‘Susheel Gupta is a clear leader in his field, his tax knowledge is beyond his years and there is not much that this guy doesn’t know about corporate restructuring and stamp taxes.’
Key clients
X-Pharm Ltd
La Maison Bleue/Old Station Nursery
Ash & Lacy
Doocey Holdings Limited
One Stop Pharmacy
Elta Group
Systems ADI Group Holdings Ltd
Purity Brewing Group Limited
Deltron Lifts Limited
Stalis Limited
Shareholders of Legal Bricks
Shareholders of Hotel Shop
Work highlights
- Assisted Legal Bricks to obtain a material capital gains saving by advising on the structure of the deferred consideration through the negotiation and inclusion of a profit warranty provision.
- Working with Purity Brewing Group on a new growth share scheme following the current EMI Share Option Scheme becoming invalid after legislative change.
- Continuing to help support and provide tax assistance and advice to La Maison Bleue on their UK structure and UK acquisitions.