Pinsent Masons LLP’s 'excellent' corporate tax practice has a strong track record in acting on high-value M&A deals, advising on complex tax restructuring work, and handling IPOs. Practice head Peter Morley advises on mid-market private equity transactions for investors and has specialist expertise in real estate tax matters. Senior associate Andrew McCarthy handles instructions from local authorities, funds, investors and higher education clients relating to transactional work. Share plans and remuneration planning issues also feature in the group's workload.
Corporate tax in Yorkshire And The Humber
Pinsent Masons LLP
Practice head(s):
Peter Morley
Other key lawyers:
Andrew McCarthy
Testimonials
‘Excellent team. Very knowledgeable efficient and very good at working with other advisors.’
‘Peter Morley is our relationship partner for corporate tax. He has a very good understanding of what is important to us. Peter has a calm and assured style and works extremely hard to make sure that risks are properly addressed whilst ensuring the legal process on any transaction is very smooth.’
‘Reliable, responsive, fair on fees.’
‘Andrew McCarthy is responsive, clear and commercial.’
Key clients
DCC plc
UDG Healthcare plc
Kerv Group
MML Capital
ALK Capital
Aviva Investors
CH & Co Catering Group Limited
Lloyds Development Capital
Grainger plc
Huntsworth
Work highlights
- Advised ALK Capital, a US consortium, on acquiring a controlling stake in English Premier League side Burnley F.C.
- Advised mid-market private equity house MML Capital on its investment into Arrow Business Communications, a provider of business communications and IT services.
- Supported longstanding client DCC plc with the acquisition by its subsidiary Flogas of Budget Energy.
Squire Patton Boggs
Squire Patton Boggs’ corporate tax practice has a focus on domestic and international business tax issues, high-value and cross-border M&A deals, and financing work. Led by Leeds-based Mark Simpson, the team has a specialism in property related tax advice and has private equity funds, investors and public sector bodies as key clients. In the PE space, Timothy Jarvis has an employment-related practice and advises on land tax planning issues and employee share schemes. The team also works regularly with the firm's offices in London and Manchester.
Practice head(s):
Mark Simpson
Other key lawyers:
Timothy Jarvis
Testimonials
‘Good partner involvement. Responsive team.’
Key clients
Hackman Capital LLP
Live Nation
Kooth plc
FORE Partnership
Redx Pharma plc
Adler & Allan
LDC
ECI
Clearcourse
Prescient Healthcare Group
Work highlights
- Advised Kooth plc on its AIM IPO with a market cap of £66m, including pre-IPO structuring and employee share incentives.
- Advised the shareholders of Prescient Healthcare Group (including Baird Capital) on the strategic investment in the group by Bridgepoint Development Capital.
- Advised the shareholders of Adler & Allen (an LDC investee company) on its sale to Sun European Partners.
DLA Piper
At DLA Piper, the corporate tax group receives a steady stream of mandates from domestic and international clients on transactional M&A work and advise on the full range of tax services. Overseen by David Smith, who is noted for his expertise on IR35 tax legislation, the group handles employment related tax mandates. Lynda Finan is highly rated by clients and is the key name for employee incentives issues, having over three decades of experience in this field.
Practice head(s):
David Smith
Other key lawyers:
Lynda Finan
Testimonials
‘Lynda Finan is excellent and is like one of the team. Calm in a crisis and very knowledgeable. Good fun to work with.’
‘David Smith has a wealth of technical knowledge but has the ability to apply it in a practical and pragmatic manner to the reality of a commercial scenario. He is approachable and a pleasure to work with.’
Key clients
Reach plc
Greencoat Capital
Lloyds Development Capital
Robert Half Limited
Sun Capital
Tarmac Aggregates Limited
Gilead Sciences Inc
NCC Group plc
Dentsu Aegis Network
Sytner Group Limited
Work highlights
- Advised Reach plc on its preparations for the forthcoming changes to the IR35 off-payroll working regime and assisting with international tax issues arising as a result of remote working arrangements due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Advised Lloyds Development Capital on a series of acquisitions as part of a buy and build project which resulted in the formation of the Kerv Group.
- Advised Greencoat on its £320m acquisition of a 240MW South Kyle wind farm in Scotland.
Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP
Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP's tax group has experience handling large tax structuring matters and acts for PE clients across the corporate tax space. The group is led by the firm’s global tax co-head David Jervis in Leeds. Colin Askew is also a key name to note.
Practice head(s):
David Jervis
Other key lawyers:
Colin Askew
Walker Morris LLP
Walker Morris LLP’s corporate tax practice is overseen by director Nicola Parkinson and handles tax restructuring matters, transactional work and employee incentive schemes. John Christian advises on private equity and institutional investment matters.
Practice head(s):
Nicola Parkinson
Other key lawyers:
John Christian
Testimonials
‘Knowledgeable and approachable corporate firm. Quality people.’
‘Nicola Parkinson has very good understanding of SDLT and related tax issues. She is happy to discuss tax planning issues and offer workable solutions.’
‘Exceptional standard of knowledge- pragmatic but business focused in their evaluation of situations and numbers.’
‘Personable, pragmatic and available!’
Key clients
Kirkland & Ellis
Gregory Property Group
Unite Students
Engie
Lifco AB
Endless LLP
Valeo Foods
Work highlights
- Advised Endless LLP on the acquisition of forestry businesses: BSW Timber Limited; SCA Wood UK; and Dick Brothers Forestry.
- Providing ongoing advice and support to Kirkland & Ellis relating to share schemes and incentives and related due diligence.
- Provided advice and assistance to Gregory Property Group on a number of large property transactions.
Addleshaw Goddard
At Addleshaw Goddard, the corporate tax practice is 'excellent at explaining complex tax laws', and is singled out for its 'commercial advice'. Based in Leeds, the cross-office team is led by Martin Griffiths, and works in tandem with the firm's corporate group to handle private equity transactions, real-estate related acquisitions, and disposals.
Practice head(s):
Martin Griffiths
Other key lawyers:
Richard Hunt
Testimonials
‘The team is very commercial in their advice and excellent at explaining complex tax laws in a clear and concise manner.’
‘As a fast-paced business we need quick answers to legal queries and the team at Addleshaw is very responsive to any query that we have.’
‘The team is very accessible and responds quickly to advise as and when required.’
‘Martin Griffiths has both the technical knowledge and also the ability to explain complex tax points to his clients in a clear and easily understandable way.’
‘The team is very commercial, always looking for pragmatic solutions alongside strong advice. They balance formality of professional services with an engaging and warm style, even under the pressure of intense negotiations. I found them exceptionally strong at balancing the focus on the key priorities but also having the detail to hand.’
‘Richard Hunt is an excellent lawyer – he is very experienced, commercially minded but still manages to be over every detail and his team are clearly very happy to work for him and will do what ever it takes to perform for him and his clients. He has with his colleagues built and inclusive, supportive and excellently team culture.’
‘Martin Griffith is a bright and technically strong tax lawyer – but also pragmatic to the needs of his clients – he is generous with his time to ensure he is best informed to give premium advice.’
‘The interactions with the person that was my point of contact for IR35 queries was always positive, timely and he was patient and tried to make things simple.’
Work highlights
- Advised Alinda Capital Partners (US PE fund) on its acquisition of Glide, an Inflexion backed business that provides broadband, network and utility services to customers.
- Acted for Diageo on the acquisition of Chase Distillery from William Chase.
- Advised the buyer, Elysian, on its acquisition of and investment into SCX Special Projects Holdings Limited.
DWF
At DWF, the corporate tax practice has a focus on real estate finance and development work, and is led by John Toon. The multidisciplinary group handles inward and outward M&A work and private equity investment matters for clients including local authorities, property developers and charities.
Practice head(s):
John Toon
Freeths LLP
Based in Sheffield, Freeths LLP’s national tax practice is led by Adrian Hackett and is experienced advising on a number of corporate transactions pertaining to the real estate sector. The group has investors, funds and large companies as key clients. Claire Boyce advises on corporate reorganisation and restructuring matters.
Practice head(s):
Adrian Hackett
Other key lawyers:
Claire Boyce
Key clients
Caboodle Delivery Limited
Frontier Development Capital Ltd (FDC)
VIPR Limited
Spaceright Europe Limited
Codebase 8 Limited
DPS Software Limited
Work highlights
- Advised Caboodle Delivery Limited on an SEIS investment, a tax and financial structure of the business model and VAT modelling for food retailers and delivery drivers.
- Advising the FDC fund in relation to the structuring of the fund and admission of new investor partners.
- Advising on the management buyout of Spaceright Europe Limited by Rockpool Investments.