Set Profile > Chambers of Kevin Prosser QC > London , London

Chambers of Kevin Prosser QC
Pump Court Tax Chambers
16 BEDFORD ROW
LONDON
WC1R 4EF
London

Email firm Visit website 020 7414 8080 020 7414 8099

Set overviews: England and Wales

‘The best set in the country for tricky tax issues and disputes’, Pump Court Tax Chambers’ list of barristers ‘reads as a “Who’s Who” of the tax world’. With its very broad offering it is, for some, the ‘go-to’ set to deal with all tax issues as well as associated private client matters. ‘They have some really good young barristers and cover all tax bases at all levels of experience,’ said one source, with another adding: ‘I have never had any difficulty with availability because of the set’s strength in depth at every level.’ The clerking team is ‘always helpful and keen to make sure the right barrister for the advice needed’. ‘First-rate’ senior clerk Nigel Jones manages ‘a well-run ship’ which also includes team leaders John Poyser and Bruno Antoniotti, who are ‘always very responsive’. Offices in: London

Private client: personal tax Tier 1

The ‘pre-eminent tax set', Pump Court Tax Chambers' list of barristers 'reads like a "Who's Who" of the tax world'. Chambers is ‘the leading set’ for personal tax issues, according to clients, who also highlight how it is a ‘very well-run set of chambers with first-class expertise'. The set handles the full range of work from onshore trust re-organisations to advice on residence and domicile issues. William Massey QC acted for The Sunderland Foundation and Justine Markovitz (the first and second defendants) in a widely discussed case which considered the powers of trustees of private family trusts. In another case of note, appearing in the Court of Appeal, Kevin Prosser QC secured a successful outcome for the revenue in Brain Disorders Research LP v HMRC, a case that considered a scheme that had been set up to enhance capital allowances and interest relief. Julian Ghosh QC and Jonathan Bremner QC are now at One Essex Court.

2018 Silks

Richard Vallat QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ Personable, pragmatic and finds solutions. ’

Ranked: Tier 1

2019 Silks

James Rivett QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ Explains complicated matters very well. ’

Ranked: Tier 1

David Yates QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ An exceptionally clear and user-friendly barrister, with a very practical approach. ’

Ranked: Tier 1

Leading Juniors

Emma Chamberlain - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ Has a superb understanding of HMRC's thinking and likelihood of challenge; strong technical knowledge, commercial and practical-minded advice. ’

Ranked: Tier 1

Elizabeth Wilson - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ A very reassuring presence, bringing calm and clear advice. ’

Ranked: Tier 2

Thomas Chacko - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ Immensely bright and very responsive. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

Jan Matthews - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ A very well-regarded junior barrister. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

Laura Poots - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ Puts things into plain English. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

Ian Richards - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ As well as an acute knowledge of complex tax issues – particularly those involving offshore taxation issues – he has a very commercial mindset. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

Michael Thomas - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ Provides clear explanations to clients and professionals alike. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

Jeremy Woolf - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ A highly recommended junior. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

Leading Silks

Kevin Prosser QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ Is superb – he solves problems with incredible speed. ’

Ranked: Tier 1

William Massey QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ Is the top UK inheritance tax barrister; you dread the day that he retires. ’

Ranked: Tier 1

Rupert Baldry QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ Is user-friendly, pragmatic and sharp. ’

Ranked: Tier 2

David Ewart QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ Has a practical and logical approach to solving problems. ’

Ranked: Tier 2

Giles Goodfellow QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ Is imaginative and finds solutions that others have not spotted. ’

Ranked: Tier 2

John Tallon QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ Explains things in plain English and sees both sides of a problem. ’

Ranked: Tier 2

Tax: corporate and VAT/indirect tax Tier 1

Pump Court Tax Chambers is the 'number one set for tax in terms of strength in depth, areas of specialism, and quality of counsel', and has 'many stars and excellent, commercial clerks who manage client relationships well'. Members are consistently involved in high-profile group litigations, most recently including FII GLO, a test case challenging the UK’s legislation on the taxation of dividends paid into the UK by foreign subsidiaries of UK companies in which David Ewart QC and Rupert Baldry QC acted for HMRC; and MODS Group Litigation, a challenge to the UK’s Corporate Manufactured Overseas Dividend Scheme, where Baldry QC was instructed by the Revenue. In 2019, David Yates QC and James Rivett QC took silk, adding to an already strong selection of Queen's Counsel in chambers, including David Milne QC, who has 'a very good rapport with judges', and 'class-act' Kevin Prosser QC. The 'enormously impressive' Zizhen Yang is a junior of note, currently representing the taxpayer in its landfill tax appeal before the Upper Tier Tax Tribunal in Devon Waste Management Ltd and Biffa v HMRC.

Tax: corporate - 2018 Silks

Richard Vallat QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ He has immense clarity of thinking and presents a clear and succinct legal analysis, which is also practical and pragmatic. ’

Ranked: Tier 1

Tax: corporate - 2019 Silks

James Rivett QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ He is tenacious and argues his cases convincingly. ’

Ranked: Tier 1

David Yates QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ An all-round class act, very polished in his advocacy, intellectually outstanding, charming to work with. ’

Ranked: Tier 1

Tax: corporate - Leading Juniors

Jeremy Woolf - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ In court he is a softly spoken yet heavyweight advocate, who always impresses with his sound, erudite no-nonsense submissions. ’

Ranked: Tier 1

Thomas Chacko - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ Incredibly sharp, incisive and alive to the commerciality of the tax position for the client. ’

Ranked: Tier 2

James Henderson - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ He is noted for VAT and customs duty expertise. ’

Ranked: Tier 2

Michael Thomas - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ He is inclusive in his case preparation and receptive to suggestions and ideas from clients and the instructing party. ’

Ranked: Tier 2

Elizabeth Wilson - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ She is an excellent junior counsel. ’

Ranked: Tier 2

Zizhen Yang - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ She impresses enormously with her incredible capacity to produce high-quality documents and arguments in a very short time. ’

Ranked: Tier 2

Tax: corporate - Leading Silks

David Milne QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ Very good rapport with judges particularly at the higher levels. ’

Ranked: Tier 1

Kevin Prosser QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ Impressive at testing issues and ensuring that all aspects of an issue are understood; responsive. ’

Ranked: Tier 1

David Ewart QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ Incredibly broad practice and possesses in-depth experience on most tax issues; huge technical ability. ’

Ranked: Tier 2

Roger Thomas QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ He produces work of a very high standard. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

Rupert Baldry QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ He is a joy to work with and clients love his pragmatic straightforward advice. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

Giles Goodfellow QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ He is wise and approaches matters with a broad perspective. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

John Tallon QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ Very approachable and sees all sides of a problem. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

Tax: VAT - 2018 Silks

Richard Vallat QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ He has immense clarity of thinking and presents a clear and succinct legal analysis, which is also practical and pragmatic. ’

Ranked: Tier 1

Tax: VAT - 2019 silks

David Yates QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ An all-round class act, very polished in his advocacy, intellectually outstanding, charming to work with. ’

Ranked: Tier 1

Tax: VAT - Leading silks

Andrew Hitchmough QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ Pre-eminent VAT advocate whose strength lies in his ability to articulate a point with utmost clarity and to distill the key issues to win even the most complex of cases. ’

Ranked: Tier 1

David Milne QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ Very good rapport with judges particularly at the higher levels. ’

Ranked: Tier 1

David Ewart QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ Incredibly broad practice and possesses in-depth experience on most tax issues; huge technical ability. ’

Ranked: Tier 2

Kevin Prosser QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ Impressive at testing issues and ensuring that all aspects of an issue are understood; responsive. ’

Ranked: Tier 2

Rupert Baldry QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ He is a joy to work with and clients love his pragmatic straightforward advice. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

Roger Thomas QC - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ He produces work of a very high standard. ’

Ranked: Tier 4

Tax: VAT Leading juniors

James Henderson - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ He is noted for VAT and customs duty expertise. ’

Ranked: Tier 2

Zizhen Yang - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ She impresses enormously with her incredible capacity to produce high-quality documents and arguments in a very short time. ’

Ranked: Tier 2

Thomas Chacko - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ Incredibly sharp, incisive and alive to the commerciality of the tax position for the client. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

Sadiya Choudhury - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ Her willingness to assist with complex problems, often at short notice, makes her of invaluable assistance in any tax dispute. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

Oliver Conolly - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ Knowledgeable in all areas of tax law. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

Laura Poots - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ A great junior on complex matters, makes a strong contribution to the technical analysis of cases. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

Michael Thomas - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ He is inclusive in his case preparation and receptive to suggestions and ideas from clients and the instructing party. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

Jeremy White - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ He has mastered the ability to articulate multi-layered issues to clients clearly; providing concise robust advice to keep clients both safe and commercially viable. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

Jeremy Woolf - Pump Court Tax Chambers ‘ In court he is a softly spoken yet heavyweight advocate, who always impresses with his sound, erudite no-nonsense submissions. ’

Ranked: Tier 3

Pump Court Tax Chambers is the largest specialist set of barristers practising exclusively in tax.

The set: Whatever the tax issue, from large-scale litigation in the higher courts to complex personal tax questions, Pump Court Tax Chambers has the size and experience to assist in every area of revenue law. Its members typically represent the taxpayer, providing tailored advice and appearing before all the tax tribunals and UK courts. They act for solicitors firms of all sizes, accountancy practices ranging from small partnerships to the Big Four, tax advisors, trust companies and directly for in-house professionals from a wide variety of industries. Members also represent HM Revenue and Customs and, as well as the UK government, have acted for overseas governments, including those of Bermuda, Mauritius, New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Chambers regularly hosts tax seminars and, as well as speaking widely at industry events, members of chambers contribute to many tax journals and textbooks. Among other works, the set houses the authors of the pioneering tax planning work Potter and Monroe, together with many of the contributing authors of Simons Direct Tax Service. All members of chambers accept instructions under licensed access. Full information about how to instruct members of chambers can be found on chambers website.

Types of work undertaken: Pump Court Tax Chambers fields experts in the full range of corporate and business tax issues, including: mergers and acquisitions, company and group reconstructions and demergers, transfer pricing, losses/capital allowances and structured finance. They advise on methods of computing profits, including the relevance of accounting practice and deductions against receipts. International and EC tax expertise includes the impact of double tax treaties, the EC treaty on the availability of foreign tax credits, utilising offshore losses and the taxation of foreign dividends and intellectual property income.

Chambers assists individuals, trusts and estates with tax planning advice, covering inheritance tax, capital gains tax, income tax and stamp duty land tax issues. Typical examples include the sale and reorganisation of family companies, advice on family trusts, tax planning for landed estates (including business property relief and agricultural property relief), heritage properties and family homes, tax and matrimonial proceedings, and issues surrounding residence and domicile.

Personal and business tax matters come together in relation to employee remuneration. Here, expertise includes advising on share options and pension schemes, employee share ownership plans, profit sharing schemes and national insurance contributions.

A considerable proportion of chambers work relates to advice and litigation in relation to value-added tax, including issues concerning partial exemption, business/non-business, the single market, non-economic activity, European law and alternative remedies such as judicial review and actions for Frankovitch damages. Chambers also provides advice on other indirect taxes, including insurance premium tax, customs duties, landfill tax, climate change levy and aggregates levy.

Members of chambers have specialist expertise in all stamp taxes and, in particular, issues regarding corporate acquisitions and restructuring, property transactions, developments and refinancing.

In addition, several members of chambers have experience of handling professional negligence claims where direct or indirect tax issues have arisen. As well as acting as advocates in such matters, they are also instructed to appear as expert witnesses. They are experienced in all the principal forms of ADR and chambers can offer accredited tax mediators and arbitrators.

Department	Name	Email	Telephone
Senior clerk	Nigel Jones
Members of Chambers	PROSSER QC, Kevin (1982)
Members of Chambers	THORNHILL QC, Andrew (1969)
Members of Chambers	MILNE QC, David (1970)
Members of Chambers	MASSEY QC, William (1977)
Members of Chambers	TALLON QC, John (1975)
Members of Chambers	GOODFELLOW QC, Giles (1983)
Members of Chambers	EWART QC, David (1987)
Members of Chambers	GHOSH QC, Julian (1993)
Members of Chambers	BALDRY QC, Rupert (1987)
Members of Chambers	HITCHMOUGH QC, Andrew (1991)
Members of Chambers	THOMAS QC, Roger (1979)
Members of Chambers	VALLAT QC, Richard (1997)
Members of Chambers	BREMNER QC, Jonathan (2005)
Members of Chambers	YATES QC, David (2004)
Members of Chambers	RIVETT QC, James (2004)
Members of Chambers	RICHARDS, Ian (1971)
Members of Chambers	MATTHEWS, Jan (1972)
Members of Chambers	WHITE, Jeremy (1976)
Members of Chambers	WOOLF, Jeremy (1986)
Members of Chambers	CHAMBERLAIN, Emma (1998)
Members of Chambers	WILSON, Elizabeth (1995)
Members of Chambers	HENDERSON, James (1997)
Members of Chambers	DUNN, Sarah (1998)
Members of Chambers	THOMAS, Michael (2001)
Members of Chambers	CHOUDHURY, Sadiya (2002)
Members of Chambers	CONOLLY, Oliver (2003)
Members of Chambers	POOTS, Laura (2007)
Members of Chambers	CHACKO, Thomas (2007)
Members of Chambers	YANG, Zizhen (2009)
Members of Chambers	BRADLEY, Charles (2010)
Members of Chambers	WALDEGRAVE, Edward (2011)
Members of Chambers	BELGRANO, Barbara (2011)
Members of Chambers	ELLIOTT, Ben (2012)
Members of Chambers	PEARCE, Emma (2014)
Members of Chambers	WINDLE, Quinlan (2016)
Members of Chambers	MAGEE, Ronan (2016)
Members of Chambers	RUXANDU, Laura (2016)
ADR members	OLIVER QC, Sir Stephen
ADR members	AVERY-JONES CBE, Dr John
ADR members	NIAS, Peter
Door Tenant	HERBERT QC, Mark*
Door Tenant	EMSLIE SC, Trevor*
Members of Chambers	* Door tenants

Photo	Name	Position	Profile
	Dr John Avery-Jones		View Profile
	Rupert Baldry QC		View Profile
	Barbara Belgrano		View Profile
	Charles Bradley		View Profile
	Jonathan Bremner		View Profile
	Thomas Chacko		View Profile
	Emma Chamberlain		View Profile
	Sadiya Choudhury		View Profile
	Oliver Conolly		View Profile
	Sarah Dunn		View Profile
	Ben Elliott		View Profile
	David Ewart QC		View Profile
	Julian Ghosh QC		View Profile
	Giles Goodfellow QC		View Profile
	James Henderson		View Profile
	Andrew Hitchmough QC		View Profile
	William Massey QC		View Profile
	Jan Matthews		View Profile
	David Milne QC		View Profile
	Peter Nias		View Profile
	Sir Stephen Oliver QC		View Profile
	Ms Emma Pearce		View Profile
	Laura Poots		View Profile
	Kevin Prosser QC		View Profile
	Ian Richards		View Profile
	James Rivett		View Profile
	John Tallon QC		View Profile
	Roger Thomas QC		View Profile
	Andrew Thornhill QC		View Profile
	Richard Vallat		View Profile
	Edward Waldegrave		View Profile
	Jeremy White		View Profile
	Elizabeth Wilson		View Profile
	Quinlan Windle		View Profile
	Jeremy Woolf		View Profile
	Zizhen Yang		View Profile
	David Yates		View Profile