David Pett > Temple Tax Chambers > London, England > Barrister Profile
Temple Tax Chambers Offices
3 TEMPLE GARDENS, 1ST FLOOR
TEMPLE, LONDON
EC4Y 9AU
England
- Set Profile
- Go to...
David Pett
Position
David has extensive experience of both direct and indirect taxes and of the related company, securities and trust laws. However, he is best known for his advice on the income tax, PAYE, National Insurance and capital gains tax aspects of employees’ and directors’ remuneration, incentives, and all aspects of employment-related securities and employee share plans, including devising and advising upon all forms of ‘growth share’ plans; ‘joint share ownership plans’ (which were first developed by David in 2001); tax-advantaged CSOP, EMI share option, SAYE-share option and Share Incentive Plans; Employee share plans and incentives, as well as ‘partly-paid’ share schemes; arrangements for internationally-mobile employees; and all other forms of management and employee financial participation.
Career
David qualified as a solicitor in 1980 and, after intensive training as a corporate tax lawyer at Clifford-Turner (as it then was), he moved to Pinsent & Co. in Birmingham where, having been appointed a full equity partner in 1985, he and Julian Tonks together developed what was, at one time, the largest team of tax lawyers in the UK. David and his colleagues left Pinsent Masons in 2009 to practice as Pett, Franklin & Co. LLP for 8 years until shortly before he was called to the Bar and joined Temple Tax Chambers in 2017. He was a member of the government-appointed working party responsible for the legislation governing EMI share options and Share Incentive Plans and, more recently, was a member of the share schemes working party of the Office of Tax Simplification.
Leisure
David is an orchestral timpanist, having performed large-scale works in all the UK’s major concert halls and in France, Germany, Sweden, Belgium and Gibraltar.
He is Chair of the City of Birmingham Orchestral Endowment Fund and a trustee, and Chair of the Investment Committee, of the Development Fund supporting the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and was formerly a trustee of The Birmingham Science Museum
David was, for nine years, a public member of NetworkRail and, before privatisation, a member of the statutory consumer council for the railways.
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Tax: corporate
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 3David Pett – Temple Tax Chambers ‘David’s advice is clear and comprehensively deals with the issues clients request him to cover. He is always courteous and happy to field follow-up queries.’
Specialist tax set Temple Tax Chambers includes members experienced in litigation at all levels, in addition to a broad range of advisory matters. Alun James ’s advisory practice covers corporate reorganisations, debt restructuring, and venture capital trusts, among others. Ximena Montes Manzano, who appeared before the Court of Appeal in key IR35 case Atholl House Productions Limited v HMRC, is highly active for taxpayers. Jonathan Schwarz focuses on international disputes and cross-border tax issues, including acting for the Danish customs and tax administration in Skatteforvaltningen v Solo Capital Partners LLP & Ors, a case concerning the attempted recovery of €1.7bn from a Dubai-based hedge fund that the Danish revenue alleges are the proceeds of “cum-ex” fraud. Philip Ridgway acts on the full range of tax matters, including both litigious and advisory issues. David Pett, who was formerly head of tax at Pinsent Masons LLP, has key strength in employment tax.