Slaughter and May acts on a diverse slate of prestige matters both within the UK and internationally, advising on tax aspects of M&A, investments, and restructurings, among a broad range of other mandates. Team lead Mike Lane handles tax aspects of corporate and financing transactions, with expertise advising on international mandates involving the EU and US. Core team members include Gareth Miles, who covers public and private M&A, as well as private equity transactions, and Dominic Robertson, whose practice extends to M&A, joint ventures, and group reorganisations, in addition to covering contentious work. Charles Osborne advises on tax aspects of M&A and equity market transactions. Sarah Osprey advises on both general tax matters and transactional mandates, as well as tax disputes. Edward Milliner contributes strength in real estate matters. Jamshed Bilimoria is a key name.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Practitioners with a broad experience, willing and able to turn their attention to any matter of tax law. Given breadth of practice, able to advise a broad range of clients, even in novel situations. Have the ability to get up to speed promptly on complex commercial transactions and make sense of what needs to be delivered.’
‘Charles Osborne has the ability to offer a very clear opinion on various commercial options, noting the relevant tax consequences clearly and succinctly. Extremely bright and personable, engenders trust.’
‘Full professional support and availability. Close attention to the essential client's need.’
'Dominic Robertson continues to give value adding technical advice and is always able to understand both the commercial context and our company's risk appetite which means that his advice and its implications can be immediately understood by both the in-house tax practitioners and the wider leadership team.'
'Slaughter and May have been a long-standing advisor to our organisation, and their ability to provide accurate and deep insight into tax and the other legal issues that we face has meant that they are a trusted counsel to us.'
Key clients
- AngloGold Ashanti
- ASOS
- Aviva
- Bain Capital
- Barratt Redrow
- Blackstone
- Bunzl
- Burberry
- Centrica
- Diageo
- DS Smith
- GSK
Work highlights
Advised Vodafone on its €8 billion sale of Vodafone Italy to Swisscom, developing tax indemnity provisions that addressed specific Italian tax risks without requiring standard pre-completion covenants.
Advised DS Smith on tax aspects of its £7.8 billion share exchange with International Paper, including HMRC clearance applications that addressed the separation between the acquiring company and the share-issuing company.
Advised Nationwide Building Society on tax aspects of its £2.9 billion acquisition of Virgin Money UK, preparing tax documentation for overseas branch share registers, share plan settlements, and obtaining stamp duty clearances for the court-sanctioned scheme.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Practice head
Mike Lane
Other key lawyers
Gareth Miles; Dominic Robertson; Charles Osborne; Sarah Osprey; Edward Milliner; Jamshed Bilimoria