Mason Hayes & Curran have announced the appointment of David Burke as a Partner in their tax team. The team works with overseas counsel on complex transactions using Ireland as a platform for global economic activity.
Mr Burke was previously a senior manager with Macquarie Bank.
He joins existing tax partners John Gulliver and Robert Henson.
Representative Matters:
For Credit Suisse on their ‘Titan Europe’ commercial mortgage backed securitisation (CMBS) programme using Irish issuer vehicles
For Citigroup, Deerfield, CQS and JP Morgan on collateralised loan obligation (CLO) transactions involving Irish and other issuers
For Barclays on proposals to acquire a portfolio of German distressed debt
For UBS as arrangers of a securitisation of UK ground rents
For Swiss Re and Munich Re on their catastrophe bond programmes
For banks and hedge funds on derivative, repo and stock lending transactions
Developing structures for an investment bank to acquire various assets, including mobile telecommunication towers located in Ireland and pan-European car leasing portfolios
For Barclays, RBS, HBOS and Lloyds, writing finance and operating leases of ships and aircraft and the subsequent hive-down and disposal of the lease portfolios
Assisted counsel on the leading tax case of BMBF v Mawson (disputed claim by Barclays for capital allowances on Bord Gais’ gas interconnector)
KPMG has appointed Matt Whipp, formerly Head of Business Risk and Transfer Pricing at Diageo plc, as a Director in its UK Transfer Pricing practice.
Matt joins with 12 years industry experience, having originally trained with another “Big 4” firm. In his role at Diageo, Matt was responsible for leading the business risk and transfer pricing for the group including establishing and managing its global transfer pricing policy, processes and documentation. Additionally he managed a number of transfer pricing audits across the globe including here in the UK.
KPMG’s UK Transfer Pricing team also welcomes Komal Dhall, a partner from KPMG’s US Transfer Pricing practice, who recently joined the team on a two year secondment. Komal has considerable experience in a whole range of Transfer Pricing issues affecting large corporates. One of her main roles will be to strengthen the links between KPMG’s London and the New York practices.
John Neighbour, who has led the UK Transfer Pricing team since 2007, has been appointed deputy leader of KPMG’s global GTPS practice. Taking advantage of the unique reputation he has in the global market (having previously held senior positions at the OECD and HMRC) John will work with the rest of the Global Transfer Pricing Services leadership to build KPMG’s Transfer Pricing services internationally.
With John Neighbour’s move to this global role, Stuart McDougall, who joined KPMG in the UK from Procter and Gamble in 2006, has taken over leadership of KPMG’s Transfer Pricing practice in the UK. Stuart brings his experience in industry and from leading the regional KPMG Transfer Pricing team to the challenge of growing this fast moving area.
Stuart McDougall, head of transfer pricing at KPMG in the UK, said: “I am delighted to be taking on the leadership role at the UK transfer pricing practice and to welcome Matt and Komal to our team. As businesses become ever more multi-national and complex, transfer pricing is becoming increasingly important and there is growing demand for advice in this area. We have enjoyed solid growth under John Neighbour’s stewardship and I look forward to working with colleagues to continue that success.”
K&L Gates has made up 30 new partners including:
James S. Mottram was named a partner in the firm’s London office. Mottram counsels on corporate tax issues with a focus on funds taxation and international structuring.
Piotr Augustyniak was named a partner in the firm’s Warsaw office. Augustyniak advises domestic and foreign clients and multinational corporations on tax planning, acquisitions, divestitures, and disposals of companies.
Legal firm Fyfe Ireland is merging with Tods Murray LLP to create one of the strongest private client teams in Scotland.
Fyfe Ireland partners, Greig Honeyman and Drew Taylor, along with eight solicitors and six support staff will join Tods Murray on 23 January 2012, bringing with them a well established client base, the combined firm will be known as Tods Murray LLP.
The merger is a bold move in a changing professional market. The attraction is that each firm has a long established and highly respected private client and family business expertise. By joining forces, the new, larger private client team will not only have a very distinct authority in this field it will also provide a platform for growth.
The partners believe that their combined strengths form a formidable force in the marketplace, with the technical expertise to respond to the complexities of today’s business and private client demands.
David Dunsire, Executive Partner for Tods Murray said:
“Tods Murray is committed to remaining a leading full service Scottish law firm and part of this strategy is to grow our private client team. Fyfe Ireland is a prestigious, niche player in the legal marketplace with a long and distinguished history of putting the client at the heart of everything they do whilst providing a quality service. This ethos fits extremely well with our own culture. Furthermore, in Greig, Drew and their Fyfe Ireland team, we have gained some of Scotland’s best talent, which will ensure that the expanded private client team at Tods Murray has a strength in depth that is unrivalled in Scotland.”
Greig Honeyman added:
“I have heard it said that to succeed you must react faster to a client’s problem than the client can themselves. By combining our strengths with those of Tods Murray and indeed bringing our clients to Tods Murray, we will have the ability to provide the comprehensive – and immediate – response that is needed in a modern, and at the moment difficult, economy.
“This is an exciting move that will create a private client and family business team that aspires to lead the way in client engagement and technical standards.”
Drew Taylor, whose litigation expertise embraces the range of commercial, contract and employment work, concludes:
“By merging with Tods Murray, we can now give our clients a far greater level of service and our staff the best opportunities going forward.
“Culturally, we are very similar, believing in client care and high standards of legal knowledge and expertise and by joining forces we can all grow professionally and commercially.”
Baker & McKenzie México announces that Alberto Polanco-Inzunza has joined the firm as Tax Practice partner in its Monterrey office. Along with Mr. Polanco , Jesus A. Sánchez-Valderrama also joined the firm as an associate, bolstering the multidisciplinary team of professionals that make up one of the firm’s largest practice groups in Mexico.
“To have the top-quality key competences that our clients demand, we are extremely pleased that Alberto Polanco and Jesús A. Sánchez joined our Tax Practice, further strengthening our tax planning, tax litigation and tax compliance capabilities. This will enable us to create a synergy with the other offices at national and global level, providing added value to our clients and business community in the Northern part of the country,” mentioned Héctor Reyes-Freaner, who leads the Tax Practice Group in Mexico.
“The integration of Messrs. Polanco and Sanchez is in line with our Firm’s growth and development strategy, as well as our commitment to provide highly sophisticated tax and legal services in the key Monterrey market.” said Andrés Ochoa-Bünsow, National Managing Partner in Mexico.
Alberto has over 18 years of experience assisting actively in developing tax and business strategies for domestic and multinational companies. He graduated from the Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa (UAS) as Certified Public Accountant, with a Specialization in Tax Matters and Corporate Law by the Universidad Panamericana (UP). He also holds a law degree with specialization in Procedural Law from the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon (UANL).
Alberto is member of several important associations in tax matters at national level. He is a member of the Board and Vice President of Foreign Affairs of the National Association of Tax Specialists (ANEFAC). He is also a member of the Mexican Institute of Finance Executives (IMEF) and is active in its Tax Committee; as well as the the Institute of Public Accountants of Nuevo Leon (ICPNL).
Mr. Jesús Antonio Sánchez received his law degree from the Universidad de Monterrey (UDEM) and Master’s Degree in Finance from the Instituto de Especialización para Ejecutivos (IEE). He has extensive experience on litigation and advice on tax and administrative matters.
Before joining Baker & McKenzie, Mr. Polanco and Mr. Sanchez were with KPMG’s Tax and Legal Practice.
Jesmond-based Square One Law says its entrepreneurial approach and willingness to abandon the old legal model is helping it to attract top talent from its larger rivals.
Stuart Hamilton joined at Christmas having previously worked at Ward Hadaway and Crutes, where he headed up the private client departments.
Stuart’s specific area of interest is strategic succession planning for business owners, whether it be retirement planning, succession planning to pass business interests to the next generation or through Trusts to prevent fragmentation.
Cezary Przygodzki has been promoted to tax partner at Salans.
Cezary has also acted as a tax expert to the Polish Parliament and is a member of the executive board of the Warsaw Branch of the Polish Tax Advisors Bar.
Smith & Williamson has announced the appointment of Andrew Jupp as a tax director to focus on corporate tax and business advisory issues. Andrew has particular experience of working with entrepreneurial and fast growing businesses.
Andrew brings 25 years’ experience in the tax and business arena which most recently includes the role of Head of Tax at Haysmacintyre and prior to that, National Head of tax at RSM Tenon. His earlier experience includes over 15 years with Big Four firms where he had a number of management and leadership roles.
Andrew, who was a PhD research scientist before training as a chartered accountant, commented: “I’m delighted to be joining Smith & Williamson with its particularly broad range of accountancy and investment management services. This puts us in an excellent position to advise owner-managed businesses and growing companies on an unusually wide range of financial issues.”
Andrew also has considerable experience in cross-border transactions as well as advising foreign-owned multi-national groups. He holds the view that shareholder and corporate taxation is inextricably linked and is considered one of the UK’s leading experts in the field of research and development tax credits.
Commenting on Andrew’s appointment, Kevin Stopps, managing director of tax and business services at Smith & Williamson, added: “We are very pleased to have appointed such a high profile and well respected name in the tax world to further strengthen our national team. He brings a wealth of experience making Andrew a great addition to the firm and we look forward to working with him.”
Andrew advises clients on a national basis, working primarily from the firm’s Bristol office.
