KPMG in the UK has appointed tax partner,[private] Anneli Collins, to the role of head of tax policy in the UK.
As head of tax policy, Anneli Collins intends to focus on developing and coordinating KPMG’s relationships with HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs, together with key industry bodies.
Sue Bonney, head of tax at KPMG Europe LLP, said: “Tax policy is increasingly an area of focus for professional services firms. We see it as a key opportunity in the current market given all the legislative changes in progress and the general economic climate.”
Anneli Collins said: “Tax clearly has a huge role to play as the UK emerges from recession and the public finances are rebuilt. KPMG is already very active working with tax authorities, government, regulators and various industry bodies and committees. In my new role, I will be bringing all these activities together and building on them to ensure that we are fully engaged in debates on tax policy.”[/private]
Allen & Overy has now launched in Australia and the partner spearheading their tax practice is [private]Andrew Stals [/private]
Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) announced today (8 February 2010) that [private]Linda Adelson will shortly be joining the firm as a tax partner.
Linda, who is currently Chair of the VAT Working Party at the British Bankers Association (BBA), has spent her whole career specialising in VAT and financial services both on the contentious and non-contentious side. She is a qualified solicitor with extensive in-house experience, having spent five years as Head of VAT at Lloyds Banking Group and two years prior to that at Abbey National.
Linda’s appointment builds on the recent hire of Alan Sinyor, who joined as head of VAT from Freshfields in July 2009, and the existing VAT experience of partners John Overs, Gary Richards, Cathryn Vanderspar and Neville Wright. Linda’s role at BLP will be to work with Alan and lead the development of the VAT team within the banking, insurance and financial services sectors.
BLP has the largest and broadest based tax practice in the City legal market and is the only large City law firm to offer the full range of tax services. The department has dedicated teams to provide contentious and advisory tax advice across corporate, finance, real estate, funds, VAT, personal tax, trusts and charities. The team, which won “Best Tax Team in a Law Firm 2009” at the LexisNexis Taxation Awards, has been growing rapidly in size, capability and profile since the hire of industry leader Michael Wistow as head of tax in 2007. More recently, private client expert and former Clifford Chance partner Murray North joined in November 2009.
Michael Wistow, BLP’s head of tax, said: “Linda will help reinforce our reputation as a leading tax team. Her varied background of private practice, in-house and industry roles means that she has a unique mix of technical and commercial skills to further enhance our tax capabilities. Tax, and more specifically VAT, is becoming business critical as clients come to terms with the increasing complexities both domestically and cross border.”
Linda added: “The rate at which the BLP tax team has grown has been unprecedented, not only in size but also in the number of instructions. I am excited about being in an environment where there is such ambition, drive and enthusiasm and am looking forwarding to working with Alan to build the VAT business in key sectors.”[/private]
Taxand, the world’s largest independent global network of specialist tax advisors to multinational businesses, today welcomes[private] Gobert, Fest & Partners Attorneys and Tax advisors as its exclusive member firm for Hungary. The addition of this firm means that Taxand is now represented in 48 countries, compounding the network’s strength in offering a truly independent global tax advisory service.
Hungary’s tight macroeconomic policy following the International Monetary Fund’s programme and its initial success at reining in expenditure growth, have boosted investor confidence in the country. With a strengthened exchange rate and a series of interest rate cuts from mid-2009, more and more multinationals are looking at Hungary as an attractive place to operate. Consequently, quality tax advice from independent tax specialists is increasingly in demand.
Gobert, Fest & Partners is one of the biggest international business law firms in Hungary with a tax advisory team. The firm was founded in 2002 after a spin-off from one of the largest law firms in Hungary and a “Big 4” tax and accounting firm. The firm provides tax and legal advice in all fields of business law and international cross-border transactions. The expanding tax practice is led by Lilla Stricca and employs 4 tax advisors. The firm’s multi-disciplinary approach gives it a solid footing from which to offer quality advice to multinational businesses.
Frédéric Donnedieu de Vabres, Chairman of Taxand, said:
“We are delighted to welcome Gobert, Fest & Partners to our Taxand world. As CEE and Hungary in particular, has been attracting the investment of more and more multinational companies, client demand has risen for the high quality, independent tax advice that Taxanders deliver. Gobert, Fest & Partners take an entrepreneurial and proactive approach to cross-border tax advice which fits well with our culture – we are very much looking forward to working together”.
Dr. Arne Gobert, Managing Partner of Gobert, Fest & Partners, said:
““We are very pleased to be joining Taxand – our firm’s dedication to providing high quality tax advice fits well with Taxand and we are excited about developing both our local and international services. Being a part of Taxand provides a positive differentiation from other Hungarian tax and legal firms and we look forward to strengthening our multidisciplinary business offering as a result.”[/private]
[private] Sherman has joined Baker & McKenzie as a partner in its Sydney office. Tim is an experienced tax practitioner and has joined the Firm from Mallesons Stephen Jaques. Tim is the fifth new partner to join Baker & McKenzie’s Australian offices in 2009.
Tim has extensive experience in taxation-related advice for corporate acquisitions, divestments and restructurings, capital raisings, off-shore funds, and executive and employee share and option schemes. He joins 11 other tax professionals within Baker & McKenzie’s Australian offices and 540 across the Firm’s global offices. Tim lectures in the Master of Laws program at the University of Sydney and is a regular presenter and contributor to the Taxation Institute of Australia. Tim has been awarded the Commissioner’s prize for research into Australia’s tax treaties. He holds a Master of Laws from the University of Queensland and a Doctor of Juridical Science from the University of Melbourne. Prior to Mallesons Stephen Jaques, Tim worked at KPMG.
Mark Chapple, National Managing Partner for Baker & McKenzie’s Australian offices, commented, “We are very pleased to welcome Tim Sherman to Baker & McKenzie. Tim has extensive experience across the wide range of tax matters on which the Firm advises our Australian and global clients, and his expertise will ensure that we continue to deliver top-level taxation advice to our clients.[/private]
Neo Material Technologies Inc. announced today that it has appointed [private]Ms. Claire M.C. Kennedy to its Board of Directors effective immediately. This appointment increases the total number of directors to eight, seven of whom are considered to be independent.
Claire Kennedy, a resident of Canada and tax partner in the Toronto office of Bennett Jones LLP, has for the past 13 years represented domestic and international clients and provided tax advice regarding acquisitions, financings, reorganizations, restructurings and the establishment of private equity and debt funds. Ms. Kennedy is also a Chemical Engineer and holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Queen’s University and a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toronto. In addition to her practice, Claire is a member of the Dean’s Council at Queen’s Law, Chair of the Advisory Board at the University of Toronto’s Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry, President of the University of Toronto’s Engineering Alumni Association and Chair of its Biz Skule(TM) committee.[/private]
About Neo Material Technologies
Neo Material Technologies is a producer, processor and developer of neodymium-iron-boron magnetic powders, rare earths and zirconium based engineered materials and applications, and other high value niche metals and their compounds through its Magnequench and Performance Materials business divisions. These innovative products are essential in many of today’s high technology products. Magnequench’s Neo powders are used to produce bonded magnets, generally used in micro motors, precision motors, sensors and other applications requiring high levels of magnetic strength, flexibility, small size and reduced weight. Rare earth and zirconium applications include catalytic converters, computers, television display panels, optical lenses, mobile phones and electronic chips. Products from the newly acquired Recapture Metals Limited are primarily used in the wireless, LED, flat panel, solar and catalyst industries. The Company is headquartered in Toronto, Canada and has approximately 1,400 employees in 19 locations, across 10 countries.
