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The comprehensive guide to the world's leading tax firms

The strength of Ernst & Young's practice in Germany can be found in its integration in the firm's cross-border network. The group is headed by York Zöllkau and, numerically, is the largest of the big-four firms.The bulk of the group's work is international. ... [more]

The strength of Ernst & Young's practice in Germany can be found in its integration in the firm's cross-border network. The group is headed by York Zöllkau and, numerically, is the largest of the big-four firms.

The bulk of the group's work is international. It advises mainly German multinationals but also does a lot of inbound work, especially for US companies. The group's work is split into five service lines: transaction tax, international tax, business tax, indirect tax, and human capital.

The transaction tax service line is headed by Michael Kuntz. The group worked on the acquisition of a private bank by an international one. The group have also worked on two large carve-out deals involving an IT company and another bank.

The team has been involved in several supply chain reorganisations this year. It worked on a huge project in the logistics industry which involved the reorganisation of two different businesses. The reorganisation triggered transfer pricing questions that the team also advised on.

The practice is regularly involved in discussing and negotiating tax policy in Berlin. The group are helping pilot the use of e-balance sheets in tax returns and are advising their other clients on the impact of their proposed use from 2012 onwards.

Though there have been some questions in the market about the ability of Flick Gocke Schaumburg to expand internationally the firm remains a dominant player in the German market. "They are the best in tax," said one partner. The group is seen by the ... [more]

Though there have been some questions in the market about the ability of Flick Gocke Schaumburg to expand internationally the firm remains a dominant player in the German market. "They are the best in tax," said one partner. The group is seen by the market as not only providing excellent tax advice but also having a wider impact because of their shaping of government.

The practice comprises a number of respected professionals that are the subject of widespread praise from their competitors. Head of tax Thomas Rödder is described by one of his peers as "technically excellent and really outstanding". Hubertus Baumhoff is mentioned frequently as one of the leading practitioners in transfer pricing in Germany; Ulrich Pitz is also mentioned for his corporate tax work.

The group has continued to grow this year as well. Former partner Ulrich Prinz left for KPMG this year but this has been more than balanced out by the number of practitioners joining. Holger Dietrich has joined this year to help bolster the firm's M&A and international tax capabilities. Joachim Hennrichs has also joined as counsel from the University of Cologne.

The practice has been involved in a number of high-profile transactions this year. Rödder, Jens Schönfeld and Arne von Freeden advised BASF, the German chemicals manufacturer on the $3.7 billion acquisition of their rivals Cognis. Oliver Hötzel and Carsten Lange have also been advising a major client on the tax structuring of the sale of a participation in a German refinery company.

Andreas Schumacher has also been advising Volkswagen, alongside Rödder on their integration with Porsche. The group has an impressive list of clients of more than 2,000, including two-thirds of DAX 30 companies.

The tax team at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer remain a heavyweight in corporate tax. The team of 55 includes 15 partners and is headed by Christian Ruoff, who has been head of the practice since 2008 and was re-elected   for another three years this ... [more]

The tax team at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer remain a heavyweight in corporate tax. The team of 55 includes 15 partners and is headed by Christian Ruoff, who has been head of the practice since 2008 and was re-elected   for another three years this year. Stephan Eilers became executive partner of the global firm in 2011. Many of their professionals are consistently highlighted by other practitioners as leading tax advisers in their field. Martin Schiessl, a partner in Frankfurt, is a leading figure for M&A work.

The sluggish nature of the global recovery from the financial crisis has led to an increase in restructuring work this year. Norbert Schneider and associates Philipp Hoffsümmer and Georg Roderburg and  are working on the €500 million ($720 million) restructuring of the Profine group, one of the largest in Europe this year. The group has created a number of innovative structures to cope with client demands during refinancing. The debt-equity swap enforced against the will of the former shareholders of PrimaCom during a restructuring was the first time such a swap had been carried out against the will of the shareholders.

Despite the crisis M&A work has held up quite well. Ruoff and associates Alexander Schwahn and Roderburg are advising the majority shareholders of Hapag-Lloyd on the acquisition of a further 11% shares in the company from TUI and the reacquisition of the Hamburg head offices in preparation for an initial public offering (IPO). The team also advised Berggruen on the acquisition and reorganisation of Karlstadt.

Other clients the team has represented this year include Goldman Sachs, Providence Equity, Tyco International, Hannover Leasing, Deutsche Bahn, Colonia Real Estate, Blackstone and Air Berlin.

Allen & Overy's tax practice has grown impressively over the last year. This is in part due to the practice's strategy of focusing on a combination of independent tax consultancy and also providing tax services in transactions, a traditionally strong ... [more]

Allen & Overy's tax practice has grown impressively over the last year. This is in part due to the practice's strategy of focusing on a combination of independent tax consultancy and also providing tax services in transactions, a traditionally strong area for the firm.

A number of their professionals are singled out by as leading individuals. Eugen Bogenschütz is viewed by the market as one of the leading tax professionals in Germany across all areas but is especially mentioned for his cross-border structuring work. Gottfried Breuninger is highly thought of for corporate tax and M&A work.

More M&A work returned to the practice from the beginning of 2011. Asmus Mihm is advising the pharmaceutical company, Merck, on the acquisition of part of the business of listed company Biotest. This transaction had a number of cross-border implications and involved countries as far apart as Hungary and Japan.

Breuninger is also advising Rosneft Oil Company on its agreement with Petróleos de Venezuela (PdVSA) to acquire for $1.6 billion the South American company's 50% stake in Ruhr Oel GmbH, a joint venture between BP and PdVSA. Other work included advising a joint venture between three European electricity supply and trading companies, on the proposed construction and operation of a cross-border high-voltage direct current cable connecting the German and the Norwegian electricity markets.

Other clients the group has worked for this year include Evonik Industries, General Electric, Pfizer, Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller, Magna Management, Johnson Controls and Randstad Deutschland.

Baker & McKenzie's tax team is led by Nicole Looks and comprises 20 fee earners. Looks is viewed as one of the leading individuals for indirect tax. "She is very knowledgeable, very client-focused and I think probably one of the best in Germany for indirect ... [more]

Baker & McKenzie's tax team is led by Nicole Looks and comprises 20 fee earners. Looks is viewed as one of the leading individuals for indirect tax. "She is very knowledgeable, very client-focused and I think probably one of the best in Germany for indirect tax" said one practitioner. The team offers a breadth of services in its attempts to offer an alternative to the big-four. Ulrich Ränsch has set up a tax controversies team this year to strengthen the firm's presence in litigation.The group represents multinationals and DAX 30 companies in a number of important deals.

This year Looks worked alongside Christian Brodersen, Adrian Lohmann, Burkhard von Loeffelholz and Peter Wessels in advising a multinational company in the consumer electronics and entertainment industry on tax planning and legal implementation of a cross-border business lease during a pan-European restructuring. This was a complex project involving several European jurisdictions and involved the use of binding rulings safeguarding a tax neutral implementation of the business lease.

The Frankfurt team in led by Brodersen also advised a global communications company on the spin-off of a mobile devices and home network business unit into a separate listed company. The deal, which was finalised in January, was a complex project and involved more than 50 of the firm's offices throughout the world. Other work this year includes advising Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation on the compliance structuring issues in relation to maintenance and installation services on aircraft.

Other clients they have advised this year include Blyth, Tradition Financial Services, Dell Computer Corporation and Telecity Group.

Linklaters's tax practice is headed by Sebastian Benz and consists of 32 fee earners. Around 40% of their work is generated by the tax team while the rest is made up of support work for the corporate and capital markets group. Their strength lies in ... [more]

Linklaters's tax practice is headed by Sebastian Benz and consists of 32 fee earners. Around 40% of their work is generated by the tax team while the rest is made up of support work for the corporate and capital markets group. Their strength lies in the close integration of the tax practice with the other teams and also its ability to draw on its international network for cross-border work.

Unsurprisingly then the practice has been involved in some of the largest transactions in Germany over the last year. Benz, Christian Böing and Tobias Kuck have been advising Deutsche Börse on its proposed merger with NYSE Euronext. The deal has required tax advice in several jurisdictions and here the practice has made use of the international firm. It is also negotiating with the authorities since it is proposed that the new holding company will be located in the Netherlands.

The Düsseldorf and Munich offices have advised ArcelorMittal on the spin-off of its stainless steel business. This involved a lot of restructuring work in anticipation of an IPO. In particular when transferring the German subsidiaries into a separate company there was a particular issue with the real estate owned and the practice had to develop a structure to avoid transfer tax.

Thomas Elser and Jan Jetter also advised Apax Partners on the acquisition of fashion chain Takko Holding in the biggest leveraged buyout in Germany since the financial crisis. Apax borrowed €850 million to make the purchase. Other clients that the tax practice has represented over the last year are BMW, DekaBank, Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund, Lloyds Banking Group, Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations, Goldman Sachs, Commerzbank and BlackRock Advisors.

The tax group at P+P Pöllath Partners comprises around 25 fee earners. Sabine Demel and Pia Dorfmüller have joined this year as tax consultant and partner respectively. Stephan Viskorf has been promoted to partner.Pöllath is seen by its peers as a market ... [more]

The tax group at P+P Pöllath Partners comprises around 25 fee earners. Sabine Demel and Pia Dorfmüller have joined this year as tax consultant and partner respectively. Stephan Viskorf has been promoted to partner.

Pöllath is seen by its peers as a market leader in fund structuring work, for which it has a strong team in Frankfurt. The group has expanded to provide advice across most areas of corporate tax, while the Berlin branch has a growing real estate and litigation practice.

The group has been busy in both private equity and M&A work this year. Uwe Bärenz and Tarek Mardini advised Süd Beteiligungsgesellschaft on the sale of 12 private-equity fund interests to several institutional investors, the volume of which amounted to €135 million. Michael Best, Benedikt Hohaus and Barbara Koch-Schulte also worked on the acquisition of Takko Fashion by Apax Funds, possibly the largest transaction in Germany this year.

Other work this year includes advising Karstadt Quelle Employee Trust and Primondo Specialty Group on the sale of six retail businesses to the Carlyle Group and advising on the creation of a new joint consumer bank by Landesbank Berlin and Deutsche Sparkassen Leasing. Clients that the practice has represented this year include Morgan Stanley, Procter & Gamble, 3i, Barclays Private Equity, GFO Management and EQT Partners.

PwC's tax practice is headed by Dieter Endres who is the subject of widespread praise by his peers. He leads a team of nearly 2,000 professionals. 13 new partners were added last year in tax. Norbert Winkeljohann was appointed senior partner this year.The ... [more]

PwC's tax practice is headed by Dieter Endres who is the subject of widespread praise by his peers. He leads a team of nearly 2,000 professionals. 13 new partners were added last year in tax. Norbert Winkeljohann was appointed senior partner this year.

The practice provides a comprehensive range of tax services including transfer pricing, VAT, international tax planning, tax audit support, corporate tax and customs. Of all the areas international corporate tax is by the far the largest accounting for more than 50% of the workload. The group is also recognised by the market for being particularly strong in the area of VAT. Götz Neuhahn is singled out for his expertise in that regard.

Transfer pricing work has increased substantially this year. The introduction of documentation requirements in Germany a few years ago has brought transfer pricing issues to the forefront since audits tend to take place between three and five years after matters have taken place. The team, led by Lorenz Bernhardt, comprises nearly 100 professionals and advises more than half of the DAX 30 companies on issues that range from advanced pricing agreements to dispute resolution.

The practice advises companies in a variety of sectors including industrial products, retail & consumer, automotive, pharmaceutical and financial institutions. Work for financial services has been growing noticeably this year.

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton's tax practice is headed by Daniel Weyde, who is highly regarded for his capital markets and financial products work. The practice comprises five fee earners, an increase of one from the previous year.The practice benefits ... [more]

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton's tax practice is headed by Daniel Weyde, who is highly regarded for his capital markets and financial products work. The practice comprises five fee earners, an increase of one from the previous year.

The practice benefits from the strength of the firm's network, often working side-by-side with other offices throughout the world on international tax assignments. The group is particularly strong in transactional work, including corporate restructurings, M&A and capital marketactivities, an important source of work this year.

The team advised Deutsche Bank on its €10.2 billion rights offering which was the largest share issue in Germany in more than a decade. In M&A Weyde and Volker Junge advised American Express on its $685 million acquisition of Loyalty Partner, a marketing services company, from Palamon Capital Partners.

Other clients include ASM Pacific Technology, BHF-Bank, Elster Group, the Republic of Argentina, Bâloise Holding, Northrop Grumman and Goldman Sachs.

Clifford Chance is viewed by the market as being among the best tax law firms in Germany. The practice is large for a law firm comprising more than 30 fee earners spread across three offices with most of them based in Frankfurt. Stefan Menner is mentioned ... [more]

Clifford Chance is viewed by the market as being among the best tax law firms in Germany. The practice is large for a law firm comprising more than 30 fee earners spread across three offices with most of them based in Frankfurt. Stefan Menner is mentioned by his peers as an expert in indirect tax; Marc Scheunemann is singled out for his corporate tax work.

There is a good balance to the firm, often providing support work to the firm's other departments but also working on many of its own projects. This year Uwe Schimmelschmidt advised a real estate investment group with investments in more than 10 jurisdictions on the acquisition of a company with substantial real estate in a major European country.

Other work this year includes advising a major fund with over $20 billion in assets worldwide on the acquisition of a large amount of commercial property in Germany. The practice is also engaged in policy work and regularly contributes to different consultations and initiatives. During the year the group published its opinion on the German federal government's proposed tax on nuclear fuel elements and the question of compatibility with EU law.

Deloitte's tax practice in Germany is led by Heinz-Klaus Kroppen and consists of around 700 fee earners. The size of the practice means it is able to provide a broad range of services including transfer pricing, VAT, corporate tax, international tax ... [more]

Deloitte's tax practice in Germany is led by Heinz-Klaus Kroppen and consists of around 700 fee earners. The size of the practice means it is able to provide a broad range of services including transfer pricing, VAT, corporate tax, international tax planning and M&A.

The transfer pricing team is viewed by the market as particularly strong. Kroppen, a professor of international tax law at the Ruhr University in Bochum, is viewed by the market as a leading figure in Germany and is described by one practitioner as "one of the best in transfer pricing in Germany". Christian Ehlermann and Markus Roth are both mentioned for their M&A work.

Gleiss Lutz has maintained its standing within the German tax market. The market expressed concern that the departure of Stefanie Beinert to Hengeler Müller might have an impact on the quality of the team but the group has been involved in a number of ... [more]

Gleiss Lutz has maintained its standing within the German tax market. The market expressed concern that the departure of Stefanie Beinert to Hengeler Müller might have an impact on the quality of the team but the group has been involved in a number of important transactions and restructurings this year.

The number of equity partners has remained constant since Beinert's departure as Stefan Mayer has promoted to the ranks. Hendrik Marchal and Nathalie Schweda have also been appointed to salaried partner this year. The group also opened a new office in Hamburg last October; perhaps the best indicator of the practice's ambition.

The group is especially strong in transactional assistance and tax planning. Last year Mayer and Alexander Werder advised Infineon on the sale of its wireless solution businessIntel. The group is also advising a large automotive company on how to restructure its business after the acquisition of a number of companies over the last few years.

Michael Marquardt also advises a number of public sector companies. This year he worked on the restructuring of the business entities of the City of Hanau. Other clients the group has worked for include PrimaCom Group, the City of Stuttgart, Bosch and Mithril.

Hengeler Mueller's tax practice comprises five partners, one counsel, one senior associate and a number of junior associates. The practice advises on most areas of corporate tax including optimising tax structures for acquisitions and restructurings ... [more]

Hengeler Mueller's tax practice comprises five partners, one counsel, one senior associate and a number of junior associates. The practice advises on most areas of corporate tax including optimising tax structures for acquisitions and restructurings as well as income tax issues in connection with structured finance products. Stefanie Beinert is mentioned as a leading M&A tax adviser.

The tax team advised last year on some of the most high-profile transactions in Europe. Martin Klein advised Intel on the acquisition of the wireless solutions business of Infineon Technologies. Klein and Ernst-Thomas Kraft also advised Porsche on its subscriptions rights capital increase.

Klein and Matthias Scheifele advised Pfleiderer, a wood products group, on its €1 billion+ financial restructuring, which involved the first debt-equity swap under the new German Bond Act. Other clients they have represented over the last 12 months include Advent International, Commerzbank, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley and RWE.

KPMG's tax team in Germany is led by Ernst Gröbl. The practice provides a wide range of tax services in its 24 offices including international corporate tax, financial services tax, indirect tax, transfer pricing and M&A.A number of their practitioners ... [more]

KPMG's tax team in Germany is led by Ernst Gröbl. The practice provides a wide range of tax services in its 24 offices including international corporate tax, financial services tax, indirect tax, transfer pricing and M&A.

A number of their practitioners are frequently highlighted as leading individuals in their field. Martin Lenz and Christoph Kneip are mentioned as being strong in corporate tax; Ursula Slapio and Claudia Hillek are highlighted for their indirect tax work. Christian Jänisch, who is global head of the M&A tax practice, is seen as a rising star in the market. One partner describes him as "one of the leading young M&A guys".

Latham & Watkins's tax practice is headed by Tobias Klass in Hamburg and Stefan Süss in Munich. Klass is cited by his competitors for his strength in cross-border transactions. The group has a broad expertise across international tax and has advised ... [more]

Latham & Watkins's tax practice is headed by Tobias Klass in Hamburg and Stefan Süss in Munich. Klass is cited by his competitors for his strength in cross-border transactions. The group has a broad expertise across international tax and has advised on a number of important transactions over the last year, especially in the field of private equity.

This year Klass and Andreas Scheidle advised the European branch of the private equity group H.I.G. Capital on the acquisition and subsequent restructuring of Walter Services Group. This transaction was as a major de-leveraged buyout and the group advised on all aspects of the recapitalisation.

Klass also worked alongside Götz Wiese and Henrik Lay on the acquisition by Capvis Equity Partners of Kaffee Partner Holding, which involved an innovative cross-border acquisition structure with a roll-over element. Other work this year aside from private equity includes advising CleanTech I SE on its IPO, only the second special purpose acquisition company listing on the Frankfurt stock exchange.

Other clients the team has worked for this year include Deutsche Bank, Ventizz Capital Partners Advisory, Capvis and AREA Property Partners.

Luther-Taxand has continued to expand this year. The firm which began with a team of eight tax advisers when it joined the Taxand network in 2008 now has around 25 professionals. Christoph Kromer and Jochen Würges recently joined the practice by.Kromer, ... [more]

Luther-Taxand has continued to expand this year. The firm which began with a team of eight tax advisers when it joined the Taxand network in 2008 now has around 25 professionals. Christoph Kromer and Jochen Würges recently joined the practice by.

Kromer, ex-global director of tax at SAP, was brought in to boost the practice's tax risk management and tax technology capabilities. The practice is advising three of the major German public banks on tax risk issues in relation to Basel II.

More M&A and real estate work has come into the practice in 2011. The team advised on the €100 million sale of a hotel in Frankfurt. Other work this year includes tax advice on the construction and the operating phase of a prison in Bremervörde, and a group restructuring for a firm with operations in both France and Germany.

Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy's tax practice, based in Munich, is led by Rolf Füger and comprises six practitioners. Füger is mentioned by his peers as a leading M&A practitioner in Germany. Florian Holzner left this year; otherwise the practice remains ... [more]

Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy's tax practice, based in Munich, is led by Rolf Füger and comprises six practitioners. Füger is mentioned by his peers as a leading M&A practitioner in Germany. Florian Holzner left this year; otherwise the practice remains the same.

The practice specialises in complex acquisition and financing structures and corporation tax, in particular restructurings and international tax. This year the practice was mandated by NYSE Euronext for the first time regarding the proposed combination with Deutsche Börse. Füger, Thomas Kleinheisterkamp and Matthias Schell also advised on the sale of Loyalty Partner Holdings to American Express.

Other clients they have worked for this year include ProSiebenSat1 Media, the Carlyle Group, Axel Springer, Nordwind Capital Team and UniCredit Corporate & Investment Banking.

The market has been impressed by WTS's development. The group which formed out of the in-house tax team of Siemens has been growing fast. Fifty fee-earners joined this year to take the total up to nearly 300. The arrival of Alexander Hemmelrath from ... [more]

The market has been impressed by WTS's development. The group which formed out of the in-house tax team of Siemens has been growing fast. Fifty fee-earners joined this year to take the total up to nearly 300. The arrival of Alexander Hemmelrath from Salans this year has been praised by the market as significantly boosting the practice's capabilities in the area of transaction tax.

The practice focuses on cross-border work and is very good in all areas of tax. The group has launched a new supply chain practice this year which incorporates indirect tax and transfer pricing. Peter Baumgartner and Uwe Grosse have joined this year to improve the practice's expertise in customs tax issues.

There has been a lot of restructuring work for the practice this year. Peter Jung, Eric Bongers, Denis Pouw and Jan Boekel advised a listed company in the largest restructuring case in Germany this year so far. Carsten Fischer, Bela Jansen and Dieter Lübbehüsen also advised a European blue-chip company on the restructuring of a pension asset which involved the use of an innovative pension-pool fund structure using a German fund vehicle as a core platform.

True to WTS's roots 50 fee earners advise Nokia-Siemens on a day-to-day basis. The number of clients, mainly multinationals but also medium-sized companies, giving work to the practice is growing each year. Clients they have worked for this year include Man, Epcos, Pfleiderer, LaSalle Investment Management and Aurubis.

Baker Tilly Deutschland (Rölfs Partners) has grown rapidly this year. The firm extended its presence in the south of Germany after the incorporation of Wolfgang Richter and the rest of the team at RP Richter. The market is fairly optimistic about the ... [more]

Baker Tilly Deutschland (Rölfs Partners) has grown rapidly this year. The firm extended its presence in the south of Germany after the incorporation of Wolfgang Richter and the rest of the team at RP Richter. The market is fairly optimistic about the development. "Richter is a great tax professional, there is no question of that. I'm sure that will continue at Rölfs" said one partner.

Richter leads a team of more than 140 fee earners. This number means the group can offer work of quality in most areas of tax including tax structuring, M&A, indirect tax, transfer pricing, real estate and compliance.

This year Peter Fabry and Claus Ritzer advised a German asset management group on tax planning issues to do with a group financing which involved the use of entities in jurisdictions as far apart as Malaysia and Luxembourg. Carsten Kratzer advised a client in the fashion industry on its double taxation issues over a 10-year period.

Other clients include Wacker Neuson, Villeroy & Boch and Richemont International.

BDO Deutsche Warentreuhand has 25 locations in Germany. The practice provides a broad range of tax services including VAT, customs duties, group reorganisations and international tax. Tax planning is becoming an increasingly important area in their workload. ... [more]

BDO Deutsche Warentreuhand has 25 locations in Germany. The practice provides a broad range of tax services including VAT, customs duties, group reorganisations and international tax. Tax planning is becoming an increasingly important area in their workload. Ulrich Grünwald is mentioned by his peers for his indirect tax work.

Berger Steck & Kollegen is certainly one to watch. The firm is a finance boutique that was formed in August 2010 when founding partners Hanno Berger, who has a long-standing reputation as a top tax adviser in Germany, and Kai-Uwe Steck moved from Dewey ... [more]

Berger Steck & Kollegen is certainly one to watch. The firm is a finance boutique that was formed in August 2010 when founding partners Hanno Berger, who has a long-standing reputation as a top tax adviser in Germany, and Kai-Uwe Steck moved from Dewey & LeBoeuf. The practice is viewed as an emerging player in the German tax market. In addition to the founding partners, Konrad Rohde is also mentioned by his peers for tax litigation.

Bödecker, Ernst & Partner is a firm to watch over the next few years. The team was founded by Carsten Bödecker and Carsten Ernst, who both previously worked at Luther-Taxand. Fourteen tax professionals from the same firm joined in July 2011. The team ... [more]

Bödecker, Ernst & Partner is a firm to watch over the next few years. The team was founded by Carsten Bödecker and Carsten Ernst, who both previously worked at Luther-Taxand. Fourteen tax professionals from the same firm joined in July 2011. The team previously worked together as the financial services tax & regulatory team of Deloitte in Düsseldorf and have now set up as an investment management boutique providing tax advice to banks, insurance companies and investment management companies. Clients include AXA, Gothaer Asset Management, Oppenheim Kapitalanlagegesellschaft, Pramerica Real Estate Investors, R&V Insurance Group and Tishman Speyer.

Debevoise & Plimpton's tax practice is led by sole partner Friedrich Hey who is mentioned by his peers for his cross-border structuring work. He has particular expertise in US/German cross-border tax planning having worked in the New York office of Oppenhoff ... [more]

Debevoise & Plimpton's tax practice is led by sole partner Friedrich Hey who is mentioned by his peers for his cross-border structuring work. He has particular expertise in US/German cross-border tax planning having worked in the New York office of Oppenhoff & Rädler previously.

The practice began to move away from transactional matters towards more litigation and advisory work over the last few years though this year has seen a return to the type of work seen before the advent of the recession. Private equity work, typically a stronghold of the firm, still has not returned entirely to its former level.

This year the group advised Catalent, a pharmaceutical technology company owned by Blackstone, on a major cross-border acquisition. Finance work has also been growing this year and the practice advised a large insurance company on a private placement loan. Other clients it has worked for this year include Dover Corporation, MAG Industrial Automation Systems and Rank Group Investments.

Though the market is still unsure whether Dewey & LeBoeuf will be able to completely recover after the departure of Hanno Berger and the rest of the team to Berger, Steck & Kollegen, the practice has bounced back fairly well.Dieter Lübbehüsen was another ... [more]

Though the market is still unsure whether Dewey & LeBoeuf will be able to completely recover after the departure of Hanno Berger and the rest of the team to Berger, Steck & Kollegen, the practice has bounced back fairly well.

Dieter Lübbehüsen was another departure at the end of September last year when he left for WTS. However, these changes have simply resulted in the practice becoming increasingly focused, placing a greater concentration on corporate tax advice and tax structuring of financial products, an area for which head of tax Bernulph von Crailsheim is praised .

This year von Craishelm advised Macquarie Bank on the structuring of new financial products. Frank Tschesche has been advising WPP on the acquisition of Commarco, the parent company of Scholz & Friends, in probably the most well-publicised advertising deal in Germany this year. Other clients include General Capital Group Beteiligungsberatung, Nordax Finans and RPG Real Estate.

The German tax practice of DLA Piper, a new entry this year, is led by Martin Heinsius. The group has suffered a bit from the departure of Uwe Eppler and two associates, but this is something that has been addressed with a series of recent hirings. Clients ... [more]

The German tax practice of DLA Piper, a new entry this year, is led by Martin Heinsius. The group has suffered a bit from the departure of Uwe Eppler and two associates, but this is something that has been addressed with a series of recent hirings. Clients praise "the responsiveness and clarity of the advice" given by the practice.

The practice is mainly concerned with tax structuring work for large companies, which accounts for about 70% of its business. Heinsius and Falko Tappen are advising Trident Microsystems on the structuring of its VAT supply chain so that there was no tax leakage. Heinsius, Tappen and Christian Schneider also advised Vereinigte Postversicherung on moving a number of their assets from government bonds to investment in a SICAF (Société d'Investissement à Capital Fixe or closed-end fund) under Luxembourg law.

The group has a good spread of clients with particular strength in financial institutions. Other clients they have worked for this year include Taurus Investment Holding and GSFS Asset Management.

Goutier & Partners's tax practice is led by Klaus Goutier, who is mentioned by his peers a leading practitioner in the Germany.The group advises on both national and international tax matters including corporate taxation, tax planning, tax disputes, ... [more]

Goutier & Partners's tax practice is led by Klaus Goutier, who is mentioned by his peers a leading practitioner in the Germany.

The group advises on both national and international tax matters including corporate taxation, tax planning, tax disputes, M&A and corporate reorganisations. The bulk of the team is based in Frankfurt.

Haarmann's tax practice is based in Frankfurt and is led by Wilhelm Haarmann, who is singled out by his peers for his corporate tax work. He is seen as the star of the team, though the market also views the rest of the team as strong.The practice advises ... [more]

Haarmann's tax practice is based in Frankfurt and is led by Wilhelm Haarmann, who is singled out by his peers for his corporate tax work. He is seen as the star of the team, though the market also views the rest of the team as strong.

The practice advises on a broad range of business tax matters including M&A, transfer pricing, valuations and group reorganisations. Work has included advising a well-known British mobile network operator on the acquisition of a German competitor and advising one of the largest European software companies on the acquisition of all shares in a Swiss company.

The practice is also strong in litigious matters. Haarmann often represents clients at the tax court of the German Fiscal Court. The group also has a lot of experience in representing clients in cases hingeing on German controlled foreign company rules.

Hogan Lovells's tax team is led by Stephan Geibl and comprises 14 practitioners. Christoph Küppers is mentioned in the market for his corporate tax work.The practice has worked on a number of interesting transactions this year. Jens-Uwe Hinder, Sebastian ... [more]

Hogan Lovells's tax team is led by Stephan Geibl and comprises 14 practitioners. Christoph Küppers is mentioned in the market for his corporate tax work.

The practice has worked on a number of interesting transactions this year. Jens-Uwe Hinder, Sebastian Kost and Mathias Schönhaus advised News Corporation on the sale of Fox Mobile Group as well as significant pre-closing restructuring. This was the only transaction in which the tax authorities have granted a binding ruling on the tax neutral cross-border exit of a distressed shareholder loan.

Küppers, Michael Dettmeier and Heiko Gemmel also advised on the acquisition of risk positions and strategically irrelevant business sectors from Hypo Real Estate Group. The value of assets transferred was around €173 billion. Other clients they have worked for include Commerzbank, WestLB, Erste Abwicklungsanstalt, Schroder Investment Management and Union Investment Real Estate.

Küffner Maunz Langer Zugmaier offers an alternative to the big-four for VAT work. Stefan Maunz is in charge of a team of 15 and wants to double the number of fee-earners over the next 24 months.The firm counts about one-third of DAX 30 clients as clients. ... [more]

Küffner Maunz Langer Zugmaier offers an alternative to the big-four for VAT work. Stefan Maunz is in charge of a team of 15 and wants to double the number of fee-earners over the next 24 months.

The firm counts about one-third of DAX 30 clients as clients. The firm not only focuses on VAT work but also litigation also in this area. Maunz and Thomas Küffner are advising VSTR in a case before the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on whether a VAT number is necessary to obtain a zero rate of supply. If the ECJ agrees with the German tax authorities this is expected to have huge implications for the intra-community supply of goods.

Maunz is representing Gameforge on the VAT implications of payments made outside Germany, and both he and Ronny Langer are also acting for Infineon in the sale of their wireless division to Intel in a VAT matter valued at $1.4billion.

McDermott Will & Emery's tax practice is led by Dirk Pohl who is frequently mentioned by his peers as a leading practitioner in Germany, especially in the field of tax controversy. He is one of three partners and leads a team of eight.This year he and ... [more]

McDermott Will & Emery's tax practice is led by Dirk Pohl who is frequently mentioned by his peers as a leading practitioner in Germany, especially in the field of tax controversy. He is one of three partners and leads a team of eight.

This year he and fellow partner Gero Burwitz advised a multinational pharmaceutical group in an appeal at the Federal Finance Court regarding VAT issues. Pohl also advised another client in the finance court in a matter concerning the implications of the German Reorganisation Tax Act.

The practice also provides general business tax advisory services. This year partner Peter Bauschatz advised OctreoPharm Sciences on the structuring of a first round of financing. Other work includes advising on a joint venture between a Polish subsidiary and a Dutch strategic partner.

Noerr has a large tax practice, counting 41 fee earners among its ranks. The practice has joint heads in Lutz Schmidt and Georg Elderman, a highly regarded corporate tax adviser. Sascha Leske, in Berlin, and Oliver Trauttmann, in Frankfurt, became partners ... [more]

Noerr has a large tax practice, counting 41 fee earners among its ranks. The practice has joint heads in Lutz Schmidt and Georg Elderman, a highly regarded corporate tax adviser. Sascha Leske, in Berlin, and Oliver Trauttmann, in Frankfurt, became partners this year.

The practice offers a full tax service including fund structuring, group reorganisations, acquisition structuring, litigation and private client. This year the practice advised RWE on the issuance of the group's first hybrid bond worth about €1.75 billion ($2.47 billion).

Other work this year includes advising Powerflute on the sale of Germany's Papierfabrik Scheufelen, and advising BASF on the establishment of a joint venture. Additional clients are AEG Power Solutions, BBC Worldwide, Deutsche Bank, Lidl and SAP.

Oppenhoff & Partner was formed out of the Cologne office of Linklaters. Despite its relatively small size, comprising six professionals, there is a good breadth to the services offered by the practice. The practice is headed by Axel Bödefeld.Unusually ... [more]

Oppenhoff & Partner was formed out of the Cologne office of Linklaters. Despite its relatively small size, comprising six professionals, there is a good breadth to the services offered by the practice. The practice is headed by Axel Bödefeld.

Unusually when compared to other German law firms the practice is strong in transfer pricing, regularly advising clients on the implementation and documentation of the best transfer pricing methodology.

The practice also has substantial experience defending clients during audits or in the courts. Gunnar Knorr recently advised a French multinational on the payment of management fees out of its foreign affiliates. The practice is also one of the few law firms to have represented a client under the EU Arbitration Convention.

At the same time, transactional work also makes up a sizeable chunk of the practice's revenue. Examples of work this year include advising AG, Phönix/Strack Group on the sale of all shares to AXA Private Equity, and advising the Wegmann Group on the assumption of the Siemens shares in Krauss-Maffei Wegmann. Additional clients include Johnson & Johnson, Ford, Bristol-Myers Squibb and M.DuMont Schauberg.

Stephan Busch leads a tax team at Salans of around 13 fee earners. The team is very proficient in international tax matters, being able to take advantage of the firm's international network.This year Busch, Michael Helm, Dirk-Reiner Voss and Jörg Karenfort ... [more]

Stephan Busch leads a tax team at Salans of around 13 fee earners. The team is very proficient in international tax matters, being able to take advantage of the firm's international network.

This year Busch, Michael Helm, Dirk-Reiner Voss and Jörg Karenfort advised Deutscher Sparkassen und Giroverband, the association of German savings banks, on an optimal tax solution to the€2.3 billion purchase of the 50% of DekaBank that it did not already own.

Other work this year includes tax structuring for the acquisition by a German and foreign-based purchasing consortium of a real estate portfolio from the State of Berlin and advising Continental Aktiengesellschaft on the international aspects of a euro-denominated bond issue with an aggregated value of €3 billion. Other clients include Berliner Wasserbetriebe and Weberbank.

Shearman & Sterling's tax practice consists of 15 fee earners. The group is led by Reinhard Stockum. Johannes Frey is singled out by his peers for his transactional work. "He is a very bright guy and certainly one to watch over the next few years," said ... [more]

Shearman & Sterling's tax practice consists of 15 fee earners. The group is led by Reinhard Stockum. Johannes Frey is singled out by his peers for his transactional work. "He is a very bright guy and certainly one to watch over the next few years," said one partner.

The work they do can be split almost in half between standalone work, involving day-to-day advice and litigation, and support work for the firm's M&A group and to a lesser extent the capital markets team.

Frey acted for Citigroup and Royal Bank of Scotland on the first guaranteed and secured high-yield bond issuance under the new German Bond Act worth more than $1billion. Bobo Bender represented Dow Chemicals on the divesture of its worldwide Styron business to Bain Capital in a deal worth $1.6billion. This raised issues of transfer pricing during the pre-acquisition cut-out.

Other deals include the structuring of a pharmaceutical joint venture for Omnicare Pharma Group and the acquisition by Qatar Holding of a 9% stake in a construction company.

Streck Mack Schwedhelm is a boutique tax practice specialising in tax litigation and criminal tax law. The practice comprises 12 partners and nine other professionals. Peter Talaska became a partner this year.The firm spent much of the previous year ... [more]

Streck Mack Schwedhelm is a boutique tax practice specialising in tax litigation and criminal tax law. The practice comprises 12 partners and nine other professionals. Peter Talaska became a partner this year.

The firm spent much of the previous year advising on clients' hidden assets in Switzerland being declared to the tax authorities retroactively in Germany. The practice has a good balance to its clients including foundations and medium and large enterprises.

Taxperience is another firm expected to grow stronger over the next few years. The firm was created in May 2011 in Munich by Claus Lemaitre, who set up the practice after the dissolution of RP Richter. It is an independent but integrated member of the ... [more]

Taxperience is another firm expected to grow stronger over the next few years. The firm was created in May 2011 in Munich by Claus Lemaitre, who set up the practice after the dissolution of RP Richter. It is an independent but integrated member of the Taxperience network, which started in the Netherlands. The practice provides a broad range of advisory and compliance services.

Voegele Partner-NERA concentrates entirely on transfer pricing. The firm is headed by sole equity partner Alexander Voegele and comprises 12 fee earners.It is a niche firm which gets less and less of its fee income from typical transfer pricing work. ... [more]

Voegele Partner-NERA concentrates entirely on transfer pricing. The firm is headed by sole equity partner Alexander Voegele and comprises 12 fee earners.

It is a niche firm which gets less and less of its fee income from typical transfer pricing work. For example, the practice has not done any documentation for 3 years and 85% of its work comes from projects that have nothing to do with Germany. The firm increasingly does a lot of valuation work and tends to represent clients in those jurisdictions where authorities are most aggressive.

Last year Voegele did valuation work for clients in the energy sector, including a big- three oil company. And through his valuation of the commercial benefits, Voegele managed to avoid Sweden's interest deduction rules in the restructuring of 150 subsidiaries.

Andreas Knebel leads a team at White & Case of 11. Cornelia Geißler has joined this year from Shearman & Sterling.The practice provides a good range of tax services including restructuring, M&A, privatisation, bank finance, energy, real estate and dispute ... [more]

Andreas Knebel leads a team at White & Case of 11. Cornelia Geißler has joined this year from Shearman & Sterling.

The practice provides a good range of tax services including restructuring, M&A, privatisation, bank finance, energy, real estate and dispute resolution. The practice advises frequently in cross-border matters, especially those that involve the US or Asia.

This year Josef Große Honebrink advised Clariant on the $2.9 billion acquisition of a 95% stake in Süd-Chemie. Knebel and Thomas Schmidt also advised Kamor on the development and sale of a major shopping centre project in Frankfurt.

Other clients include DEVK, HSH Nordbank, ZIAG Immobilien and LGT Deutschland.