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The comprehensive guide to the world's leading tax firms

Though Linklaters lost partner Thierry Denayer to Stibbe this year, the team is still considered a leader in the market. Head of tax Henk Vanhulle is described as "one of the best" by a partner of a competing firm. Guido De Wit is also recommended by ... [more]

Though Linklaters lost partner Thierry Denayer to Stibbe this year, the team is still considered a leader in the market. Head of tax Henk Vanhulle is described as "one of the best" by a partner of a competing firm. Guido De Wit is also recommended by several peers, with one describing him as "the man for VAT". One client commends the group's "good international network and deep knowledge of taxation", calling them "pragmatic" and "to the point". Ivo Onkelinx is noted for his skill in cross-border transaction tax. Onkelinx is leading a team advising InBev on its $52 billion acquisition of Anheuser-Busch, which will create the global leader in the beer industry and one of the world's top five consumer products companies. Vanhulle is advising Fortis on the transactions that the Fortis group had to enter into to safeguard its operations following the economic downturn. This transaction involved complex issues relating to the transfer of toxic assets, funding through profit participating loans and the impact of currency fluctuations.

Edouard Chapellier, head of tax at Linklaters, remains a dominant force in the French market. He is mentioned for his M&A work and is described as "a very good lawyer" by one industry commentator. The group has been involved in an impressive list of ... [more]

Edouard Chapellier, head of tax at Linklaters, remains a dominant force in the French market. He is mentioned for his M&A work and is described as "a very good lawyer" by one industry commentator. The group has been involved in an impressive list of deals this year including: advising Sierra Wireless in connection with its public tender offer for Wavecom in a deal worth €218 million ($311 million); and advising 3 Suisses International in connection with the sale to Crédit Mutuel group of its majority stake in Cofidis group. This was a complex, M&A transaction worth €920 million. The practice also advised Suez on the spin-off and initial public offering (IPO) of Suez Environnement. This transaction was the largest spin-off ever in France and gave rise to a number of significant tax issues to ensure that the restructuring in connection with Suez Environnement's IPO was carried out in a tax neutral fashion.

Linklaters is praised for its transactional tax advice. Even though the firm lost Florian Schultz this year to PricewaterhouseCoopers, it still has number of leading tax advisers. Partners Jens Blumenberg and Florian Lechner are both highly recommend... [more]

Linklaters is praised for its transactional tax advice. Even though the firm lost Florian Schultz this year to PricewaterhouseCoopers, it still has number of leading tax advisers. Partners Jens Blumenberg and Florian Lechner are both highly recommended.

Linklaters lost its whole tax team earlier this year when head of tax Stef van Weeghel left to join PricewaterhouseCoopers. The firm hired Olaf Kroon as counsel from Allen & Overy in August 2009 to run the new tax department.

Clients commend the "technical skills" of the Linklaters team. They also note the firm's "availability to address clients' issues and concerns and its creativity". The team is led by young lawyer Rui Camacho Palma who is quickly becoming a name on the ... [more]

Clients commend the "technical skills" of the Linklaters team. They also note the firm's "availability to address clients' issues and concerns and its creativity". The team is led by young lawyer Rui Camacho Palma who is quickly becoming a name on the Portuguese market. The group acted as international and domestic counsel on the IPO of EDP Renováveis, an EDP Group holding for renewable energies. They also advised Magnum Capital Industrial Partners and the Magnum Consortium on the acquisition of Babcock & Brown's windfarm business in Portugal held by Enersis group. Tânia de Almeida Ferreira is highly recommended. One client referred to her as "by far the best tax lawyer in Lisbon".

Linklaters lost renowned partner Nicolas Martin this year after he left to join Herbert Smith. The firm now has one tax partner, Javier Garcia-Pita, who advises the main financial entities in Spain.

Linklaters' focus is on major transactions for example cross-border M&A and banking transactions. The tax team is led by sole partner Lars Jonsson who specialises in M&A and structuring. The firm has 10 associates who are dedicated to tax work. Clients ... [more]

Linklaters' focus is on major transactions for example cross-border M&A and banking transactions. The tax team is led by sole partner Lars Jonsson who specialises in M&A and structuring. The firm has 10 associates who are dedicated to tax work. Clients mainly come from the financial sector and financial transactions make up around 50% of the firm's work. Jonnson advised the private equity firm Triton on its co-investment in Papyrus. This deal was complex as it included several holding companies in different jurisdictions and the use of different kinds of internal debt instruments and hybrid instruments. The deal was worth $127 million. Jonsson advised Vodafone on its public offer for software company Wayfinder Systems. Arne Baekkevold is involved in structured financing and income tax. The practice also does some litigation work although this is not a focus. It advised Volvo in a case involving Sweden's only APA. Clients are major corporations and banks including JP Morgan Chase.

The firm that can offer a full-service tax practice that includes a successful contentious team is the one that is gaining favour with clients these days, and Linklaters is no exception to this. Tax directors at global multinationals head for the firm ... [more]

The firm that can offer a full-service tax practice that includes a successful contentious team is the one that is gaining favour with clients these days, and Linklaters is no exception to this. Tax directors at global multinationals head for the firm when they need advice on cross-border matters. Examples of its corporate and finance tax prowess include Ian Bowler, one of 10 partners, advising Lloyds TSB in its acquisition of HBOS; Guy Brannan acting for Royal Bank of Scotland Group during its £20 billion ($33 billion) recapitalisation by HM Treasury in October 2008; Michael Hardwick's advice to the Department of Transport on the agreements regulating the building of Crossrail, London's east-west rail link, including a public/private partnership to build a station in Canary Wharf. Mark Kingstone, the head of UK tax, and Lynne Walkington advised Deutsche Bank and Lloyds TSB, the majority investors, on the UK tax aspects of the acquisition by a largely debt-financed consortium of Porterbrook Leasing Company Limited, a train leasing company in the UK, from Abbey National.

The team also worked on the tax issues of Rio Tinto's defence against BHP Billiton's, ultimately unsuccessful, hostile takeover bid and acted on several of the well publicised corporate redomiciles. The contentious tax practice has its hands full representing multinationals, financial institutions and public limited companies. The tax authorities have identified structured finance as an area of alleged tax avoidance and the practice is acting for a number of its clients that are facing HMRC's scrutiny.