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Linklaters has a tax team of three partners and six fee earners, overseen by the department head Henk Vanhulle, who is the firm's global head of tax as well. Oliver von Ermengem left in May to run Linklaters's tax practice in neighbouring Luxembourg.The ... [more]

Linklaters has a tax team of three partners and six fee earners, overseen by the department head Henk Vanhulle, who is the firm's global head of tax as well. Oliver von Ermengem left in May to run Linklaters's tax practice in neighbouring Luxembourg.

The practice is a respected one, with Vanhulle himself singled out for praise: "Henk Vanhulle runs the show at Linklaters and he is brilliant," said one peer.

The firm's clients include Couckinvest, Janssen Pharmaceuticals and ArcelorMittal. Another big client is Ageas, for whom the team acted on what was arguably its highlight deal this year. Vanhulle, managing associate Nikolaas Van Robbroeck and associate Noé Denis advised the insurance multinational on the €4 billion merger of its two listed holding companies, a cross-border merger where the Belgian company absorbed the Dutch entity. The deal entailed the listing of new shares and all holding activity now goes through Belgium, with just the cash management facility left with a Dutch branch of.

The firm also boasts a respected VAT partner, Guido de Wit. He and the indirect team have been busy this year advising Heraeus on the VAT implications of precious metals transactions, in addition to advising IKO on VAT recovery measures. On contentious matters, it represented Electrabel in proceedings against the annual tax on nuclear power products, a figure that can reach €250 million.

Linklaters's competitors recommend Edouard Chapellier, the firm's tax leader, for his strong capabilities in M&A and finance related tax advice on both domestic and international matters. He has a team of one other partner and five fee earners.Chapellier ... [more]

Linklaters's competitors recommend Edouard Chapellier, the firm's tax leader, for his strong capabilities in M&A and finance related tax advice on both domestic and international matters. He has a team of one other partner and five fee earners.

Chapellier is advising CDC, an important shareholder, on the restructuring of Dexia, the financial services group. The firm also advised consortium members AXA Private Equity, Kallista and Neoen on the acquisition of the Poweo EnR group from Verbund. This included all onshore and offshore wind, solar and biomass assets.

Other work included advising Barclays Private Equity funds on the complex tax structuring involved in the acquisition of the Coventya group. The complexity arose from the fact that more than 80 managers in various jurisdictions invested in the acquisition vehicle.

Linklaters has a very strong transactional practice in Germany, with seven partners led by Sebastian Benz. The firm is seen as one very close to breaking through to the top tier, as one partner commented: "Linklaters is good, but is not quite tier one ... [more]

Linklaters has a very strong transactional practice in Germany, with seven partners led by Sebastian Benz. The firm is seen as one very close to breaking through to the top tier, as one partner commented: "Linklaters is good, but is not quite tier one yet."

"Linklaters is good. You have to consider the history, in that they took over a premier tax firm (Oppenhoff & Rädler). They have reduced numbers, but do a great job. They are transaction-focused," said another peer.

Benz, Oliver Rosenberg, Christian Böing, Tobias Kuck and Albert Schmitz advised Deutsche Börse on its purported merger with NYSE Euronext, a deal worth around €15 billion that was called off in February 2012. And Thomas Elser, Elmar Bindl and Jann Jetter advised Volkswagen as it conducted a €13.4 billion public takeover of MAN.

It has been advising clients such as Procter & Gamble and Nintendo on transfer pricing , assisting UniCredit Bank with VAT issues arising from a cooperation agreement and acting in court for a handful of multinationals in cases brought about by audit disputes. Martin Lausterer is recommended by the market for litigation and controversy work.

Linklaters is a respected law firm within Luxembourg, though some acknowledge that the tax practice there has experienced some problems in recent times. "It's a bit of an uphill struggle at Linklaters at the moment," commented one peer, and another offers ... [more]

Linklaters is a respected law firm within Luxembourg, though some acknowledge that the tax practice there has experienced some problems in recent times.

"It's a bit of an uphill struggle at Linklaters at the moment," commented one peer, and another offers a reason for this: "Linklaters lost a lot of partners, including Tom Loesch."

Laurent Schummer, a corporate partner who came in to oversee the practice temporarily, has now been replaced by a full time tax partner, Olivier Von Ermengem. He joined the practice from the firm's Brussels office and has built up its associate pool, taking on half a dozen professionals from big names such as Allen & Overy, Loyens & Loeff, Ernst & Young and Deloitte.

Through these upheavals the firm has continued to be busy, and reported growth particularly in the funds area in the last year. One good representative deal was the team's work for AXA Real Estate Investment Management, as it set up a €1.5 billion real estate fund. Laurent Schummer led on this.

Rui Camacho Palma manages the tax team at Linklaters. He is highly regarded by peers who single him out for his skills in M&A and cross-border structuring.One client said: "I am very impressed with work that we have being done concerning dividends arising ... [more]

Rui Camacho Palma manages the tax team at Linklaters. He is highly regarded by peers who single him out for his skills in M&A and cross-border structuring.

One client said: "I am very impressed with work that we have being done concerning dividends arising from third countries."

Camacho Palma heads a small team of three fee earners. In January 2012, he advised The Linde Group, a German technology company, in relation to corporate and M&A matters in jurisdictions including Spain, France, Belgium and UK.

In March 2012, Camacho Palma also advised Cogeco Cable, a Canadian telecom group, on the sale of Cabovisão – Televisão por Cabo, a large telecoms operator in Portugal. This was one of the most important deals of the year in the industry.

The practice has also been active in advising on several indirect tax matters, from complex VAT issues to custom and excise duties. In this area of work, the team was involved in the structuring and drafting of a ruling request for VAT representation in Mozambique.