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DLA Piper Weiss-Tessbach is building up a full service tax practice in Vienna. Partner Franz Althuber leads a team comprising five professionals, and has augmented that by bringing in two new associates. In June 2012 tax professor Sebastian Bergmann ... [more]

DLA Piper Weiss-Tessbach is building up a full service tax practice in Vienna. Partner Franz Althuber leads a team comprising five professionals, and has augmented that by bringing in two new associates. In June 2012 tax professor Sebastian Bergmann has joined the firm as of counsel.

"DLA gave excellent advice and used their international network well,"said one client.

Daniel Varro has been active in transfer pricing matters this year, coming up with guidelines for Bison Group and Ecka Granules Group and advising on transfer pricing avoidance strategies for ArcelorMittal, the multinational steel producer.

Varro and Althuber are devising a tax efficient method to integrate the Austrian Radiant companies in the American NCR Corporation. They and Andrea Ebner also worked to establish an Austrian holding structure with a minimal tax burden as part of the restructuring of the South American OC Group.

And Althuber and Varro are also advising Austrian Airlines on a possible violation of EC law by the government which may result in a refund of Austrian flight tax for the company.

DLA Piper is a 10-member tax team under the leadership of Marcin Matyka.The department welcomed new hires who joined as associates at the firm. Sławomir Dawidowicz joined in February 2012 and Anna Łaszczuk in May 2012.On notable projects in 2011, the ... [more]

DLA Piper is a 10-member tax team under the leadership of Marcin Matyka.

The department welcomed new hires who joined as associates at the firm. Sławomir Dawidowicz joined in February 2012 and Anna Łaszczuk in May 2012.

On notable projects in 2011, the team advised on the tax aspects of one of the biggest transactions on the Polish market – the acquisition of BZ WBK by Banco Santander.

The team was also involved in an innovative tax project implemented in 2011 involving the establishment of the second closed-end investment fund in Cyprus designed for Polish taxpayers.

In 2011, the firm also prepared an overview of solutions regarding taxation on worldwide petroleum activities and of the tax issues which concern entities engaged in the exploration of gas and oil in Poland. This report triggered significant market and media attention in the last quarter of 2011 and was the first comprehensive analysis of upstream regulations.

Other work includes advising on a landmark transfer pricing assignment for a leading hotel group.

As well as its core business service line, the tax team is also focused on providing training on tax issues, media relations and it organises workshops and conferences on a variety of tax issues.

The firm provides advisory services to some of the biggest entities in the Central and Eastern Europe region, such as PKN Orlen, PGE and PGNiG, as well as to international corporations such as Nike, Arcelor Mittal and Toyota.

Head of DLA Piper Tax, which launched only in 2011, is Tudor Nedelea who previously worked for PwC and has more than 10 years experience in both Romanian and international taxation.The team includes Laura Lacurezeanu, also ex-PwC. She has six years of ... [more]

Head of DLA Piper Tax, which launched only in 2011, is Tudor Nedelea who previously worked for PwC and has more than 10 years experience in both Romanian and international taxation.

The team includes Laura Lacurezeanu, also ex-PwC. She has six years of experience in both Romanian and international taxation and specialises in VAT with a main focus on the pharmaceuticals sector.

Nedelea and Lacurezeanu have been active in advising on a range of corporate tax, indirect tax and tax dispute deals this year.

The tax practice works closely with its established core practice areas such as corporate and real estate to offer clients integrated legal and tax solutions.

DLA Piper is a stand-alone Russian tax practice co-led by Ruslan Vasutin in the St Petersburg office and Igor Venediktov who leads the Moscow-based tax practice. The firm's tax capacity was increased with the addition of Elena Zaitseva, who was promoted ... [more]

DLA Piper is a stand-alone Russian tax practice co-led by Ruslan Vasutin in the St Petersburg office and Igor Venediktov who leads the Moscow-based tax practice.

The firm's tax capacity was increased with the addition of Elena Zaitseva, who was promoted to partner in 2011. The tax division now totals five partners and seven fee earners.

Zaitseva has more than 10 years of experience advising clients on a wide range of matters including Russian and international tax structuring, due diligence, transfer pricing and other contentious and non-contentious tax matters.

Other key members of the team are US-qualified partner Scott Antel and French and English-qualified partner, Delphine Nougayrède.

Oksana Nogina is also a notable member highlighted by peers for her status as a nationally-recognised academic in tax legislation.

Over the past 12 months, the team represented Zeppelin Russland in a large-scale project connected with the legal, tax and customs structuring of the supplies of power equipment from EU to Russian customers of Zeppelin Russland. The deal was based on cross-border advice aimed at optimising EU and Russian VAT implication of the Zeppelin group.

In a deal yet to be completed, DLA Piper is acting as tax adviser to Vnesheconombank (VEB), providing continued tax support on the issue of loan participation notes under a $30 billion VEB Programme.

DLA Piper is an international law firm with a recognised tax team in Ukraine. It is led by Svetlana Musienko, who is feted by clients."Svetlana Musienko is extremely professional, with substantial knowledge and a really profound understanding of the ... [more]

DLA Piper is an international law firm with a recognised tax team in Ukraine. It is led by Svetlana Musienko, who is feted by clients.

"Svetlana Musienko is extremely professional, with substantial knowledge and a really profound understanding of the tax and legal issues in Ukraine," says one, while another adds: "What impressed me was the professionalism and readiness to help. Very client-oriented."

They couldn't improve a thing, really happy with their level of service," comments another.

The team has seen variety in its work this year, with Musienko advising a major international sportswear company on the compatibility of a transfer pricing model in addition to representing a global pharmaceutical company in court in a dispute over tax credit recoverability.

The corporate side has also kept Musienko and team busy, including advice to Fairmont Raffles on the structuring of properties operated by them, and also working with Italian oil and gas company Eni on the tax aspects of its plans to expand into Ukraine.