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The comprehensive guide to the world's leading tax firms

Baker & McKenzie has a full service tax team in Belgium featuring three partners led by Alain Huyghe. This team is acknowledged as a real competitor in the market too, as one peer said: "Baker & McKenzie has a strong team."The team has seen some comings ... [more]

Baker & McKenzie has a full service tax team in Belgium featuring three partners led by Alain Huyghe. This team is acknowledged as a real competitor in the market too, as one peer said: "Baker & McKenzie has a strong team."

The team has seen some comings and goings this year, losing Charlotte Degadt and Hendrik Putman to Laga and Benoît Philippart de Foy to Joyn. However, the firm did move to restore its numbers, hiring VAT counsel Sophie Clocheret from Ernst & Young and an associate from Liedekerke in May 2012.

Huyghe and Géry Bombeke advised Procter & Gamble on the tax structuring of its divestiture of the Belgian and Swiss facets of its Pringles business to Kellogg Company. The initial deal with Diamond Foods was aborted, but this deal went through in May 2012 for a worldwide value of $2.7 billion.

The end of 2011 also saw the firm active in court matters. In one case, Huyghe led a team advising a Swiss industrial multinational in litigation worth €130 million regarding the treatment of a right of usufruct on shares. This went to appeal in the Supreme Court with the taxpayer successful.

Baker & McKenzie has a strong tax team of 34 lawyers under the leadership of Véronique Millischer,A key practitioner clients recommend is Eric Meier. One client said: "I am more than pleased to work with Baker and more precisely with Eric Meier, the ... [more]

Baker & McKenzie has a strong tax team of 34 lawyers under the leadership of Véronique Millischer,

A key practitioner clients recommend is Eric Meier. One client said: "I am more than pleased to work with Baker and more precisely with Eric Meier, the best of the best for tax litigation issues in France. He's a great guy, a great professional, with an amazing track record as tax lawyer and litigator."

Another client says: "Yes, I'm very satisfied by Baker services and especially in secondary transactions. The team is solid and supportive."

"One name in France would definitively be Bruno Bertrand, an excellent professional. Meticulous, workaholic and inventive in the negotiations and structuring," said a client.

Notable work over the past 12 months has included advising on a number of international tax-optimisation operations involving simultaneous restructurings in more than 35 countries and using its large teams in France and abroad.

Guillaume Le Camus led a team that advised Sara Lee Group in its negotiations with private equity firm Sagard for the sale of Eurodough, a Sara Lee's European chilled dough business.

And Thierry Vialaneix led a team advising a leading company in the environmental sector in connection with VAT audit carried out by the tax authorities.

Baker & McKenzie is a tax practice that is acknowledged as being very strong on both transfer pricing and VAT matters. The team is led by Nicole Looks, the head of the German and European indirect tax practice. Commentators in the market however report ... [more]

Baker & McKenzie is a tax practice that is acknowledged as being very strong on both transfer pricing and VAT matters. The team is led by Nicole Looks, the head of the German and European indirect tax practice. Commentators in the market however report a perceived drop in visibility over the past 12 months.

"We don't really see Baker & McKenzie. They have a good reputation, though," said one partner. "Very good on TP and VAT but nothing else," added another.

"They don't take a significant role in M&A or restructurings really," commented another adviser. "Baker & McKenzie has a good reputation but we don't see them on the big stuff. They don't have a broad expertise but do have very good people,"

Even so, the firm has been busy this year. It advised De Agostini in optimising the VAT implications of its sales structures, as well as consulting for a DAX 30 company in putting together a transfer pricing model that concerned a profit potential of up to €200 million.

It is also active in court, successfully defending a global food company against VAT evasion allegations in November 2011 and continuing to act for a global service company to defend its VAT and transfer pricing positions.

Baker & McKenzie is a growing force within Luxembourg. The team now has two partners: the department head Andre Pesch and Christophe Clement, who joined in 2011 from Clifford Chance. A new tax director joined in the last year.The undoubted work highlight ... [more]

Baker & McKenzie is a growing force within Luxembourg. The team now has two partners: the department head Andre Pesch and Christophe Clement, who joined in 2011 from Clifford Chance. A new tax director joined in the last year.

The undoubted work highlight saw the two partners advising an international finance institution as to the tax facets of a number of structured finance deals totalling €3 billion.

In addition to this, Pesch has also advised a food products multinational on the strategic reorganisation of its IP policy.

Baker & McKenzie is one of the two preeminent law firm tax teams in the Netherlands. It has 16 partners and 45 associates overseen by department heads Herman Huidink, Antonio Russo and Erik Scheer. It also added to this team with a couple of big ... [more]

Baker & McKenzie is one of the two preeminent law firm tax teams in the Netherlands. It has 16 partners and 45 associates overseen by department heads Herman Huidink, Antonio Russo and Erik Scheer. It also added to this team with a couple of big recruitments, including Eric Westerburgen from Ernst & Young in January 2012 and a senior associate from Loyens & Loeff in November 2011.

The loss of Marc van Campen, who left to join Liem & Partners in May 2012, was noticed by the market, though not thought to be critical

Clients report a satisfaction with the firm's work, and especially its bespoke service: "I am pleased with the work they provide to our company as it is tailored. I am particularly happy with the practical solutions that they offer," said one.

Russo advised a client on a valuation of the IP behind a novel and film for tax purposes.

In corporate matters, Huidink has been active closing a pair of large acquisitions for finance clients, including one worth €1.5 billion ($1.9 billion).

Fred de Hosson has represented a Spanish industrial holding company in litigation concerning withholding tax refunds worth $30 million. A final decision is expected later in 2012.

Baker & McKenzie has a favourable position in the market and is respected by its competitors for its cross-border capabilities.The firm operates from offices in Barcelona and Madrid and has a team of 13 partners and 26 fee earners. Rodrigo Ogea manages ... [more]

Baker & McKenzie has a favourable position in the market and is respected by its competitors for its cross-border capabilities.

The firm operates from offices in Barcelona and Madrid and has a team of 13 partners and 26 fee earners. Rodrigo Ogea manages the tax team in Madrid and Pedro Aguarón heads the team in Barcelona.

A number of peers highlight Luis Briones as a key practitioner with specialist skills in M&A cross-border transactions.

The firm is a full service stand alone tax practice that encompasses tax practice areas such as transactional tax planning, corporate taxation, global reorganisations, tax litigation and transfer pricing.

In another notable deal this year, Maria Antonia Azpeitia and Raúl Salas advised FCC/PONTEGADEA on the sale and purchase of Torre Picasso.

The firm was required to act as deal counsel in the tax structuring of this landmark real estate transaction, which was the largest single-asset real estate deal in Spain since 2008.

Rodrigo Ogea, working closely with the firm's financial regulation department, advised JC Flowers on the tax and accounting structuring of its investment in CAM, a Spanish bank with substantial difficulties in meeting core capital ratios.

JC Flowers is one of the world's primary private equity investors in the financial services market and the first non-Spanish investor to bid for the bank in the context of the reorganisation. Many of the tax issues derived from this type of transaction are complex and there is a lack of specific tax regulations to address them.

Clients single out Ogea, Maite Díez, Roberto de la Concha and Jaime Martínez Iñiguez as some of the firm's key practitioners.

Baker & McKenzie's tax division is under the leadership of Hans Koch. The team is made up of nine partners and 13 fee earners. Two new practitioners joined the firm in the last 12 months.The firm has been most active on corporate tax and transfer pricing ... [more]

Baker & McKenzie's tax division is under the leadership of Hans Koch. The team is made up of nine partners and 13 fee earners. Two new practitioners joined the firm in the last 12 months.

The firm has been most active on corporate tax and transfer pricing work this year. They are representing a client on preparations for negotiations on a mutual agreement procedure under the Swiss-French double tax treaty.

Kilian Perroulaz is representing a client on the transfer and establishment of a headquarters company dealing with European operations to Switzerland. The firm also acted as lead adviser on tax and corporate post-acquisition planning and restructuring of the acquired group headquartered in Switzerland.

Baker & McKenzie has a tax team that both works closely with its excellent corporate team and supports its own clients through its extensive global network.Clients also seem more than satisfied by the team's services: "Excellent – on time, technically ... [more]

Baker & McKenzie has a tax team that both works closely with its excellent corporate team and supports its own clients through its extensive global network.

Clients also seem more than satisfied by the team's services: "Excellent – on time, technically accurate and easy to understand," said one, while another singles out Geoffrey Kay for praise: "Technically accurate, practical, does not overbill and available."

Alex Chadwick heads the group. Along with other partners in Washington and New York, he provided tax counsel to the Sony Corporation and the Mubadala Development Company in their capacity as the main participants in a group of investors that acquired EMI Music Publishing from Citigroup. Taking into account its advice to Sony as it bid for the EMI Record Music division, the work was worth $4.1 billion.