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Devereux
Department profile | Devereux
Tax

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Tax - London (Bar)

2
Band 2

What the Team is Known For

Devereux is a set that is home to highly respected barristers who are able to handle broad swathes of tax litigation. Members are well respected for their representation of both taxpayer clients and HMRC in high-stakes and precedent-setting cases, and several members of the team are on the Attorney General’s A, B and C panels of junior counsel. A number of them are considered go-to barristers for HNW and UHNW-related advice. Chambers boasts extensive experience handling cases concerning corporate taxation, capital allowances, stamp taxes, Diverted Profits Tax and IR35 issues. The set as a whole holds noted expertise in employment, commercial disputes and professional negligence, and is well placed to advise on the crossover of tax with those fields. An instructing solicitor highlights the "strength in depth across a number of specialist areas" and notes the team's "excellent experience". The set runs Elevenses with Devereux, a well-received tax webinar series. Recent cases handled by its members include Eastern Power Networks and Others v HMRC, which is the first case to consider the purposive construction of the “ownership proportion” provision in the Corporation Tax Act 2010 in connection with claims through link companies.

Glenn Billenness is the director of clerking and business development, and Cyrus Biggs is the deputy director of clerking.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

The clerks are particularly helpful. Counsel can be under severe pressure, but the clerks always keep you well informed and manage expectations well.

Tax respondent
UK Bar

The clerks are really great and very helpful.

Tax respondent
UK Bar

The clerks are great. They are friendly and helpful.

Tax respondent
UK Bar

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

Akash Nawbatt
1
Akash Nawbatt
1
Band 1

Akash Nawbatt KC specialises in tax and employment law, and is a strong choice for employment tax and disguised remuneration matters. He also handles the full range of corporate tax, including capital allowances and domicile issues. Nawbatt acts for both the Revenue and taxpayers.

Akash is clearly a leading player. He's very highly regarded, very articulate and someone who has been in many of the leading cases. He's also very good with clients.

Akash is a great technical lawyer whose advocacy is really good and highly effective. He's also really good with clients, being both commercially minded and friendly.

Akash is a very ferocious cross-examiner. That's really where his skill set best lies. A really, really good trial lawyer, he knows how to navigate complex factual material and is razor sharp.

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1
Felicity Cullen
1
Band 1

Felicity Cullen KC is well respected for her extensive experience advising clients on complex issues such as reorganisations and international tax disputes. She also appears in litigation relating to all aspects of revenue law, acting for taxpayers and HMRC, and has further knowledge of criminal tax offences.

Felicity is very detailed but also highly commercial. A real weapon in anyone's armoury, she is distinct from other KCs in that she's well respected by the Revenue and stands up for the taxpayer.

Felicity is really good. She's so approachable and responsive. Just brilliant.

Felicity has an encyclopedic knowledge of tax law. She's clear and concise in her opinions and much liked by clients.

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Aparna Nathan
2
Aparna Nathan
2
Band 2

Aparna Nathan KC has expertise in the full range of corporate tax cases and is an expert in corporation tax and capital allowances. She maintains a strong advisory practice, covering such issues as corporate reconstructions and offshore structures, and is involved in many large-scale tax litigation matters.

Aparna is a great talent whom we consider the first port of call for complex tax matters.

Aparna is technically very strong. She's easy to get along with and she gets it. Her advice is always clear, practical and just what we need.

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2
Barrie Akin
2
Band 2

Barrie Akin has experience advising on a wide range of revenue law issues including tax planning arrangements, income tax and matters relating to the disclosure of tax avoidance schemes. He is a qualified chartered accountant.

Barrie is just very level-headed and very easy to work with. He presents well, gets along with clients and is easy to understand.

Barrie Akin is highly experienced and user-friendly. He is a big hit with clients.

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Georgia Hicks
2
Georgia Hicks
2
Band 2

Georgia Hicks is a rising junior with strong expertise in employment taxes. She frequently represents clients in the sports and media industries in matters involving income tax, IR35 and NI contributions. Hicks is also experienced in acting for the Revenue.

Georgia is incredibly friendly and highly intelligent. She manages to break down very complex issues into manageable, understandable and commercial concepts for clients, which is terrific.

Georgia is very, very capable and a good advocate. She's also good at drafting strong legal arguments and is very hard-working.

Georgia is an exceptional junior in terms of her proactiveness, her technical skill and her ability to work with leading barristers. She's an effective team player. Nothing is a problem for her.

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Rebecca Murray
2
Rebecca Murray
2
Band 2

Rebecca Murray is active on the Attorney General's B Panel and has a growing reputation at the Tax Bar for handling private client work, as well as cases concerning corporate tax and IR35 issues. Her practice includes both advisory and litigation matters. Murray counts a number of FTSE 100 companies among her clients.

Commercial awareness and the ability to think on the fly are Rebecca's two strongest qualities. She has really comprehensive knowledge and is very, very good in terms of her responsiveness.

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Christopher Stone
3
Christopher Stone
3
Band 3

Christopher Stone KC specialises in employment taxation and income tax issues, acting for the Revenue and taxpayers, handling advisory work and litigation. His particular areas of expertise include tax procedure, employment status and the tax treatment of termination agreements.

Christopher has got great judgement and is very good at seeing both sides of the case. He can predict what the judge might think and do. He is also responsive and client-friendly.

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Kate Balmer
3
Kate Balmer
3
Band 3

Kate Balmer is an established junior who is accomplished at representing the Revenue in a variety of corporate tax cases. Her expertise includes matters involving tax schemes, income tax, corporation tax and employment taxes.

A really polished, calm advocate who never gets ruffled. Really diligent and someone with fantastic knowledge of tax law, she was tactically sound and made the whole process seamless.

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Marika Lemos
Marika Lemos
New Silks

Marika Lemos KC has wide-ranging tax expertise. She tackles advisory mandates and has a growing litigation practice, acting for taxpayers and HMRC in matters involving employment taxes and EU law. She has appeared in a number of international cases.

Marika Lemos is enthusiastic and team-oriented.

Marika is a very experienced advocate who is hard-working and knows a lot about specialist areas. Great at putting clients at ease and incredibly industrious, she offers a high-quality service.

Marika is extremely strong technically, has very good manners with the clients and is very good at keeping everyone in a team in the loop. She makes sure nothing falls between the cracks.

Marika Lemos has really, really good academic knowledge of the subject but is also excellent at taking a practical approach to cases.

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Ranked Barristers at
Devereux

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Band

Silks (KC)

London (Bar)

Tax
Akash Nawbatt KC
1
Akash Nawbatt KC
1
Band 1
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1
Felicity Cullen KC
1
Band 1
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Aparna Nathan KC
2
Aparna Nathan KC
2
Band 2
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Christopher Stone KC
3
Christopher Stone KC
3
Band 3
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Marika Lemos KC
Marika Lemos KC
New Silks
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Juniors

London (Bar)

Tax
2
Barrie Akin
2
Band 2
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Georgia Hicks
2
Georgia Hicks
2
Band 2
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Rebecca Murray
2
Rebecca Murray
2
Band 2
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Kate Balmer
3
Kate Balmer
3
Band 3
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