Chambers Review
Provided by Chambers
Tax - London (Bar)
What the Team is Known For
Temple Tax Chambers has a broad set of impressive tax barristers who are able to support clients in both an advisory and litigation capacity. They appear at all levels of the UK and EU court systems, and regularly act in cases concerning issues such as corporate taxation, employment taxes, non-domiciled taxation and capital allowances, among others. Chambers is known for acting on behalf of taxpayers, such as large multinational corporations and high net worth individuals, as well as for the Revenue. Recent matters of note include Delphi Derivatives Ltd v HMRC, an appeal by an employer company against over £1 million in penalties for alleged deliberate behaviour in implementing an EBT scheme. Sources also "value the collaborative approach to building on our factual knowledge and technical information" exhibited by the set.
Lucy Campbell is the senior clerk.
Strengths
Both the counsel and clerks are approachable, professional and a pleasure to collaborate with.
The clerks are very efficient and helpful. What I like about them is that they always treat you like you are a very important client.
Notable practitioners
Jonathan Schwarz is highly regarded for his expertise in international tax matters. His particular areas of expertise include double tax relief, tax treaties, transfer pricing and cross-border transactions. He is also qualified as a barrister in Canada and South Africa, as well as Ireland, a country from which he's received a number of big cases in recent times.
Jonathan is a fantastic writer and a great advocate. He is a low-key, humble person with no ego and is just a wonderful barrister.
Jonathan has great depth of knowledge and is a keen academic student of tax law. When it comes to international tax issues, he has unparalleled knowledge.
Alun James focuses on corporate tax matters, including transactions, corporate reorganisations and debt restructures. Employment-related securities, share repurchases and venture capital trusts are additional areas he advises on. He has expertise in all direct tax matters and is also an experienced VAT and SDLT practitioner.
Alun James is clever and someone who is always approachable.
Alun looks at how things could go wrong and how the thinking could go awry. I find him very user-friendly as he doesn't mess about and has a good manner.
Keith Gordon is an accomplished barrister known for his effective advice to taxpayers on a wide range of corporate tax issues. He is experienced in handling cases involving income tax, capital gains tax and employment taxes.
Keith provides a very high level of service and is excellent in his response times to communications. He explains complex issues to the lay client, so they have a better understanding of the position.
Michael Sherry is a well-regarded practitioner for all aspects of tax law. He is an expert in corporate tax, tax schemes and residence issues, and has significant experience in VAT and private client taxation to boot. In addition to dispensing incisive advice, he appears in contentious proceedings.
Michael was an accountant before so he is very numerate, and this is helpful for his work. That's a great attribute to have.
We very much value Michael for his practical approach and clear guidance.
Philip Ridgway is a corporate tax specialist with particular expertise in business reorganisations. He has particular knowledge of insolvency and income tax, but also acts in SDLT cases and is increasingly called on to advise on tax avoidance schemes.
Philip is a man clearly comfortable in his own skin, who instils confidence in all who meet him. It's very clear he is completely knowledgeable about his area.
David Pett is a former solicitor valued for his strong advice to taxpayers on employment and corporate tax-related issues. He is in demand by leading City solicitors' firms and particularly respected for his deep knowledge of employee share incentives, employee ownership trusts and tax-advantaged share schemes.
David Pett is excellent and provides clear and precise advice throughout a case. He always makes us feel that we are in the best hands possible.
David's breadth of knowledge and experience truly impress. He is a first port of call for the most complicated mandates.
Ximena Montes Manzano is a well-respected junior known for her work representing clients at all levels of the court system. She regularly counsels clients on corporate tax issues as well as professional conduct cases. She is particularly well known for her support of clients through formal complaints and ADR.
Ximena's appreciation of our clients and their needs is critical to us as we seek to explain complex issues to non-legal people.
Ximena is very strategic and has great legal acumen.
