Pinsent Masons boosts Tax with senior HMRC hire

Andrew, who qualified as a corporate tax lawyer at Linklaters before joining the civil service in 1996, is the most senior lawyer responsible for legal matters arising in relation to Business Taxes.

Among other things, he has been a member of the most senior governance boards dealing with high-value tax disputes and HMRC's operational response to issues which affect a cross-section of large business taxpayers.  Before joining HMRC he drafted tax legislation at the Office of Parliamentary Counsel. 

The appointment represents the latest phase of development for the Pinsent Masons Tax team which is recognised as market-leading by independent legal directories Legal 500 and Chambers.

In January the firm announced the launch of its Tax practice into Singapore with the hire of Valerie Wu from Rothschild, while last year the firm followed-up the expansion of its Tax team into Germany and France with the launch of the practice in the Middle East. The firm also bolstered its UK tax team with appointment of Insurance sector tax expert Matthew Taylor from EY. 

Jason Collins, Head of Tax at Pinsent Masons, says: 

"Andrew's appointment is a real coup for us. For many years he has played a key role in ensuring that HMRC collects tax efficiently from large corporates, via new legislation to meet operational needs and ensuring settlements are consistent with the law and represent value for money.  The taxation of large businesses is becoming increasingly contentious, especially with the advent of new taxes like the Diverted Profits Tax and greater information sharing between international tax authorities.  Andrew provides an additional perspective to help ensure we achieve the best results for our clients when trying to manage risk and avoid disputes. 

We have a history of bringing together professionals from different backgrounds into a single unit, and our ability to offer this multi-disciplinary knowledge continues to distinguish us from the rest of the market place."