Baker McKenzie combines its expertise from its international trade and WTO practice and its tax practice into a cross-departmental customs & excise team.  The firm's growing practice regularly advises global corporates on significant international projects, ranging from supply chain management matters through to sensitive customs investigations and appeals. As one of a number of firms appointed to the UK government's first post-Brexit trade panel to advise on WTO and trade agreement disputes the team has also been active leading Brexit risk assessments for clients. Practice head Jennifer Revis, who also heads the EMEA customs group, advises across matters including customs, excise and anti tax evasion work. Other key players in the team include senior associate Jessica Mutton, who focuses on international trade, sanctions and corruption matters and Ben Smith.

Bird & Bird LLP's broad practice works with clients from a variety of industry sectors but has particularly close ties with businesses in the retail and consumer sectors. The team, which regularly advises on investigations, has a broad contentious excise duty practice that covers 'sin' taxes including alcohol, tobacco and gambling. International tax practice head Andy Brown, who leads the team, regularly advises on Missing Trader Intra-Community VAT fraud and excise duty fraud investigations. He is supported by a team that also includes the 'hard-working and practical'  Chris Young.

DLA Piper advises on all aspects of international trade law and customs and excise matters, and the UK team is able to call on support from an expansive bench of lawyers across most of Europe, in addition to the US and Asia. Head of department John Forrest  specialises in matters concerning export controls, sanctions and international trade law, and regularly advises governments on international trade issues. Paul Hardy was promoted to partner in May 2022, and frequently advises clients on issues relating to Brexit, having previously worked for the European Commission. Well-regarded tax litigator Stuart Walsh joined from Pinsent Masons LLP in summer 2022.

Pinsent Masons LLP's customs and excise practice covers the full spectrum of matters concerning international businesses, but the firm has a particular specialism in the brewing industry, where it works with a number of well-known brands. The team, which includes tax advisers and former HMRC officers as well as lawyers, is led by tax disputes and investigations head Steven Porter, who regularly represents large corporates and high-net-worth individuals. Newly promoted legal director Ian Robotham is highly regarded for his work assisting on major matters for corporates and individuals.

PwC LLP's indirect tax disputes team brings together litigators, tax advisers and accountants to advise across a full range of customs and excise matters. The team, many of whom have previously worked in industry or at HMRC, regularly handles complex, multi-jurisdictional customs and excise investigations and litigation and advises on the interpretation of international trade-related treaties. The team is led by David Anderson, who has more than 20 years' experience of indirect tax and also includes environmental tax specialist Jayne Harrold.

RPC's team focuses on tax disputes, advising clients across multiple jurisdictions on direct and indirect tax matters, including customs and excise duty. The practice is led by Adam Craggs, a former solicitor for HMRC, who specialises in inquiries, criminal tax investigations and complex group litigation actions. Michelle Sloane's area of focus is in resolving complex tax disputes and advising corporates and high-net-worth individuals. Associate Keziah Mastin joined from HMRC in January 2022.