Herbert Smith Freehills LLP is one of the leading contentious tax teams in London undertaking a broad range of work including direct business tax, personal tax, employment tax and indirect tax disputes. The practice are increasingly focused on tax fraud matters with HMRC pursuing more criminal investigations and prosecutions. Nick Clayton leads the team and handles the full spectrum of tax disputes with a focus on tax fraud and investigations. Michael Hunt works closely with the employment team on contentious matters relating to worker status and internationally mobile employees. Associate Dawen Gao is a highly regarded practitioner.

Joseph Hage Aaronson LLP is a boutique dispute resolution firm which specialises in tax litigation, commercial litigation and international arbitration. The team acts in a number of high value recovery claims by major multinationals in complex domestic and cross-border tax disputes. The firm also have a growing expertise in cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens. Graham Aaronson KC founded the firm in 2013 and co-heads the practice with Michael Anderson who is experienced in running major tax disputes in non-UK jurisdictions. Simon Whitehead is well-versed in corporation tax matters, while Paul Farmer is an expert in European tax law.

The tax disputes team at Slaughter and May are frequently involved in high-profile tribunal cases and advise on mandates such as transfer pricing, state aid and tax residence. The firm undertakes both transactional and contentious matters with the ability to provide cutting-edge advice on evidence gathering, privilege and dealing with witnesses. Richard Jeens  co-heads the practice with Dominic Robertson  who regularly handles EU tax state aid investigations. Steve Edge is an accomplished contentious tax practitioner while Ewan Brown  co-heads the global investigations group.

Allen & Overy LLP‘s contentious tax practice includes pre-litigation advice, negotiations and settlements with HMRC, commercial litigation proceedings and tribunal hearings. The firm has a varied client base with companies across the financial, consumer, retail, energy and transport sectors. Co-head Charles Yorke has experience of managing large-scale investigations by HMRC’s fraud investigation service. Vimal Tilakapala‘s practice involves finance-related tax including structured finance, regulatory capital and securitisation. Eve Giles specialises in financial crime investigations while Lydia Challen advises on supply chain finance and repackagings.

Ashurst has an active tax disputes practice which is considered a market leader in the context of VAT litigation, indirect tax, employment taxes, and EU State Aid. The firm primarily undertakes work for financial institutions, funds, premium corporates and infrastructure companies.  Nicholas Gardner heads the team and has extensive expertise in relation to the resolution of disputes with HMRC and contentious tax matters generally. Paul Miller focuses on the financial services industry while Sara Mardell advises clients in relation to VAT and national insurance issues.

Baker McKenzie provides domestic and international tax disputes advice to multi-nationals with expertise across several sectors including financial institutions, healthcare, TMT and FMCG. The team is experienced in advising clients on European State Aid investigations, corporation tax disputes and transfer pricing matters. David Jamieson heads up the VAT and indirect tax disputes practice while Jessica Eden leads the corporate tax cases. Economist Nigel Dolman specialises in defending global transfer pricing and valuations across different industries. Patrick O’Gara  has expertise in the pharma and life sciences sectors.

The contentious tax team at Bird & Bird LLP assists clients throughout the full cycle of a dispute from providing pre-emptive compliance advice to making disclosures to relevant authorities and bringing civil litigation. The team deals with tax authorities in relation to all types of issues including transfer pricing and diverted profit matters. Andy Brown heads the practice and specialises in cross-border disputes while Chris Young is well-versed in areas such as money laundering.

The contentious tax practice at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, overseen by global head Elizabeth Bradley, covers the full spectrum of matters with increased focus on corporation tax and employment tax disputes as well as tax fraud issues. Kate Ison specialises in contentious tax with expertise in marketing and technology sectors. Alan Sinyor is a VAT practitioner and deals with high value and cross border VAT disputes with HMRC.

Clifford Chance LLP‘s contentious tax practice has expertise in complex international and cross border investigations and disputes involving VAT. Recent highlights include advising in relation to a dispute around the tax treatment of foreign tax credits. Co-head David Saleh has particular expertise in real estate-related taxes while other co-head David Harkness specialises in corporate and finance tax. Associate Nicola Hemsley focuses on tax disputes with clients such as financial investors and institutions.

The contentious tax team at Fieldfisher has expertise in a variety of tax disputes topics including disclosures, resolution of HMRC enquiries, criminal enquiries and professional negligence claims. There is also a substantial international element to the work being done evidenced by frequent dealings with German tax authorities. George Gillham co-heads the practice with Derek Hill who had expertise in the media and film sectors. Barrister and partner Philippe Freund is involved in cases ranging from the Tax Tribunals to the Supreme Court. Matthew Sharp specialises in contentious tax matters.

The tax disputes and investigations team at KPMG Law in the United Kingdom acts on all types of domestic and cross-border matters including corporation tax, customs and excise duties and income tax for high net-worth individuals. Recent highlights include representing HSBC in a novel dispute about non-incorporated entities which has far-reaching consequences for UK VAT law. Angela Savin has a range of direct tax dispute resolution expertise and co-heads the team with Matthew Fleming who leads the indirect tax disputes practice. Amanda Brown KC is a rated barrister who represents clients in a range of disputes.

Macfarlanes LLP advises on the full spectrum of tax matters from HMRC enquiries to audits, investigations and litigation. The team handles both direct and indirect tax disputes with many going before the tax tribunals and civil courts. Other areas of expertise include transfer pricing and offshore trusts matters. Gideon Sanitt heads the team with experience in both transactional and contentious work with support from Sebastian Prichard Jones. Ben Webster acts on a wide range of tax disputes including traditional HMRC matters and judicial review cases.

Pinsent Masons LLP‘s tax disputes and investigations team advise several large companies on IR35 legislation and international tax issues such as diverted profits tax. The practice do a lot of work in the energy sector on matters such as the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS). The firm are also strong in handling employment and business crime tax-related issues. Steven Porter heads the practice and has a wealth of experience in contentious and non-contentious tax matters. Andrew Sackey is experienced in domestic and international investigations, while Jake Landman specialises in tax disputes and advising large corporates.

PwC LLP has a large contentious tax team consisting of solicitors, barristers, accredited mediators, CTAs and accountants. The team provides expertise across a number of sectors such as financial services, retail, gaming, manufacturing, telecommunications, leisure and education. The team is frequently involved in tax litigation, tax investigations, transfer pricing and ADR work covering multiple jurisdictions. Stephen Morse leads the practice with experience in direct tax, VAT, transfer pricing and personal taxes. Mark Whitehouse has expertise in tax planning challenges, HRCP cases, corporate tax appeals and judicial reviews. David Anderson  is well-versed in contentious and non-contentious matters.

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP has expertise in sensitive taxation and financing-related matters. The practice is experienced in regulatory and high-net worth tax investigations, arbitration disputes and multi-jurisdictional challenges faced by UK-based or UK-connected nationals. Practice head Liesl Fichardt specialises in complex tax, finance and debt-related investigations with HMRC. Epaminontas Triantafilou frequently represents clients in international arbitrations while associate Emily Au assists with forensic tax investigations.

The tax litigation team at RPC has extensive experience in all aspects of HMRC investigations with a particularly strong sports and entertainer client base. The team is instructed in some of the largest UK and European Court of Justice tax cases in addition to representing several taxpayer companies and individuals in public law group actions against HMRC. Adam Craggs heads the practice and has particular expertise in dealing with enquiries and complex tax litigation. Robert Waterson  focuses on multijurisdictional disputes while Michelle Sloane  advises both corporates and high-net worth individuals. Associate Harry Smith has experience across a range of direct and indirect taxes.

Beyond the mainstream tax tribunal litigation, Simmons & Simmons specialises in commercial tax litigation, e-discovery, regulatory investigations, fraud work and professional negligence. The firm has sector expertise in the asset management, TMT, healthcare and life sciences industries. Nick Skerrett leads the team and is experienced in litigating high-value tax cases. Monique Van Herksen specialises in transfer pricing controversy and dispute resolution. Heather Rowlands advises corporate clients on VAT disputes.

DLA Piper helps clients to manage complex civil and criminal fraud investigations while also providing contentious tax expertise. The practice has been significantly strengthened in recent months by a series of hires from Pinsent Masons LLP, including international tax controversy head Jason Collins and senior associate Lauren Redhead in 2021, followed by legal director Clara Boyd and Stuart Walsh in 2022, further boosting the team’s expertise in relation to contentious VAT and excise duty matters. Richard Woolich covers indirect tax issues such as excise duty, carbon pricing and landfill tax in addition to transfer pricing matters.

Ernst & Young LLP acts for clients in the largest and most complex tax disputes in litigation from the First-tier Tribunal to the Supreme Court. The firm’s client base ranges from ultra-high net worth individuals to corporates with a particular strong presence in the oil and gas sectors. Boaz Goren leads the direct tax litigation practice with a wealth of experience practicing as a tax and commercial litigator. Other head Mitchell Moss leads the indirect tax practice with dispute resolution experience in VAT. Julian Balson assists clients in tax-related enquiries, investigatons and proceedings.

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP provides practical contentious tax advice on issues such as VAT, customs duties, loan relationships, SDRT and tax investigations. In addition the team has expertise in acting for clients in judicial reviews and advising on precedent-setting cases of tax discrimination. David Jervis co-heads the team with Giles Salmond  who specialises in indirect tax with a focus on contentious VAT. Edward Griffiths  advises clients on disputes with HMRC from pre-action through to trial.

Hogan Lovells International LLP has an extensive tax litigation and investigation offering with expertise in the tech, insurance and real estate sectors. The practice are known for HMRC enquiries and internal investigations with a number of US groups among the client base. Rupert Shiers leads the UK and European tax litigation team with expertise in taxpayers rights, HMRC powers and tax statutory interpretation.

The tax disputes and investigations team at Mishcon de Reya LLP spans both indirect and direct tax with both corporate and private clients. ADR and mediation continues to be a key focus of the teams practice as the practice advises on all aspects of dispute resolution from early stage written representations through to a Tribunal hearing. Team head Leslie Allen is experienced in the conduct of indirect disputes and is supported by Robert Hartley who advises clients across the real estate and leisure sectors. Paul Noble specialises in resolving complex tax disputes.

Norton Rose Fulbright has extensive experience in advising taxpayers in relation to tax authority investigations, negotiations with tax authorities, public law remedies and matters before the major UK courts and tribunals. The team also carries out work with an international element including challenges to international group structures and tax residence. Practice head Dominic Stuttaford is an experienced tax litigator while Chris Bates is regularly instructed on HMRC investigations. Michael Alliston advises taxpayers on tax governance and compliance matters.

Stewarts Law LLP acts on a multi-disciplinary basis across four specialist areas of tax disputes including direct tax litigation, indirect tax litigation, tax investigations and commercial tax litigation. The department is well-versed in tax and HMRC settlement with a diverse client base from high-net worth individuals and associated businesses. David Pickstone  is experienced in direct tax, environmental tax and commercial tax litigation. Lee Ellis acts for corporates while Victor Cramer  focuses on indirect tax.

The tax litigation team at Weil, Gotshal & Manges (London) LLP is 'thorough, efficient, organised and all-round great to work with‘. The practice frequently advises clients on the merits of pursuing litigation against tax authorities and the interaction between insurance cover and the decision to settle a claim. The firm’s key lawyers include disputes expert Jamie Maples , Jenny Doak and Oliver Walker who advises private equity and pension funds. Chris Marks regularly advises clients in relation to pre-dispute strategy.

Bark&co has expertise in civil tax and criminal tax fraud with an increasing focus on litigation in areas of VAT and excise duty. Giles Bark-Jones leads the practice with expertise extending to several areas of civil litigation including fraud and contentious tax. Peter Finbow specialises in white-collar crime including VAT fraud and money laundering.

The business crime and regulation team at BCL Solicitors LLP acts for a range of clients including high-ranking executives and senior figures. The firm has expertise in tax fraud cases across the financial and legal sectors. Co-head Harry Travers combines experience in tax litigation and tax fraud. Other co-heads Ian Burton and Greg Mailer are involved in tax investigations while John Binns represents individual and corporate clients.

Charles Russell Speechlys LLP are known for their ability to offer expert advice on HMRC enquiries, investigations and litigation including claims for mistake and rectification both in the UK and offshore. Hugh Gunson heads the practice and covers the full spectrum of work including corporation tax and CGT.

Kingsley Napley LLP represents individuals in cases involving allegations of tax avoidance and indirect taxation matters such as VAT claims and settlements. The firm also has a good reputation for advising on high-profile tax fraud cases and white collar crime. The key names include financial crime expert David Sleight and Louise Hodges, who frequently handles tax investigations. Ed Smyth acts for individuals and corporates in respect of criminal cases.

The tax investigations team at Kuit Steinart Levy LLP represents clients in  relation to a  range of issues including tax scheme investigations, furlough fraud, settlement of scheme liabilities and cases involving tax data theft. Practice head Robert Levy  has expertise in representing clients facing tax investigations while Paul Bricknell specialises in tax disclosure matters.

Osborne Clarke LLP often advises on tax related litigation matters with expertise in the off payroll and flexible workforce sector. The team is especially active in the technology and financial services sector. Ian Hyde leads the team and represents clients in all aspects of tax risk and tax litigation. Frances Lewis is experienced in advising staffing companies on tax status issues.

Peters & Peters Solicitors LLP‘s tax team specialises in civil and criminal disputes with extensive experience in handling investigations and liaising with HMRC. Many of the firm’s cases have an international element such as overseas tax law or offshore tax structures. Practice head Neil Swift has expertise in criminal tax fraud and civil cases. Maria Cronin provides clients with advice in FCA and money laundering matters.

The European tax controversy group at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP resolves high-value matters for clients that include corporations, partnerships, estates, individuals and government entities. The team has experience in areas such as transfer pricing, case-management for EU-related tax and state aid claims. James Anderson co-heads the practice with David Kavanagh who has expertise in litigation and arbitration.