Biography:

Emma advises on all aspects of employment law including unlawful discrimination, whistleblowing, equal pay, unfair dismissal, breach of contract, restrictive covenants, protecting confidential information, boardroom disputes and claims under TUPE. She has experience in obtaining and executing interim injunctions for breach of confidentiality and/or restrictive covenant provisions. She also leads diversity issues for Charles Russell Speechlys employment team.

With a strong record in negotiating and resolving complex employment disputes, Emma is considered a skilled deal broker. She is a specialist in contentious discrimination matters and has significant experience in handling high value contentious claims for employers and senior individuals. Emma acts for employers, employees and trade unions. Her client base is broad, both in terms of the range of work and the sectors in which they operate. Amongst these clients are a number of growing, dynamic businesses (including UK start-ups), as well as long established financial institutions, and senior executives.

Emma speaks regularly on diversity issues, edits the diversity sections of Lawtel Employment Precedents and Company Policy Documents and certain diversity sections of Tolley Guidance Employment Tax online, and regularly contributes to article in HR and legal publications as well as comments in the national press on diversity issues.

Experience

• Successfully defended a tribunal claim of race and religious discrimination against a household name private members club. Added complications arose as the matter was reported in the press before judgment was given. An appeal to the Employment Appeals Tribunal was rejected.
• Advised and represented a large London retailer in relation to a multi-discrimination employment tribunal complaint (direct, indirect, victimisation and harassment based on race and religion). The claim was complicated by the variety of allegations and the worker's status; there were three preliminary hearings before a full merits hearing was listed. There were also four named Respondents to the claim. Successfully settled the action for a nominal sum, with agreement that all allegations were retracted and not repeated despite the action continuing against the other Respondents.
• Advised and negotiated service agreements for the senior management team of the seller on a multimillion pound share sale of a UK business.
• A major legal victory for a pilot employed by a household name airline, in a landmark case against the airline for indirect age discrimination. The decision has industry-wide ramifications for airlines and other organisations which provide a combination of long-term permanent health insurance or similar income protection payments via third party and self-insurance.

Biography:

With more than 20 years of experience in both industry and consultancy across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Australia, Rubeena specializes in cross-border taxation and transfer pricing in Africa and the Middle East.

She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and qualified in International Tax and Transfer Pricing at the Chartered Institute of Taxation UK.

Rubeena is the author of the Mauritius country guide in Tolley’s Global Mobility/Employment Taxes.

Biography:

The Venture Capital Tax Reliefs (Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS), Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and Venture Capital Trusts (VCT)) are a key part of the UK Government’s strategy to help small and growing businesses raise much-needed capital.

Philip Hare & Associates LLP specialises in these tax reliefs, and advises businesses looking to raise money under these schemes, and deals with HMRC on their behalf. We work alongside other intermediaries, such as lawyers, brokers and fund managers.

Biography:

Iuri is currently obtaining his degree in law from the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR) and has already been approved by the professional exam to practice law in Brazil.

The author has focused his studies on tax law since he was a third-year student, with emphasis in international tax law – having achieved an award as a Best Speaker at the Iberoamerican Tax Moot Court Competition. The Moot Court was held by the Iberoamerican Observatory for International Taxation and the Brazilian Institute of Tax Law.

Biography:

Catherine is a Tax Partner with PKF O’Connor Leddy & Holmes Ltd and leads the VAT Department.Catherine has advised both domestic and international clients and work closely with foreign tax advisers to deliver VAT advice. Catherine and her team, devise solutions and provide their clients with comprehensive VAT advice enabling them to realise the full tax implications of the transaction.

Catherine has advised and delivered CPD lectures on business VAT transactions, VAT on property, structuring property transactions, and Brexit VAT considerations. She worked closely with the SFA on their business strategy document ‘A Supportive Tax Environment for Small Firms’.

Catherine is a contributing author to the Republic of Ireland country guide in Tolley's Global VAT.

Biography:

Gill is a compelling seminar, in house and conference speaker with a strong gift for making topics in private client practice practical, engaging, authoritative and informative.

Gill works as a consultant and trainer with a number of large and small legal firms. She ran her own practice providing a consultancy service to practitioners on issues concerning Wills, Probate, Trusts and Tax between 1996-2013.

In 2000 Gill set up LawSkills Ltd offering technical and skills training for the Private Client Practitioner complemented by a dedicated and active website www.lawskills.co.uk.

Gill is author of The Law Society's Trust Practitioner's Handbook, Consultant editor for Tolley's IHT & Trusts & Estates online service, a solicitor with an MBA in Legal Practice Management and a consultant with Blake Morgan.  She is also a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) UK Practice Committee and the Association of Taxation Technicians.

Biography:

Alexandra Hall is a Partner and Chair of Higgs & Johnson’s Government & Regulatory Affairs practice group and Deputy-chair of the firm’s Tax practice group. She is also a member in the firm’s Commercial Law and Private Client and Wealth Management practice groups.

She has experience in local tax law, corporate and commercial law, legal issues relating to resort development and operations and gaming law and regulation. She has assisted in various aspects of commercial transactions including securing governmental and regulatory approvals for a variety of businesses.

Alexandra regularly advises clients on day-to-day legal issues including licensing and compliance matters as well as other general corporate matters associated with the establishment and operation of a business in The Bahamas. In 2014 Alexandra presented to various stakeholder groups throughout The Bahamas on the introduction of Value Added Tax.

Biography:

Emily is a senior tax manager in ForrestBrown’s advisory team and is qualified as both a chartered accountant and chartered tax adviser. She advises businesses on R&D tax law, claim methodologies and tax disputes. Her work includes supporting clients across all forms of R&D tax relief enquiry, as well as wider advisory engagements, including EPW/subcontractor analysis, claim reviews and R&D workshops.

Biography:

I am a Partner at Morton Fraser, based in Edinburgh, and I head the firm's Corporate Division. I am dual-qualified (Scotland and England/Wales), having practised in England for seven years before moving to Scotland and becoming Scots qualified in 1999.

I am a former winner of the Law Awards of Scotland's 'Corporate Lawyer of the Year' award and my corporate and commercial practice mainly advises owner-managed SMEs, with particular expertise in private equity/angel investment (advising investees as well as investors), company share/asset sales and purchases, joint ventures, corporate restructurings, contractual commercial matters (agency, distribution and franchising etc), IP, IT and data protection.

Since 2011, my team has advised the winners of the Converge Challenge, an annual competition run by Heriot-Watt University to support the next generation of research entrepreneurs in Scotland. I am also a member of Heriot-Watt University's Innovation Advisory Group and Morton Fraser's Management Board.

Biography:

Charlotte is a member of Ten Old Square Chambers. She has a general Chancery practice, with a focus on non-contentious private client matters.

She has particular experience in advising on trusts and associated taxation, wills, probate and the administration of estates. She is adept at drafting deeds and other trust documents.

Charlotte recently spent six months seconded to the private client department of a major City law firm. Whilst there, she advised on the full spectrum of private client practice. She gained particular expertise in international private client taxation, trust administration and probate matters.

Charlotte was awarded a first class degree in History from the Queen's College at the University of Oxford. She went on to gain a Distinction in the Graduate Diploma in Law and an Outstanding in the Bar Professional Training Course. She was awarded the Benefactors' Prize by the Queen's College and a Major Scholarship from the Inner Temple.

She is a member of the Chancery Bar Association, a committee member of the Junior Chancery Bar Association and an associate member of STEP.

Biography:

Steven is a tax-qualified Chartered Surveyor who has specialised in tax incentives, including capital allowances and land remediation relief for over 20 years. Previously he held senior specialist positions in 'Big 4' and national mid-tier accountancy firms. Capital allowances underpin income tax and corporation tax calculations by giving tax relief for money spent to buy, build or alter commercial property.

Steven works with owner-occupiers, investors and their advisers to provide capital allowances opinions, transaction support and specialist valuations for all types of property.  This includes resolving HM Revenue capital allowances enquiries and giving expert evidence to tribunals and courts.

Steven has contributed to many articles and books, including: Bloomsbury Professional's Capital Allowances, Tolley's Tax Planning, RICS's official Guidance Note for surveyors on Capital Allowances and Land Remediation Relief, and Practical Law Company's Practice Note on Commercial Property Standard Enquiry 32 dealing with capital allowances.

Biography:

Wouter Brackx is a Partner with Moore Belgium. For over twenty years, he has been giving VAT advice to domestic and international clients on operational business matters and restructurings.  Prior to joining Moore Belgium in December 2020, Wouter worked with PwC (2000 to 2010) and was a Partner with PKF-VMB (2011-2020).

Wouter primarily works for dynamic businesses/groups with international activities, mainly in the areas of manufacturing & distribution,  leasing, services and technology.  He is pragmatic, hands-on and has a strong solution focus, based on know-how.

Wouter is an expert in VAT planning (avoiding unnecessary VAT costs/registrations), VAT risk identification & mitigation, VAT cash flow optimizations (supply chain), VAT automation and international VAT compliance coordination. He also provides assistance in obtaining advance rulings from the Belgian Ruling Commission. He and his team also have significant experience in due diligence work for private equity funds.

Biography:

Richard has been in practice for over 25 years, originally specialising in corporate tax for large corporates and multinationals but has spent most of his career devoted to looking after the interests of UK owner manager businesses, their owners and their wider families.  He has carved out a reputation for making complicated concepts of taxation understandable for his clients. This is a skill he has put to good use in co-authoring Tolley’s Tax Planning For Owner Managed Businesses 2020-21, with his colleagues Craig Simpson and Cassandra Graham at Bates Weston Tax Advisory Ltd.

Biography:

A corporate tax partner, Cathy is part of Mercer & Hole's team of business tax specialists providing assistance and support to clients across the firm.

All business clients are concerned about their tax burden and, with her team, Cathy offers guidance to business owners and directors across all relevant taxes. This not only involves guiding clients through the complexities of compliance but also looking at some of the more interesting aspects of corporate tax, for example, in relation to business transactions, the structuring of a business, incorporation, research and development (R&D) tax credits and employee share schemes. She therefore provides vital planning support and helps clients to minimise the tax burden for their business.

Cathy has a wealth of experience in the area of business transactions, particularly regarding company re-organisations, demergers, acquisitions, disposals, flotations and take-privates. However, Cathy also assists clients with the personal taxes that affect business owners, for example, regarding succession planning, IHT and capital gains tax planning.

Cathy has contributed chapters on: Selling a company, Buying a company and Franchising for Tolley's Tax Planning and is a regular writer for the firm's SME Plus blog and client newsletters.

An avid football fan, Cathy spends much of her spare time supporting Arsenal both at home and away fixtures.

Biography:

More than 18 years of experience in the analysis and preparation of financial information, providing advice and consulting on accounting, tax and financial matters; compliance with tax obligations, payroll preparation, tax recovery and representation before tax authorities. More than 10 years of experience in auditing and preparing federal, local and social security tax reports.

She has a degree in Accounting from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and a specialty in Senior Management from the same institution.

Biography:

Debbie trained as a Chartered Accountant with Coopers and Lybrand in London before moving into exam training in 1998 and becoming CTA qualified in 2000.

Debbie has taught tax and accountancy across various qualifications for over twenty years and was a member of the ICAEW tax exam team for a number of years.

Debbie joined Tolley Exam Training in 2004. She teaches across the ATT and CTA qualifications and is involved in material production.

Biography:

Parwin has 30 years of experience in direct and indirect taxes. For the past 19 years she has been advising multinationals in the MENA region on complex tax issues and specialises in dispute resolutions. Prior to GTS, Parwin founded one of the Big 4 international tax practice in Dubai and was heading it for 5 years. She also worked in the UK on corporate tax matters for few of the major banks for 10 years.

Biography: