WHO WE ARE 

Slaughter and May is a leading international law firm, recognised throughout the business community for its exceptional legal service, commercial awareness and commitment to clients. We advise across the spectrum of legal matters including high-profile, ground-breaking and complex transactions, contentious matters and all aspects of risk. We deliver innovative and bespoke solutions to our clients, domestically and internationally, providing clear legal advice that spans the globe whilst tackling the cultural nuances between jurisdictions. Our lawyers understand how to coordinate and manage matters in the jurisdictions most relevant to our clients. 

We are now offering the opportunity for a 0-4 years’ PQE solicitor to become part of our dynamic Tax practice team, which provides first-class legal advice to some of the most prestigious and well-known global businesses. 

At Slaughter and May, with over 1,200 partners and staff worldwide, everyone's contribution is valued, and we all enjoy an open, friendly and supportive environment. We have an underlying sense of pride in who we are and what we do, and our inclusive culture gives rise to a unique diversity of thinking, which is critical to our success and helps maintain our position as a true market leader. To support our employees in achieving their professional development objectives, we offer an unrivalled variety of learning and development opportunities to everyone, as well as a highly competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package. In light of the continuing coronavirus pandemic, the firm has evolved a new hybrid approach to working, which sees our people working between their respective remote environments and our prestigious Headquarters at One Bunhill Row, in the heart of the City of London. 

ROLE OVERVIEW 

The firm as a whole and the Tax practice in particular take a multi-specialist approach, meaning that you would undertake a general spread of work on an extensive range of matters and across all taxes relevant to our clients. Much of the work spans the globe, with transactions involving our overseas offices as well as leading independent law firms in many other jurisdictions. 

Associates in the Tax practice tend to work closely with all of the partners in the group, and also with fee-earners at all levels from across the firm. As a result, you will have a breadth of experience not only in types of work, but also in the different working practices and approaches of different partners. 

The matters we work on are generally challenging and sophisticated. We do, however, aim to give associates as much responsibility and client contact as they are ready for. Junior associates may take the lead either on the matter as a whole or a part of it. If you feel comfortable running a negotiation/meeting, the partners will be keen to encourage you. We recognise that individuals all need to develop at their own pace so your progress and workload will be continually monitored and reviewed by the tax partners. 

Group structure of our Tax practice 

Our Tax practice is made up of 4 partners, 2 senior counsel and around 20 associates. In addition, we also have a number of trainees with us at any one time and the team is well supported from a knowledge management and business development perspective, including by two professional support lawyers. 

We are a leading tax practice, consistently ranked in the top tier for corporate tax in Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners, and seek to provide strategic tax advice and constructive and innovative solutions to all tax problems for our clients. 

Our work splits broadly into three categories: transactional work, tax dispute resolution and stand-alone tax consultancy. 

Transactional work 

We work closely with our corporate and financing groups to provide tax advice on all types of corporate, commercial and financial transactions to ensure the deals are structured in the most appropriate manner so that there are no unexpected tax costs and that any tax liabilities or risks are allocated accordingly. In particular, we advise on: 

 structuring of some of the biggest and most complicated mergers, de-mergers, acquisitions, disposals and corporate reconstructions 

 structuring of debt and equity capital market transactions 

 development of innovative and tax efficient structures for a full range of financing transactions, including leasing and other types of structured financing 

 documentation for the implementation of transactions so that desired tax objectives are met 

 tax aspects of private equity transactions and investment funds from initial investment to exit 

Examples of recent high-profile transactions on which we have advised include: 

 BHP on the unification of its dual-listed company structure 

 Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc, a developer of DNA/RNA sequencing technology used in biomedical/cancer research (and NHS Covid-19 testing), on its IPO on the London Stock Exchange 

 Virgin Group on the successful restructuring of Virgin Active 

 Ørsted on its disposal of a 50% interest in the 752 MW Borssele 1 & 2 Offshore Wind Farm (in the Netherlands) to Norges Bank Investment Management. 

Although we advise on UK tax, much of the work we do has an international element and we work closely with leading local advisers in overseas jurisdictions. 

Tax disputes 

We have a well-established tax dispute resolution practice. We represent clients in a wide range of disputes with HMRC from the enquiry stage through to proceedings before the tax tribunals and the courts. We also frequently represent our clients in “intervention” processes with HMRC, which involve trying to settle a number of disputes with HMRC on an accelerated timescale. Disputes we have advised on include: 

 BlueCrest, a leading hedge fund, in relation to challenges to the UK tax treatment of its management incentivisation arrangements 

 several clients on the European Commission’s State aid investigation into the group financing exemption from the UK’s CFC rules 

 Vitol group in relation to a diverted profits tax dispute 

Tax consultancy 

We also provide clients with a general tax and stand-alone tax consultancy service. As with the rest of our practice, this work is also very varied – it can range from advising on the impact draft legislation may have on our clients, technical queries on new legislation and business and transaction structuring, to responding to stand-alone tax queries, for instance on the impact of the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework’s two-pillar solution to address the tax challenges arising from the digitalisation of the economy, and its implementation into UK law, and what this means in terms of compliance for our clients. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 

The key responsibilities of this role are set out below and there may be others which are not listed. 

 Advising on the direct and indirect tax aspects of a wide range of corporate, commercial and financial matters including equity and equity capital markets transactions, private mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures, fundraisings, structured finance, restructurings and private equity transactions etc. 

 Drafting, reviewing and amending transaction documentation to achieve the intended tax treatment or risk allocation 

 Advising on contentious tax matters from the enquiry stage to settlement or litigation, alongside our disputes and investigations team, where appropriate 

 Advising on tax consultancy matters across the full range of taxes relevant to our clients 

 Providing efficient professional support for partners and senior counsel 

 Developing professional relationships with clients and stakeholders across the firm 

 Supporting the wider team in developing business and raising the profile of the firm and the Tax practice, including through contributing to the European Tax Blog and other publications 

 Managing/supervising the work of others, including trainees 

CANDIDATE PROFILE 

Candidates for this position must have: 

 Appropriate level of post-qualification experience (0-4 years PQE) in a City, major regional or leading international firm 

 Broad exposure to the tax aspects across a range of corporate, commercial and financial transactions 

 Ability to spot tax issues arising on complex transactions and draft, advise and negotiate accordingly 

 Excellent commercial awareness and client relationship skills 

 Comprehensive understanding of the UK corporation tax system and knowledge of the range of tax issues affecting large corporates 

 Ability to develop and work in a fast paced, intellectually challenging environment 

 Strong academic background and a demonstrable, high level of intellectual analysis 

 Excellent legal research skills 

 Resilient under pressure with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and competing demands across a variety of matters with different internal and external stakeholders 

 Experienced in running negotiations/meetings under minimal supervision 

 High level of professionalism and integrity.