According to the results of the study of the TOP-25 UK law firms, it was established that during 2018 the companies were engaged in the following practices (areas): M&A, Tax law, Banking and financial law, Capital markets, Wealth management, Real Estate, Labor, pension, insurance law, IP (intellectual property) and Technology, Infrastructure, Litigation, GR, Pro Bono, Antitrust, Restructuring, bankruptcy, International Arbitration, Compliance.
The most common practices in 2018 were the following:
The study of the activities of UK law firms in 2018 showed that the share of legal services rendered by the TOP-25 companies in the practice of Tax Law amounts to 15% of all legal services.
In this direction, the following law firms provided the greatest number of services:
| Tax Law UK 2018 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Travers Smith | 17% |
| 2 | Slaughter and May | 15% |
| 3 | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett | 12% |
| 4 | Ashurst | 8% |
| 5 | Cravath Swaine & Moore | 6% |
| Sidley Austin | 6% | |
| 6 | Lewis Silkin | 5% |
| Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer | 5% | |
| 7 | Kirkland & Ellis | 4% |
| Macfarlanes | 4% | |
| Milbank | 4% | |
| 8 | Other | 14% |
The first place in the legal practice of Tax Law among the TOP-25 law firms in the UK goes to Travers Smith, which accounts for 17%.
It is worthwhile to mention such clients which used the company’s services in the area of taxation: Caledonia Investments plc, Premier Rugby Limited, Mears Group PLC, Phoenix Equity Partners, Marlin Equity Partners, Canopius, Gates Industrial Corporation, TAKKT AG, Phoenix Equity Partners.
In the second place is Slaughter and May (15%). The company advised the following institutions: Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), Zurich Insurance plc, Draper Gain Investments Limited, Scientific Games, Premier Oil plc, FirstGroup plc, Ocado Group plc, Just Group plc, Aker Energy AS, Standard Life Aberdeen plc, Impello Limited , GKN plc, Legal & General, Prudential plc, Michael Chambers / Orbach & Chambers Holdings Ltd, GSK, UK Asset Resolution and Bradford & Bingley plc, Yell Limited, Shire plc, Vodafone, BBA Aviation Plc, Richemont, Right Choice Insurance Brokers , Aquis Exchange PLC, Standard Chartered, BT Pension Scheme, Arm, Marks & Spencer, Glenveagh Properties PLC, Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company, Countrywide plc, BT Pension Scheme, Group plc, CEVA Logistics AG, Värde Partners, Aston Martin Lagonda, NewDay Cards, Dometic.
The third position was taken by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett (12%). Company’s lawyers advised such clients as: EQT, Lincoln, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Santander Investment Securities Inc., SG Americas Securities, LLC, TD Securities, LLC, Blackstone, KKR and BlackRock, PHC Holdings Corporation, Rio Energy S.A., UGEN S.A. and UENSA S.A., Aston Martin, ChemChina, United Group B.V., Silver Lake, Riverwood Capital LLC, Openlink Financial LLC and Hellman & Friedman, BC Partners, Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners and others.
The fourth place in the direction of Tax Law belongs to the company Ashurst, which occupies an 8% share in practice. The clients of Ashurst, which have been accompanied and/or advised on tax issues, are: Generali, Santander Group, Department of Defense, Tritax EuroBox plc, Oxford Properties Group, KeolisAmey, Warburg-HIH Invest, SKG Financial Holdings (Pte) Limited, Digital Colony, EmergeVest, OMV, Liberty House, EnQuest PLC, BlackRock, Arla Foods, Agilitas, GFG Alliance, etc.
Cravath Swaine & Moore and Sidley Austin shared the fifth position in the rating with participation in the practice at 6% each.
Cravath Swaine & Moore’s clients include: European Investment Bank, HDFC Bank Limited, Credit Suisse, Citigroup and NatWest Markets, BBVA, Citigroup, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Santander and Scotiabank, Picard Groupe S.A.S., Drax Finco plc, Yell Bondco plc, Goldman Sachs International, AXA, Technicolor, Credit Suisse Group AG, etc.
Sidley Austin’s customers include: Famar, Apollo, Archer Daniels Midland Company, Hil Aviation & Tourism Group, Cincinnati Financial, Outreach Companies, Sun European Partners LLP, TransUnion, Mid Europa Partners, United Energy Group, TowerBrook Capital Partners, TowerBrook Capital.
The sixth position in the rating belongs to the companies Lewis Silkin and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (5% each).
Lewis Silkin advised and/or accompanied: Deeson Group, Dictate IT, PA Consulting, Way To Blue, Sopra Steria (Euronext Paris), Sparkler, Cirkle, Haymarket, Next Fifteen Communications Group plc, Synergie, Descours & Cabaud, etc.
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer clients are: VINCI Airports, GIC, Pandox, XIO Group, Prudential and Eastspring Investments, BP, Montagu Private Equity, ADM Capital, GCL Holdings LP S.à.rl, Li & Fung, Novartis, InterContinental Hotels Group, RELX Group.
The seventh position in the direction is occupied by three companies – Kirkland & Ellis, Macfarlanes, Milbank (4% each).
Kirkland & Ellis customers: Jack Wolfskin, GLP, BC Partners, Valence Media, Blackstone and Telereal, Apax Partners, SVP, OTPP, Wyndham Worldwide.
Macfarlanes’ clients include: Hogg Robinson, Epiris, Patron Capital, Bonhams, Searchlight Capital Partners, Wimbledon Park Golf Club Limited, etc.
Milbank’s customers are: Apleona, Goldman Sachs International, BNP Paribas, Citigroup Global Markets Limited, Mortgages, Radisson Hotel Holdings AB, KAEFER, Bayerische Landesbank, BNP Paribas, Commerzbank AG, HSBC AG and UniCredit Bank AG, Yellow Cake plc, EQT, Advent International.
Other law firms, such as Sullivan & Cromwell, Dentons, Hogan Lovells, White & Case, Clifford Chance, Covington & Burling, Bird & Bird, Weil Gotshal & Manges, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, Herbert Smith Freehills, Clyde & Co, etc., which were included in the research sample, together account for a 14% share of activity in the direction of Tax Law among the TOP-25 UK law firms.
The Top Pacers team presents the practice rating in the direction of Tax Law among companies that according to the results of our independent research are included in the TOP-25 UK law firms in 2018. The most active of the Top 25 UK companies in the practice of consulting and supporting Tax Law in 2018 were included in the sample for the study.
The analysis was carried out based on the results of monitoring open sources, as well as calculating the amount of public information about support and consultations carried out by the UK law firms that participated in the study.