The awards, which have been presented by International Tax Review since 2005, were held at a dinner at the Savoy Hotel in London on May 17.

The top accolades of the night were awarded to Deloitte as the European Tax Firm of Year, and to EY as the European Transfer Pricing of the Year.

For the resolution of a significant tax dispute in Europe, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer was named European Tax Disputes Firm of the Year.

In another case, a court victory for a client resulted in Baker McKenzie winning the European Court of Justice Firm of the Year award.

For the second time in a row, WTS Global won the Indirect Tax Firm of the Year award.

A great team spirit and ahead-of-the-curve technology application and innovation won the European In-House Team of the Year for Direct Tax award for German online platform Zalando.

With the M&A and private equity market heating up over the past few years, the deal awards category has also become more competitive than ever.

Congratulations to all of this year's winners!

On the following pages, winners are listed first, highlighted in red, followed by a list of nominees.

Methodology Between December 2017 and February 2018, International Tax Review asked law firms, tax advisers, accountants and other tax service providers to submit three examples of their best work for consideration for the national tax and transfer pricing awards. The regional awards and other categories, such as the best newcomer, were judged from these submissions. Firms were able to make separate submissions for the deal awards covering banking, capital markets, consumer products, energy, financial services, joint ventures, media and entertainment, M&A, private equity, restructuring, telecommunications and technology, and for tax compliance and reporting, tax policy, tax innovation and tax technology. Taxpayers could also make submissions for best in-house team of the year in direct tax and transfer pricing. International Tax Review's editorial staff researched these submissions with private practitioners and in-house tax managers to compile shortlists and choose winners for each of the country and regional awards. The awards were judged according to: Size (Not conclusive, though it does indicate what a tax team is capable of taking on) Innovation (Did the advice the firm gave show something more than the straightforward answer that is commonly used?) Complexity (Did the matter address tax issues that were out of the ordinary and what ingenuity did the firm show to solve them?) Impact (What impact did the advice have on the taxpayer? For example, did it help them take over their biggest rival? Issue equity and debt offerings in a particular market for the first time? Win an unprecedented judgment in court? These awards represent the opinions of the magazine on the leading tax advisers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa based on their work in 2017.

National Awards

> bpv Hügel Rechtsanwälte

> Deloitte

> Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

> Rödl & Partner

> Deloitte

> Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

> ICON

> TPA

> Cobalt

> Deloitte

> Deloitte

> Allen & Overy

> Baker McKenzie

> Clifford Chance

> Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick

> Linklaters

> Aptis Global

> Baker McKenzie

> Deloitte

> T/A Economics

> Deloitte

> DLA Piper

> Deloitte

> EY Bulgaria

> TPS

> Deloitte

> Eurofast, Taxand Cyprus

> Plesner

> EY Denmark

> Alder & Sound

> Deloitte

> DLA Piper

> EY Finland

> Alder & Sound

> EY Finland

> Baker McKenzie

> Clifford Chance

> Dentons

> Mayer Brown

> Taj (Deloitte)

> Baker McKenzie

> Taj (Deloitte)

> Clifford Chance

> Dentons

> Hengeler Mueller

> Hogan Lovells

> Mayer Brown

> Noerr

> WTS Germany

> Baker McKenzie

> Deloitte

> NERA Consulting

> PwC

> TaxID Steuerberatung / Quantera Global

> EY Greece

> Zepos & Yannopoulos, Taxand Greece

> Deloitte

> Zepos & Yannopoulos, Taxand Greece

> DLA Piper

> EY Hungary

> Hegymegi-Barakonyi (Baker McKenzie)

> OrienTax

> WTS Klient Hungary

> Deloitte

> DLA Piper

> OrienTax

> Deloitte

> Maples and Calder

> Matheson

> Deloitte

> Allen & Overy

> Baker McKenzie

> BonelliErede

> Chiomenti Studio Legale

> Clifford Chance

> Crowe Valente / Valente Associati GEB Partners

> Maisto e Associati

> Baker McKenzie

> Crowe Valente / Valente Associati GEB Partners

> DLA Piper

> Ludovici Piccone & Partners

> Maisto e Associati

> Quantera Global

> Studio Tributario e Societario (Deloitte)

> Allen & Overy

> Arendt & Medernach

> Deloitte

> Dentons

> DLA Piper

> Hogan Lovells

> Van Campen Liem

> Arendt & Medernach

> Deloitte

> Dentons

> EY Luxembourg

> T/A Economics

> Clifford Chance

> Deloitte

> Dentons

> DLA Piper

> Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

> Stibbe

> Taxand Netherlands

> Deloitte

> DLA Piper

> Embridge

> T/A Economics

> Taxand Netherlands

> Deloitte

> EY Norway

> Deloitte

> PwC

> Baker McKenzie Krzyżowski i Wspolnicy

> Crido Taxand, Taxand Poland

> Dentons

> DLA Piper

> Hogan Lovells

> KZP

> Wardyński & Partners

> Deloitte

> KZP

> MDDP

> Cuatrecasas

> DLA Piper

> Garrigues, Taxand Portugal

> JCG Advogados

> PLMJ

> PwC

> Vieira de Almeida

> Baker Tilly

> Deloitte

> PwC Portugal

> Althaus Group

> Baker McKenzie

> Clifford Chance

> Deloitte

> Dentons

> KPMG Russia

> PwC

> Deloitte

> EY Russia

> PwC

> Baker McKenzie

> Deloitte

> Clifford Chance

> Cuatrecasas

> Deloitte

> Dentons

> EY Abogados

> Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

> Uria Menéndez

> Baker McKenzie

> EY Abogados

> Garrigues, Taxand Spain

> Deloitte

> EY Sweden

> Deloitte

> EY Sweden

> Tax Partner, Taxand Switzerland

> Tax Partner, Taxand Switzerland

> Baker McKenzie

> Pekin & Pekin Law Firm

> White & Case

> Baker McKenzie

> Centrum Consulting

> Allen & Overy

> Clifford Chance

> DLA Piper

> Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

> Simmons & Simmons

> Travers Smith

> Weil Gotshal & Manges

> Grant Thornton

> Aequo

> Avellum

> Dentons

> DLA Piper

> EY Ukraine

> WTS Consulting / KM Partners

> Avellum

> Baker McKenzie

> DLA Piper

> EBS

> EUCON

> EY Ukraine

> PwC

Regional and Deal Awards

> Baker McKenzie

> Deloitte

> PwC Angola

> Deloitte

> PwC

> Advaita Legal

> SKP Dubai

> Atlas Mara financing agreement with Fairfax Africa Holdings: Slaughter and May

> Banco Popular acquisition by Santander: Baker McKenzie; Arcano; Pedro Pérez-Llorca

> Capital increase and loyalty bonds of Banco Santander: Uria Menéndez; Linklaters

> Chrysaor Holdings acquisition of a diversified North Sea oil and gas portfolio from Shell: Debevoise & Plimpton; Dechert; White & Case

> Convertible bond issued by Volcan Holding to fund Anglo American stake acquisition: Allen & Overy; Costas Tsielepis & Co; Harneys; Talwar Thakore & Associates; White & Case

> Merger of Raiffeisen Zentralbank Österreich & Raiffeisen Bank International: bpv Hügel Rechtsanwälte; Schönherr

> Sale of Novo Banco: Vieria de Almeida; Weil Gotshal & Manges; DLA Piper

> Securitisation of consumer loans receivables, BNP Paribas London and UniCredit Bank London: Clifford Chance; Hogan Lovells

> Convertible bond issued by Volcan Holding to fund Anglo American stake acquisition: Allen & Overy; Costas Tsielepis & Co; Harneys; Talwar Thakore & Associates; White & Case

> IHS Towers high-yield bond issue: Stibbe; Latham & Watkins; White & Case

> Issue of Ukrainian sovereign Eurobonds: Avellum; Sayenko Kharenko; Latham & Watkins; White & Case

> Merger of Raiffeisen Zentralbank Österreich with the listed RBI: bpv Hügel Rechtsanwälte; Schönherr

> Play Communications IPO: Loyens & Loeff; Latham & Watkins; DLA Piper; White & Case

> Steinhoff International €800 million bond: Stibbe; Gleiss Lutz; Wolf Theiss; Clifford Chance

> UniCredit €30 billion US debt issuance programme: Clifford Chance; Latham & Watkins

> Acquisition by ICU Medical of Pfizer’s global infusion therapy business: Baker McKenzie; Latham & Watkins; Vieira de Almeida

> Acquisition of Burger King’s UK master franchise: Travers Smith; Parthenon EY; Deloitte; KPMG; Macfarlanes

> Clayton Dubilier & Rice JV and acquisition of BUT Group: Clifford Chance; Mayer Brown

> Cobepa on the acquisition of the HG Group: Clifford Chance; De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek; Van Doorne

> Michael Kors cash acquisition of Jimmy Choo: Slaughter and May; PwC; Paul Weiss, Rifkind Wharton & Garrison

> Natura Cosméticos acquisition of The Body Shop: Stibbe; Baker McKenzie; Davis Polk & Wardwell; Linklaters; Pinheiro Neto Advogados; White & Case

> Patent box ruling for Valentino: BonelliErede; VVA

> Staples’ European business sale to Cerberus Capital Management: Clifford Chance; Kirkland & Ellis; Linklaters

> Acquisition of Source Holdings: Simmons & Simmons; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; Travers Smith; Linklaters; Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner; Seward & Kissel; William Fry; Weidmann Bornhauser

> Barclays Income contingent student loans securitisation: Weil Gotshal & Manges; Hogan Lovells

> Convertible bond issued by Volcan Holding to fund Anglo American stake acquisition: Allen & Overy; Costas Tsielepis & Co; Harneys; Talwar Thakore & Associates; White & Case

> Evora Finance securitisation: Vieira de Almeida; Sociedade de Advogados; Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe; Linklaters

> Merger of CACEIS Bank Luxembourg with CACEIS Bank Germany – CBM: Clifford Chance

> NN Group & ASR sale to Unilever: Stibbe; Linklaters; De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek

> PSA Group on the acquisition of General Motors’ financial activities in Europe: Bredin Prat; Hengeler Mueller; Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton; Linklaters

> RSA Insurance Group disposal to Enstar: Slaughter and May; Norton Rose Fulbright

> Standard Life merger with Aberdeen Asset Management: Slaughter and May, Freshfields Bruckhaus & Deringer; Maclay Murray & Spens

> Agreement and Protocol between an African Ministry of Finance and the oil industry: Aupec, RLA, Vieira de Almeida

> Acquisition of EDF assets by PGE: DLA Piper; White & Case; Dentons; PwC

> Acquisition of Generg Expansão: Vieira de Almeida; AAA – Advogados

> Carlyle Group acquisition of Atotech from Total: Stibbe; Scotto & Associes; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; Latham & Watkins; Osler Hoskin & Harcourt

> Ensco acquisition of Atwood Oceanics: Slaughter and May; Latham & Watkins

> GE sale water division to SUEZ: Conyers Dill & Pearman; Creel Garcia-Cuellar; Aiza y Enriquez; Jones Day; Trilegal; Weil Gotshal & Manges; Allen & Overy; Latham & Watkins; Stibbe; Baker McKenzie; Davis Polk & Wardwell; IndusLaw; Luthra & Luthra Law Offices; White & Case

> INEOS acquisition of Ørsted (DONG Energy) oil and gas business: Slaughter and May; KPMG; Moalem Weitemeyer Bendtsen; Thommessen; Kromann Reumert

> Macquarie acquisition 50% Oiltanking Odfjell Terminal Singapore: Stibbe; Wikborg Rein & Co; De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek; Allen & Gledhill; Thommessen

> Saudi Aramco buys stake in Rotterdam oil terminal from Gunvor: Taxand Netherlands; Allen & Overy

> Casino and DIA JV: Baker McKenzie

> Centrica JV with Bayerngas Norge: Slaughter and May; Gorrissen Federspiel; Hengeler Mueller; Nauta Dutilh, Schjodt; KPMG; Linklaters; EY

> LV= joint venture with Allianz (UK): Clifford Chance; Allen & Overy

> Partnership between Heineken and Sligro Food for beer and cider logistics: Stibbe; Houthoff

> Rhône Capital JV real estate fund structure with WeWork: Stibbe; Stikeman Elliott; Willkie Farr & Gallagher; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett; Macfarlanes; Gibson Dunn & Crutcher; McCarthy Tétrault

> Upstream JV between Repsol and Gazprom Neft: Baker McKenzie

> Advent International’s Acquisition of Williams Lea Tag: Weil Gotshal & Manges; EY; Dentons

> Cimpress on the sale of Albelli to Gilde Buy Out Partners: Clifford Chance; Stibbe; Lexence

> ITV Studios’ acquisition of majority stake in Cattleya: Clifford Chance

> LeoVegas acquisition of Royal Panda: Avanzia Taxand, Taxand Malta; Taxand Netherlands; Wiggin

> Warner Music Group acquisition of Spinnin’ Records: Stibbe; Houthoff

> Acquisition of an 85% stake in the Gdansk Transport Company: Hogan Lovells; Norton Rose Fulbright; CMS; DLA Piper

> Advent International’s acquisition of Industrial Parts Holding; Weil Gotshal & Manges; EY; KPMG

> Brewdog investment by TSG Consumer Partners: DLA Piper; Ropes & Gray

> Chrysaor Holdings acquisition of a diversified North Sea oil and gas portfolio from Shell: Debevoise & Plimpton; Dechert; White & Case

> GE Capital – Sale of GE Money Bank and other subsidiaries to Cerberus: Clifford Chance; Linklaters; Schulte Roth & Zabel

> Kohlberg acquires CIBT Global from ABRY Partners: Taxand Netherlands; Alvarez & Marsal Taxand UK; Flick Gocke Schaumburg, Taxand Germany; Ropes & Gray

> Sale of Jac Travel to Webjet: Mayer Brown; DLA Piper

> Thames Water – AP1, AP3 and OMERS Private Equity from AMP Capital: Stibbe; Debevoise & Plimpton; Latham & Watkins; Weil Gotshal & Manges; Roschier; Clifford Chance; Taylor Wessing

> Värde Partners sale of NewDay to Cinven and CVC Capital Partners: Slaughter and May; Clifford Chance

> Carlyle Group acquisition of Atotech from Total: Stibbe; Atotech Scotto & Associes; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; Latham & Watkins; Osler Hoskin & Harcourt

> Chrysaor Holdings acquisition of a diversified North Sea oil and gas portfolio from Shell: Debevoise; Dechert; White & Case

> Emerson Electrics’ acquisition of Pentair’s valves and controls business: Baker McKenzie; Allen & Overy

> GE Capital – Sale of GE Money Bank and other subsidiaries to Cerberus Capital Management: Clifford Chance; Linklaters; Schulte Roth & Zabel

> IFM Investors acquisition of 40% equity interest in Mersin International Port from Akfen Holding: White & Case; GKC Partners

> Intesa Sanpaolo SpA rescue of Veneto Bank: Tremonti Romagnoli Piccardi e Associati

> PSA Group acquisition of Opel / Vauxhall’s automotive activities from General Motor: Bredin Prat; Hengeler Mueller; Linklaters; Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton

> Sale of bridge bank Novo Banco to Lone Star Funds: Vieira de Almeida; Weil Gotshal & Manges; DLA Piper

> Wood Group takeover of Amec Foster Wheeler: Slaughter and May; Linklaters; EY

> DTEK restructuring of notes and VR Capital restructuring facility agreements: Stibbe; Shearman & Sterling; Latham & Watkins

> Frigoglass rescue restructuring group capital, bank and bond debt: Allen & Overy; Clifford Chance; Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld; Shearman & Sterling; Karatzas & Partners; Koutalidis; Kyriakides Georgopoulos; Stibbe

> LME – Novo Banco tender offer and consent solicitation process: Vieira de Almeida; Linklaters; Davis Polk & Wardwell; Garrigues Portugal, Taxand Portugal

> Merger of CACEIS Bank Luxembourg with CACEIS Bank Germany – CBM: Clifford Chance

> Merger of Raiffeisen Zentralbank Österreich & Raiffeisen Bank International: bpv Hügel Rechtsanwälte; Schönherr

> Premier Oil restructuring: Slaughter and May; Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld

> Restructuring proceedings of Groupe Flo: Bredin Prat; Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier; AyacheSalama

> The Co-operative Bank restructuring: Clifford Chance; Paul Hastings

> Emerson Electric’s acquisition of Pentair’s valves and controls business: Baker McKenzie; Allen & Overy

> Equinix purchase of a data centre from IO, acquisition of Zenium’s data centre: Carey Olsen; Kolcuoglu Demirkan Koçakli; Slaughter and May

> McKinsey acquisition of Aberkyn: Stibbe; De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek; KPMG

> McLaren Group combination: Clifford Chance; Hogan Lovells; Herbert Smith Freehills; Latham & Watkins; Deloitte; KPMG; PwC

> Warner Music Group acquisition of Spinnin’ Records: Stibbe; Houthoff

> Wright Medical acquisition of IMASCAP SAS: Shearman & Sterling; Stibbe; LexCase; Simmons & Simmons

> Nomad Foods

> Coface

> Dassault Systemes

> Syngenta

> Zalando

> Aequo

> Embridge

> Rödl & Partner International

> SKP Business Consulting UAE

> T/A Economics

> Aibidia

> Avalara

> Innovate Tax

> Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan

> Radu si Asociatii SPRL

> RLA

> Vieira de Almeida

> Aibidia

> Bearing Point

> Deloitte

> WTS Germany

> Avellum

> Best Friends Tax Network

> PwC Russia

> Radu si Asociatii SPRL

> Vieira de Almeida

> Althaus Consulting

> Avalara

> Doradztwo Podatkowe WTS&SAJA

> EY

> EY Bulgaria

> Tax Partner, Taxand Switzerland

> WTS Klient Hungary

> Avellum

> Baker McKenzie

> Deloitte

> DLA Piper

> EY Abogados Spain

> Hogan Lovells

> Tax Partner, Taxand Switzerland

> EY Bulgaria

> MDDP

> Avellum

> Baker McKenzie

> Best Friends Tax Network

> Hogan Lovells

> Ludovici Piccone & Partners

> Matheson

> Pepeliaev, Taxand Russia

> PLMJ

> Vieira de Almeida

> Baker McKenzie

> Deloitte

> DLA Piper

> KPMG

> PwC

> WTS Global

> Baker McKenzie

> Clifford Chance

> DLA Piper

> EY

> Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

> KPMG

> PwC