European Tax Awards 2014

Alcoa's European tax team was out in force to collect the award as in-house team of the year. The US multinational metals company fought off strong competition for the prize from Dassault Systèmes, Immofinanz and Vodafone, the other nominees in the category.

The criteria for the in-house award were based on the objectives of each tax department for the 2013 calendar year and how they were achieved. In its submission, the Alcoa team described its tax operations, which are based on monitoring, counselling, advocacy and processes.

Apart from the in-house award, the European Tax Awards recognised examples of superior local and regional tax advice in cross-border transactions. South Africa is also included in these awards. There were national tax firm of the year winners in 27 countries and national transfer pricing winners in 25, Cyprus and Malta being the exceptions.

The European tax firm of the year was the Best Friends Network, an alliance of independent firms comprising Bonelli Erede Pappalardo, Bredin Prat, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, Hengeler Mueller, Slaughter and May, and Uría Menéndez.

As well as for tax, the regional awards included those for transfer pricing, tax disputes and indirect tax. In an innovation this year, deal of the year awards in 11 separate categories were also presented, where any firm that worked on any of the tax aspects of the winning transaction received an award. This was a recognition that often the success of a matter depends on the contribution of many different tax specialists, rather than merely one firm on one side of it and another on the other.

Methodology

Between December 2013 and February 2014, International Tax Review asked law firms, tax advisers, accountants and other tax service providers from these jurisdictions: Austria; Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania); Belgium; Central and Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovak Republic and Slovenia); Cyprus; Denmark; Finland; France; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Ireland; Italy; Malta; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Portugal; Russia; South Africa; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Turkey; UK; Ukraine to submit three examples of their best work for consideration for the national tax and transfer pricing awards, as well as for the innovation category, and the ECJ awards. The regional awards and additional prizes for the best tax advice offered in Europe in transactions covering banking, capital markets, consumer products, energy, financial services, joint ventures, media and entertainment, M&A, private equity, restructuring, telecommunications and technology, and for US tax firm in Europe, tax compliance and reporting, and tax policy firm were judged from these submissions. Taxpayers could also make a submission for best in-house tax team of the year. 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?) These awards represent the opinions of the magazine on the leading tax advisers in Europe and South Africa based on their work in 2013.

Austria Tax Firm of the Year

Austria Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Baltic States Tax Firm of the Year

Baltic States Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Belgium Tax Firm of the Year

Belgium Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Central Europe Tax Firm of the Year

Central Europe Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Cyprus Tax Firm of the Year

Denmark Tax Firm of the Year

Denmark Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Finland Tax Firm of the Year

Finland Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

France Tax Firm of the Year

France Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Germany Tax Firm of the Year

Germany Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Greece Tax Firm of the Year

Greece Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Hungary Tax Firm of the Year

Hungary Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Ireland Tax Firm of the Year

Ireland Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Italy Tax Firm of the Year

Italy Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Luxembourg Tax Firm of the Year

Luxembourg Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Malta Tax Firm of the Year

Netherlands Tax Firm of the Year

Netherlands Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Norway Tax Firm of the Year

Norway Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Poland Tax Firm of the Year

Poland Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Portugal Tax Firm of the Year

Portugal Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Russia Tax Firm of the Year

Russia Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

South Africa Tax Firm of the Year

South Africa Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Spain Tax Firm of the Year

Spain Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Sweden Tax Firm of the Year

Sweden Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Switzerland Tax Firm of the Year

Switzerland Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Turkey Tax Firm of the Year

Turkey Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

UK Tax Firm of the Year

UK Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

Ukraine Tax Firm of the Year

Ukraine Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

European Tax Firm of the Year

European Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

European Tax Disputes Firm of the Year

European Indirect Tax Firm of the Year

European Tax Compliance & Reporting Firm of the Year

European In-House Team of the Year - Direct Tax

European Banking Tax Deal of the Year

European Capital Markets Tax Deal of the Year

European Consumer Products Tax Deal of the Year

European M&A Tax Deal of the Year

European Financial Services Tax Deal of the Year

European Energy Tax Deal of the Year

European Media & Entertainment Tax Deal of the Year

European Private Equity Tax Deal of the Year

European Tax Restructuring Deal of the Year

European Joint Venture Tax Deal of the Year

European Telecommunications and Technology Tax Deal of the Year

ECJ Firm of the Year - Direct Tax

ECJ Firm of the Year - Indirect Tax

US Law Firm in Europe

Best Newcomer

European Tax Policy Firm of the Year

European Tax Innovator of the Year

European Client Connection Award

The Austria Tax Firm of the Year showed itself to be the market leader in a range of tax practice areas, such as capital markets and tax-optimised restructuring.

NOMINEES BPV Huegel; Deloitte; DLA Piper; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Highlights of work done by this year's Austria Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year included a business restructuring involving a transfer pricing concept to optimise tax effects and taking into consideration exit tax on the transfer of intangible property.

NOMINEES Baker & McKenzie; LeitnerLeitner

The Baltic States Tax Firm of the Year advised a bank on the largest acquisition in Lithuania for several years; and taxpayers in a successful challenge to an increase in the government's mineral resources extraction charge.

NOMINEES Deloitte; Raidla Lejins & Norcous; Varul

The Baltic States Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year created a pan-European transfer pricing policy for multinationals in the financial services industry, proving a relatively high annual interest rate was arm's-length.

NOMINEES Sorainen; Varul

The Belgium Tax Firm of the Year scored highly for its advice in work including the sale of an investment in an overseas commercial business through a Belgian and Luxembourg structure.

NOMINEES Deloitte; DLA Piper; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; Liedekerke; Mayer Brown; Stibbe

The Belgium Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year handled a number of big-ticket matters over the past year including work on a global profit split model and the design of a global centralised business model.

NOMINEES Mayer Brown; PwC

The Central Europe Tax Firm of the Year featured a practice that is integrated across the region and advises clients in all the key areas of tax, including corporate, indirect, employer services and transfer pricing.

NOMINEES Baker & McKenzie; EY; PwC Romania; Taxand Romania; White & Case

The Central Europe Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year is well known for the market-leading practice it has developed in a wide range of industries, including consumer products, health and beauty care, chemicals, retail, and banking.

NOMINEES Deloitte; PwC; Taxand Romania

The Cyprus Tax Firm of the Year is the market leader for tax advice in developing sectors of the economy, such as oil and gas.

NOMINEES EY; Taxand Cyprus

The Denmark Tax Firm of the Year showed again in 2013 why Danish and international clients rely on it for advice on cross-border structuring, transfer pricing, capital markets, structured finance products and indirect taxes

NOMINEES Horten

The Denmark Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year led the way in intangible asset dispute resolution over the past year.

NOMINEES EY; Taxand Denmark

Carve-outs where the tax implications were felt not just at home, were the speciality of the Finland Tax Firm of the Year last year.

NOMINEES Alder & Sound; Roschier; Taxand Finland

The Finland Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year excelled in 2013 by, for example, obtaining a very swift advance ruling for one of its clients.

NOMINEES Alder & Sound; Deloitte; Taxand Finland

The Tax Firm of the Year advised a client in the global food industry on mitigating the impact of the new 3% tax on dividends on the repatriation of cash and a French group on the due diligence and structuring associated with its investment in an Indian services group.

NOMINEES August & Debouzy; Baker & McKenzie; Bredin Prat; DLA Piper; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; Hogan Lovells; Mayer Brown; Taj; Taxand France

The France Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year defended its clients after a fiscal raid in 2013 and was also involved in a complicated APA for a digital industry client.

NOMINEES Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; Mayer Brown; Taxand France

The Germany Tax Firm of the Year was the market leader for M&A tax advice and assistance in complex and significant transactions in the private equity, TMT and real estate industries

NOMINEES Allen & Overy; Baker & McKenzie; DLA Piper; Flick Gocke Schaumburg; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; Hogan Lovells; Latham & Watkins; Oppenhoff & Partner

The Germany Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year was a firm that turned its hand to a range of matters including establishing a sourcing company in Asia, MAP agreements and the business restructuring of a US multinational's European operations.

NOMINEES Baker & McKenzie; Deloitte; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer ; Oppenhoff & Partner

The Greece Tax Firm of the Year advised on the private-equity acquisition of a global Greek brand and negotiated with the government on the establishment of a stable tax environment for the TransAdriatic Pipeline.

NOMINEES Deloitte; Koutalidis

The Greece Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year excelled in representing its clients in dispute resolution with the authorities, supply chain restructuring work and managing intangible assets for a client deemed in distress.

NOMINEES Deloitte; Taxand Greece

he Hungary Tax Firm of the Year stood out this year for its advice to a company in the drilling industry on the tax implications of a migration to Hungary and the restructuring of the global bond programme and the capital structure of a Hungarian multinational to protect unrealised foreign exchange losses

NOMINEES Deloitte; DLA Piper; Kinstellar; Orientax

The Hungary Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year has demonstrated it can provide the highest-quality advice, for example, transfer pricing design related to a complex business transformation involving the global consolidation of functions in Hungary and the shifting of other existing business activities from Hungary to China.

NOMINEES Deloitte; Taxperience Tandax

The Ireland Tax Firm of the Year was to the fore in the majority of newsworthy transactions in the country during 2013, including M&A and capital markets for well known international clients.

NOMINEES Arthur Cox; Deloitte; Maples & Calder; Matheson; Taxand Ireland

The Ireland Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year advised on debt capacity, acquisition integration and transfer pricing planning and offshore IP migration.

NOMINEES Deloitte; Matheson

The Italy Tax Firm of the Year showed its prowess in advising on a revolving loan facility that involved complex tax issues relating to FATCA and in assisting in a lengthy VAT litigation that will be heard next by the Supreme Court of Italy.

NOMINEES Allen & Overy; Baker & McKenzie; Bonelli Erede Pappalardo; Clifford Chance; Deloitte; DLA Piper; EY; Hogan Lovells; NCTM

The Italy Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year was the leader in the market for advice on APA conclusion, and the transfer pricing aspects of business restructurings.

NOMINEES Deloitte; EY; Valente GEB Partners

The Luxembourg Tax Firm of the Year came up with an innovative financing strategy for a multinational client relating to the acquisition of the remaining participation in a Mexican group

NOMINEES Allen & Overy; Arendt & Medernach; Deloitte; DLA Piper; Loyens & Loeff; Stibbe; ATOZ, Taxand Luxembourg

The Luxembourg Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year demonstrated expertise in debt pricing in an M&A transaction during 2013.

NOMINEES Loyens & Loeff; ATOZ, Taxand Luxembourg

The Malta Tax Firm of the Year undertook a tax due diligence assignment on a state-owned utility in Malta, which is the subject of a Chinese-led equity investment, and advised a client on negotiations with their bank over the revision of a loan agreement.

NOMINEES Camilleri Preziosi; KPMG; Taxand Malta

The Netherlands Tax Firm of the Year has a comprehensive practice that can advise clients on corporate and indirect tax, European tax law and investment management, and in key sectors such as energy and real estate.

NOMINEES Allen & Overy; Baker & McKenzie; Deloitte; DLA Piper; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; Stibbe; Van Campen Liem

The Netherlands Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year showed its prowess in a number of IP valuation projects, along with big-ticket transatlantic transfer pricing deals and restructurings.

NOMINEES Altus Alliance; Deloitte; DLA Piper

The Norway Tax Firm of the Year shone in areas such as the implementation, consolidation and restructuring of investment assets for major life insurance companies in Norway and in M&A advice for private-equity houses.

NOMINEES Deloitte; DLA Piper; EY

The Norway Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year stood out for its advice on an intangible asset dispute and a dispute involving the pricing of intra-company loans.

NOMINEES Deloitte; PwC

The Poland Tax Firm of the Year advised a leading media company on the tax issues to do with the refinancing of high yield bonds (senior notes) issued via Swedish SPVs; and on a pre-transaction restructuring and sale of shares.

NOMINEES Deloitte; DLA Piper; EY; Greenberg Traurig; Hogan Lovells; MDDP; Taxand Poland; Wardynski & Partners

The Poland Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year was involved in designing new transfer pricing initiatives and working with a client on a problematic issue concerning the allocation of profits to a PE.

NOMINEES DLA Piper; EY; MDDP

The Portugal Tax Firm of the Year stood out for its tax advice on a landmark reinsurance transaction in the Portuguese market; and the restructuring of trading and treasury management activities

NOMINEES Baker Tilly; Cuatrecasas Goncalves Pereira; EY; Linklaters; PwC; RFF & Associados; Garrigues, Taxand Portugal; Uria Menendez; Vieira de Almeida

The Portugal Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year is the leader in its market for calculating and negotiating loan guarantee fees.

NOMINEES EY; PwC

The Russia Tax Firm of the Year advised a bank on the complex tax aspects of a domestic consumer loans securitisation involving the issue of Russian bonds eligible for a large group of Russian and foreign investors.

NOMINEES Deloitte; DLA Piper; EY; Goltsblat BLP; KPMG; PwC; Pepeliaev Group, Taxand Russia

The Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year in Russia made its name last year in working on large and particularly complicated deals, for example, joint ventures in the oil and gas sector, for its extensive portfolio of clients.

NOMINEES Deloitte; EY; PwC; Pepeliaev Group, Taxand Russia

Highlights of the year for the South Africa Tax Firm of the Year were advice on the restructurings and acquisitions by listed South African black empowerment companies and banks.

NOMINEES Werksmans

This year's winner of the transfer pricing firm of the year in South Africa once again proved its dispute resolution skills in a number of high-profile transfer pricing audits and settlements.

NOMINEES Deloitte, EY

The Spain Tax Firm of the Year performed exceptionally while assisting in the implementation of Spanish and global planning for FATCA; and in M&A in the banking, financial services and insurance sectors

NOMINEES Ashurst; Baker & McKenzie; Cuatrecasas Goncalves Pereira; DLA Piper; EY; Hogan Lovells; Latham & Watkins; Linklaters; Garrigues, Taxand Spain; Uria Menendez

The Spain Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year excelled in matters that included audit challenge and transfer pricing policy design.

NOMINEES Deloitte; EY; Garrigues, Taxand Spain

The Sweden Tax Firm of the Year proved itself this year in a milestone transaction for the market – the securitisation and listing of PostNord's headquarters

NOMINEES Deloitte; EY

The Sweden Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year excelled over the past year for its innovative implementation of a cross-border transfer of an IP function.

NOMINEES EY; Grant Thornton

The Switzerland Tax Firm of the Year advised a global biopharmaceuticals company on an IP reorganisation and a supply chain reorganisation for another pharmaceuticals concern.

NOMINEES EY; Lenz & Staehelin; Schellenberg Wittmer; Tax Partner, Taxand Switzerland

The Switzerland transfer pricing firm of the year provided its clients with innovative solutions to intangible asset issues.

NOMINEES EY

Tax due diligence and its role in the global integration of two pharmaceuticals groups helped the Turkey Tax Firm of the Year to stand out

NOMINEES DLA Piper; Pekin & Pekin

The winner of the Turkey Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year has demonstrated its prowess in transfer pricing litigation work, along with completing deals on transfer pricing structuring for large multinational companies.

NOMINEES Deloitte; EY

The UK Tax Firm of the Year led the field for work that included tax advice on the Penguin Random House joint venture and the sale of a 50% interest in Banco Santander's asset management business.

NOMINEES EY; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; Hogan Lovells; Latham & Watkins; Shearman & Sterling; Simmons & Simmons; Sullivan & Cromwell; Alvarez & Marsal Taxand UK; Weil Gotshal & Manges

The UK's transfer pricing firm of the year maintained a strong leadership in the market for its work on complex deals including supply chain restructuring work and commercial restructurings in the UK and the US.

NOMINEES EY; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

The Ukraine Tax Firm of the Year advised a global multinational on a €100 million investment that involved withholding tax, VAT and permanent establishment issues.

NOMINEES Avellum Partners; Deloitte; DLA Piper; EY; KPMG; Sayenko Kharenko

The winner of the Ukraine transfer pricing firm of the year stood out for its development of transfer pricing methodologies to suit big-ticket clients in increasingly challenging economic situations.

NOMINEES Avellum Partners; DLA Piper; EY

This six-firm grouping combined seamlessly in 2013 to deliver market-leading tax advice for their clients.

NOMINEES Allen & Overy; Baker & McKenzie; Deloitte; DLA Piper; EY; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; Hogan Lovells; Latham & Watkins; Taxand

The expertise of this heavyweight network shone through in planning, audit work and controversy matters.

NOMINEES Deloitte; DLA Piper; EY; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; NERA

On numerous occasions in 2013, DLA Piper gave evidence of why it is the firm a taxpayer needs when thrust into conflict with national tax authorities throughout Europe.

NOMINEES EY; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; Herbert Smith Freehills; Joseph Hage Aaronson; PwC Turkey; Weil Gotshal & Manges

This German firm, which practises indirect tax exclusively, proves that size of practice is not the only thing that matters when multinationals need advice on implementing or defending their indirect tax strategies.

NOMINEES Deloitte; DLA Piper; EY's EMEIA Financial Services Indirect Tax Practice; Ryan; Taxand

Taxpayers need the best advice on how to fulfil their compliance and reporting obligations speedily and efficiently and EY was on hand to provide it in 2013.

NOMINEES Deloitte; EY

A strategy based on monitoring, counselling, advocacy and processes helped this in-house team deliver superior advice and information to its internal and external stakeholders.

NOMINEES Dassault Systemes; Immofinanz; Vodafone

This transaction was part of the restructuring of the Spanish banking sector after the global financial crisis and so the pressure was on the tax practices concerned to deliver the best advice.

NOMINEES

Acquisition of Bank Gospodarki Zywnosciowej by BNP Paribas

Allen & Overy, Deloitte Poland, Greenberg Traurig, Taj

Disposal of about 6% of Lloyd's Banking Group

Slaughter and May

Merger of Barclays' and ABSA's African banking operations

EY; Norton Rose Fulbright; Webber Wentzel in alliance with Linklaters

This divestment was one of the most important transactions in the real-estate sector in 2013 and benefited from the work of the leading tax advisers in Europe.

NOMINEES

Acquisition of crude oil from Rosneft
Arthur Cox; Linklaters

Energa IPO

Greenberg Traurig; Allen & Overy

€150 million treasury shares equity swap for the Immofinanz Group

bpv Hügel; Linklaters

Yandex secondary offering of shares & issuance of convertible notes
Davis Polk & Wardwell; Van Doorne

Salini bond
Bonelli Erede Pappalardo, Linklaters, White & Case

£3 billion refinancing solution for the AA group

Arthur Cox, Clifford Chance, Eversheds, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Tax advice from some heavyweight firms was needed for the largest leveraged corporate acquisition in Europe for some years.

NOMINEES

Penguin Random House joint venture
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Slaughter and May

Disposal of the Printemps group by Borletti Group and Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management to Divine Investments

Baker & McKenzie; Bird & Bird; Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; King & Spalding; Willkie Farr & Gallagher

LVMH acquisition of Loro Piana
Bonelli Erede Pappalardo; Chiomenti Studio Legale

This highly innovative transaction came about in order to satisfy unsecured claims by the Pension Plan against the bankrupt company and needed some cutting-edge tax advice for its goals to be achieved.

NOMINEES

Vodafone's $13 billion acquisition of Kabel Deutschland
EY

Actavis's acquisition of Warner Chilcott
Arthur Cox; Latham & Watkins; Matheson

Gold One / Sibanye Gold merger of strategic assets
ENS Taxand South Africa; PwC Cyprus

Consolidation by Cyfrowy Polsat of TMT assets held by its largest shareholder
Greenberg Traurig

Chromaflo Technologies / CPS Color merger
DLA Piper; EY

Otto Group's acquisition of the BtoB and BtoC e-commerce activities of 3 Suisses International
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; Linklaters

Scor's acquisition of 59.9% of MRM
DLA Piper; Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom

Sale of Maisons du Monde Groupe
Arsene Taxand France; Landwell

Deloitte Spain's tax advice was highly regarded in this noteworthy Spanish focused transaction.

NOMINEES

Eurolot's acquisition of Bombardier aircraft
Hogan Lovells

Advice to banks and industry associations on French and Italian financial transaction taxes
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; Simmons & Simmons

Highly specialist tax advice was required to fulfil the government's objectives for this production sharing agreement.

NOMINEES

SITA Zielona Energia / Suez Environnement Warsaw waste management PPP
Hogan Lovells

BTG Pactual's acquisition of a 50% stake in Petrobras' investments in Angola, Benin, Gabon, Namibia, Nigeria and Tanzania

Herbert Smith Freehills; Stibbe

Qatar Petroleum International's acquisition of a 60% operating share in natural gas assets from Suncor Energy
Stibbe

Preferential energy tax treatment of energy product manufacturers
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

SunEdison's acquisition of UK solar projects
Linklaters; Simmons & Simmons

The multinational nature and sophistication of this transaction was reflected in the fact that a raft of top international tax lawyers and advisers were required to work on it.

NOMINEES

Cairo Communications's acquisition of LA7
Bonelli Erede Pappalardo

Rank Group's acquisition of Gala Coral's casino business
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Liberty Global's acquisition of Virgin Media
Latham & Watkins; Milbank; Ropes & Gray

BC Partners's acquisition of Springer Science + Business Media from EQT Partners and GIC
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; Hengeler Mueller; P+P Pollath + Partners

This trio of international firms excelled in this complex acquisition from private-equity and industrial owners.

NOMINEES

Advent International acquisition of Cytec's coating business

EY; Weil Gotshal & Manges

Merger of Polski Bank Przedsiebiorczosci SA and FM Bank within Abris Capital Group

Greenberg Traurig

Bridgepoint's acquisition of the Flexitallic Group from Eurazeo PME
DLA Piper

Elis's LBO debt restructuring
Mayer Brown; Kirkland & Ellis; Latham & Watkins

Averys Group's acquisition of the Stow Group and of its debt and equity refinancing
Gide Loyrette Nouel; Mayer Brown

These three UK-headquartered firms were to the fore in tax restructuring advice for this French water company.

NOMINEES

Intercell-Vivalis cross-border merger
bpv Hügel; EY; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; Hogan Lovells

Reverse merger of Polkomtel and Spartan Capital Holdings

EY; Greenberg Traurig; Latham & Watkins; MDDP

Hypothekenbank Frankfurt
DLA Piper

Consolis debt and equity restructuring
Arntzen de Besche; Mayer Brown; Roschier; Taxperience

The work to create this joint venture spanned a number of different jurisdictions and so needed a firm capable of operating across borders.

NOMINEES Amendments to existing joint ventures in Poland between Aviva and BZ WBK and the extension of the associated bancassurance arrangements between the JVCOs and BZ WBK

Hogan Lovells

APG's joint venture with Grainger to acquire a $574 million real estate portfolio
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; Simmons & Simmons

It is little surprise the global telecommunications company called on some of the leading firms in Europe for advice on such a complex and innovative transaction.

NOMINEES Globe Telecom's establishment of Italian activities

Bonelli Erede Pappalardo

Telefònica's investment in Telecom Italia

Clifford Chance

Dexia Group's sale of its IT subsidiary Dexia Technology Services (DTS) to IBM
Arendt & Medernach; EY; Linklaters; Loyens & Loeff; Stibbe

Joseph Hage Aaronson showed that there is no substitute for experience of the highest courts as it battled this complex UK case all the way to Luxembourg.

NOMINEES Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira – Itelcar; Hannes Snellman – P Oy; Lydian – RVS Levensverzekeringen; Monard-D'Hulst – Gimle; Tiberghien – Argenta Spaarbank

This case was related to the recovery of VAT from the payment of management costs associated with defined benefit pension schemes. The taxpayer relied on KPMG Meijburg & Co to help them succeed.

NOMINEES GfBk Gesellschaft für Börsenkommunikation; PwC Poland – BGZ Leasing

DLA Piper furthered its reputation in 2013 as a leading US tax firm in Europe across a range of specialist areas and industries.

NOMINEES KPMG's US tax practice in Europe; Latham & Watkins; Shearman & Sterling; Weil Gotshal & Manges

It is less than five years since Greenberg Traurig's Polish tax practice came into being. In 2013, the group shone in a number of tax transactions, including for the financial services industry.

NOMINEES Avellum Partners; Goltsblat BLP; Joseph Hage Aaronson; Maples & Calder's Irish tax practice; Orientax; Van Campen Liem

Ensuring that tax policy develops in a way that does not harm the interests of taxpayers is a crucial task. The Best Friends Network proved itself to be the leader at such work throughout 2013.

NOMINEES Deloitte; EY; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Ryan, the US firm, a new entrant to the European tax advisory market, worked at some key innovations to establish a reputation as a firm of quality.

NOMINEES Alder & Sound; KPMG Ukraine; Taxand

Through online and offline means, EY got through to existing and prospective clients in the most efficient ways possible.

NOMINEES Alder & Sound; Deloitte (Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg and Poland); RSM DTM Hungary; Simmons & Simmons