Deloitte was named European Tax Firm of the Year, with EY crowned as European Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year.
While professional services firms dominated the winners list, US law firm Baker McKenzie flexed its litigious muscle in 2018, winning European Tax Disputes Firm of the Year for its work on a number of high-profile cases in EMEA.
A total of 26 jurisdictions were celebrated in ITR's annual awards ceremony, held this year over a three-course black-tie gala at The Savoy Hotel in London on May 16 2019.
This year, firms from Israel, the Middle East and Africa were also represented, along with Cyprus and Malta.
Shortlisted firms and their matters were assessed according to three primary metrics: transactional value and size, complexity, and overall innovation to the tax practice.
Matters assessed must have been concluded between January 1 2018 to December 31 2018 to be eligible.
National awards
Austria Tax Firm of the Year
ICON, WTS Global
> BPV Hügel
> Deloitte
> Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
> KPMG
> Rödl & Partner
> Wolf Theiss
Austria Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Deloitte
> BPV Hügel
> TPA Group
Baltic states Tax Firm of the Year
Sorainen, WTS Global
> Deloitte
> TGS Baltic
Baltic states Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Deloitte
> TGS Baltic
> Sorainen, WTS Global
Belgium Tax Firm of the Year
Baker McKenzie
> Clifford Chance
> Deloitte
> DLA Piper
> Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
> Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick
Belgium Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Liedekerke
> Baker McKenzie
> Deloitte
> T/A Economics, WTS Global
Central and Eastern Europe Tax Firm of the Year
Deloitte
> DLA Piper
> Grant Thornton
> Radu si Asociatii SPRL
> TPA
> WTS Alfery, WTS Global
Central and Eastern Europe Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
EY
> Deloitte
> TPA
Cyprus Tax Firm of the Year
EY
> Deloitte
Cyprus Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
EY
> Deloitte
Denmark Tax Firm of the Year
Deloitte
> DLA Piper
> KPMG
Denmark Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
KPMG
> Deloitte
> EY
Finland Tax Firm of the Year
Deloitte
> Alder & Sound
> Bird & Bird
> Borenius Attorneys
> Hannes Snellman
> Roschier
Finland Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Borenius Attorneys
> Alder & Sound
> Deloitte
> EY
France Tax Firm of the Year
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
> Baker McKenzie
> Bredin Prat
> DLA Piper
> LPA-CGR Avocats
> Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
> Sullivan & Cromwell
> Taj-Deloitte
France Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
EY
> Taj-Deloitte
Germany Tax Firm of the Year
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
> Baker McKenzie
> Dentons
> Flick Gocke Schaumburg
> Noerr
> Oppenhoff
> Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
> WTS, WTS Global
Germany Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
WTS, WTS Global
> Baker McKenzie
> Deloitte
> Flick Gocke Schaumburg
> NERA Economic Consulting
> Oppenhoff
> PwC
Greece Tax Firm of the Year
EY
> Deloitte
> Koutalidis
> Zepos & Yannopoulos, Taxand Greece
Greece Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
EY
> Deloitte
> Zepos & Yannopoulos, Taxand Greece
Hungary Tax Firm of the Year
EY
> Baker McKenzie, Hegymegi-Barakonyi
> Deloitte
> Tandax Advisory
> WTS Klient, WTS Global
Hungary Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Deloitte
> Baker McKenzie, Hegymegi-Barakonyi
> EY
> OrienTax
> WTS Klient, WTS Global
Ireland Tax Firm of the Year
William Fry
> A&L Goodbody
> Arthur Cox
> Baker Tilly
> Deloitte
> Maples & Calder
> Matheson
> PwC
Ireland Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Deloitte
> KPMG
> Matheson
Italy Tax Firm of the Year
BonelliErede
> Allen & Overy
> Baker McKenzie
> Chiomenti Studio Legale
> Clifford Chance
> DLA Piper
> Maisto e Associati
> Studio Legale e Tributario Biscozzi Nobili, WTS Global
> Tremonti Romagnoli Piccardi e Associati
Italy Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Chiomenti Studio Legale
> BonelliErede
> Crowe Valente/Valente Associati GEB Partners
> Deberti Jacchia
> DLA Piper
> Ludovici Piccone & Partners
> Studio Tributario e Societario-Deloitte
Israel Tax Firm of the Year
Herzog Fox & Neeman
> Barnea
> Eitan, Mehulal, Sadot
> Fischer Behar Chen Well Orion & Co
> Gornitzky & Co
> Meitar Liquornik Geva Leshem Tal
> S Horowitz & Co
> Yigal Arnon & Co
Luxembourg Tax Firm of the Year
Deloitte
> Allen & Overy
> Arendt & Medernach
> Baker McKenzie
> Simmons & Simmons
Luxembourg Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Baker McKenzie
> Arendt & Medernach
> Deloitte
> TransFair Pricing Solutions
Malta Tax Firm of the Year
Deloitte
> Camilleri Preziosi
> Fenech & Fenech Advocates
Netherlands Tax Firm of the Year
Stibbe
> Clifford Chance
> De Brauw
> Deloitte
> DLA Piper
> Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
> KPMG
> Loyens & Loeff
Netherlands Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Baker McKenzie
> KPMG
> Loyens & Loeff
> NERA Economic Consulting
> Simmons & Simmons
> Taxand Netherlands
Norway Tax Firm of the Year
EY
> Deloitte
> KPMG
> PwC
Norway Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
PwC
> Deloitte
> EY
> KPMG
Poland Tax Firm of the Year
Deloitte
> Arena Tax
> Baker McKenzie
> CRIDO, Taxand Poland
> MDDP
Poland Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
CRIDO, Taxand Poland
> Baker McKenzie
> Deloitte
> MDDP
Portugal Tax Firm of the Year
Garrigues
> Cuatrecasas
> Deloitte
> EY
> Morais Leitao Galvao Teles Soares Da Silva
> PLMJ
> PwC
> Vieira De Almeida
Portugal Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
PwC
> Baker Tilly
> Deloitte
> EY
Russia Tax Firm of the Year
KPMG
> Baker McKenzie
> Bryan Cave Leighton Partner
> Dentons
> EY
> FBK Legal
> Pepeliaev Group
> PwC
Russia Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
EY
> Deloitte
> Dentons
> KPMG
> PwC
South Africa Tax Firm of the Year
Webber Wentzel
> Baker McKenzie
> Deloitte
> Grant Thornton
South Africa Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
EY
> Deloitte
> Grant Thornton
Spain Tax Firm of the Year
Garrigues
> Clifford Chance
> Cuatrecasas
> Deloitte
> DLA Piper
> EY
> Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
> Perez-Llorca
> Uria Menendez
Spain Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
EY
> Baker McKenzie
> Deloitte
> Garrigues
> KPMG
> PwC
> Roca Junyent
Sweden Tax Firm of the Year
KPMG
> Deloitte
> DLA Piper
> EY
> Linklaters
> PwC
> Svalner, member of WTS Global
Sweden Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
KPMG
> EY
> PwC
Switzerland Tax Firm of the Year
Deloitte
> Lenz & Staehelin
> Loyens & Loeff
> Niederer Kraft Frey
> Tax Partner, Taxand Switzerland
Switzerland Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Deloitte
> Loyens & Loeff
> Schellenberg Wittmer
> Tax Partner, Taxand Switzerland
Turkey Tax Firm of the Year
Baker McKenzie
> Centrum
Turkey Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
PwC
> Baker McKenzie
> Centrum
UK Tax Firm of the Year
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
> Baker McKenzie
> Clifford Chance
> Debevoise Plimpton
> Deloitte
> Slaughter & May
> Sullivan & Cromwell
> Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
UK Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
DLA Piper
> Alvarez & Marsal, Taxand UK
> Baker McKenzie
> EY
Ukraine Tax Firm of the Year
KM Partners, WTS Global
> Asters
> Avellum
> Baker McKenzie
> EY
> PwC
> Sayenko Kharenko
> Vasil Kisil & Partners
Ukraine Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
EY
> Avellum
> Baker McKenzie
> DLA Piper
> EUCON
> KM Partners, WTS Global
Africa Tax Firm of the Year
PwC
> Baker McKenzie
> DLA Piper
> RLA, member of VdA Legal Partners
Africa Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
DLA Piper
> Baker McKenzie
GCC Tax Firm of the Year
Baker McKenzie
> Deloitte
> DLA Piper
> KPMG
GCC Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
KPMG
> Deloitte
Regional awards
European Tax Policy Firm of the Year
Best Friends Tax Network
> Baker McKenzie
> Crowe Valente/Valente Associati GEB Partners
> Deloitte
> EY
> Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
> KPMG
> PwC
European Tax Innovator Firm of the Year
Avalara
> Aibidia Oy
> Deloitte
> Vieira De Almeida
> Zanders
European Tax Compliance & Reporting Firm of the Year
Deloitte
> EY
> KPMG
> PwC
European Court of Justice Firm of the Year – Direct Tax
Baker McKenzie
> Stibbe
> KPMG
> Loyens & Loeff
European Tax Technology Firm of the Year
Deloitte
> Aibidia Oy
> Avalara
> EY
> Innovate Tax
> KPMG
> PwC
> WTS Global
European Court of Justice Firm of the Year – Indirect Tax
Deloitte
> BPV Hügel
> CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre
> De Brauw
> EY
> Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
> PLMJ Advogados
> Vieira de Almeida
US Tax Firm of the Year in Europe
Baker McKenzie
> Debevoise & Plimpton
> Mayer Brown
> Shearman & Sterling
> Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
> Sullivan & Cromwell
> Weil, Gotshal & Manges
European In-house Team of the Year
Heineken
> BBVA
> Booking.com
> Cargill
> Orange
> Salesforce
Leadership awards
European In-house Tax Director of the Year 2019
José María Vallejo, BBVA
> Begoña García-Rozado González, Iberdrola
> Catherine Poças, Société Générale Bank and Trust
> Florence Blanchard, Cargill
> Mathias Hildebrandt, Zalando
> Richard Neef, Imperial Tobacco
> Rocío Bermúdez, Repsol
European In-house Transfer Pricing Director of the Year 2019
Donata Koren, Zalando
> Luis Abrantes, Carlsberg
European Tax Practice Leader of the Year 2019
Thomas Perrot, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, France
> Jürgen Scholz, WTS Global
> Joe Tynan, PwC Ireland
> Melissa Geiger, KPMG in the UK
> Mikhail Orlov, KPMG in Russia
> Paolo Ludovici, Ludovici Piccone & Partners, Italy
> Willem Blom, Deloitte Netherlands
> Xavier Hubaux, EY Luxembourg
European Transfer Pricing Practice Leader of the Year 2019
Shaun Austin, Deloitte UK
> Axel Eigelshoven, PwC Germany
> Antonio Russo, Baker McKenzie Netherlands
> Joao Aranha, Baker Tilly Portugal
> Eoghan Quigley, KPMG in Ireland
> Monique van Herksen, Simmons & Simmons Netherlands
> Shiv Mahalingham, Deloitte MENA
> Xaver Ditz, Flick Gocke Schaumburg
European Tax Litigation/Disputes Practice Leader of the Year 2019
Dmytro Donets, PwC Ukraine
> Andrey Ermolaev, KPMG in Russia
> Arne Møllin Ottosen, Kromann Reumert Denmark
> Conor O’Brien, KPMG in Ireland
> Greg Lockhart, Matheson Ireland
> Helen Buchanan, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer UK
> Pietro Piccone Ferrarotti, Ludovici Piccone & Partners Italy
> Thomas Rödder, Flick Gocke Schaumburg Germany
European impact deals
> Essilor and Luxottica merger: Bonelli Erede; Bredin Prat; Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
> Atlantia, ACS acquisition of Abertis: Allen & Overy; Baker McKenzie; Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton; Clifford Chance; Davis Polk & Wardell; DLA Piper; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; Gianni Origoni Grippxo Capelli & Partners; Gleiss Lutz; Herbert Smith Freehills; Lagance Avvocati; Uria Menendez
> Vodafone acquisition of Liberty Global: Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; Latham & Watkins; Slaughter & May
> Linde-Praxair merger: Arthur Cox; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; Hengeler Mueller; Latham & Watkins; Linklaters; Slaughter & May, Sullivan & Cromwell; William Fry
> Unibail acquisition of Westfield: Allens; Clifford Chance; Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier; Debevoise & Plimpton; King & Wood Mallesons; Lacourte Raquin Tatar; Loyens & Loeff; NautaDutilh; Shearman & Sterling; Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom
> Blackstone acquisition of Thomson Reuters financial and risk unit: Debevoise Plimpton
> AXA acquisition of XL Group: Bredin Prat; Cravath Swaine & Moore; Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom
> CME acquisition of NEX Group: Clifford Chance; Norton Rose Fulbright; Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom
> Blackstone acquisition of Banco Popular’s real estate assets: Garrigues; Simpson Thatcher & Bartlett; Uria Menendez
> Cerebus’ purchase of the majority of BBVA’s real estate business: Clifford Chance; Linklaters; PwC; Schulte Rith & Zabel
European impact cases
> EU: Sofina (C-575/17), CJEU rule on incompatibility of French withholding tax on dividends received by loss-making non-resident companies: Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
> Finland: Taxpayers ability to choose business model and most appropriate transfer pricing method: Borenius Attorneys
> Italy: Dolce and Gabbana cleared of tax evasion due to double residence: Studio Legale e Tributario Biscozzi Nobili
> Portugal: Change in VAT treatment of real estate transactions in Portugal: PLMJ Advogados
Final regional awards
European Indirect Tax Firm of the Year
WTS Global
> Baker McKenzie
> Baker Tilly
> BPV Hügel
> Deloitte
> DLA Piper
> EY
> KPMG
European Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
EY
> Baker McKenzie
> Deloitte
> DLA Piper
> Garrigues
> KPMG
> PwC
> WTS Global
European Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
Baker McKenzie
> Best Friends Tax Network
> Dentons
> DLA Piper
> Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
> Tax Partner, Taxand Switzerland
> William Fry, Taxand Ireland
> WTS, WTS Global
European Tax Firm of the Year
Deloitte
> Baker McKenzie
> Best Friends Tax Network
> Clifford Chance
> EY
> Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
> KPMG
> PwC
