The awards, which have been held by TP Week’s sister publication the International Tax Review since 2005, were presented at a dinner at the Savoy Hotel on May 17.
The top accolades of the night were awarded to Deloitte as the best European Tax Firm of Year, and to EY as the leading European Transfer Pricing of the Year.
For the resolution of a significant tax dispute in Europe, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer was awarded as the 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.
Please read on for a full list of this year’s nominees and winners. A methodology can be found at the end of the article.
Congratulations to all of this year's winners!
EUROPEAN TAX AWARDS – NATIONAL AWARDS SHORTLISTS
Austria Tax Firm of the Year
bpv Hügel Rechtsanwälte
Deloitte
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
ICON
Rödl & Partner
Austria Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
bpv Hügel Rechtsanwälte
Deloitte
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
ICON
TPA
Baltic States Tax Firm of the Year
Cobalt
Deloitte
Sorainen
Baltic States Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Deloitte
Sorainen
Belgium Tax Firm of the Year
Allen & Overy
Baker McKenzie
Clifford Chance
Deloitte
Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick
Linklaters
Belgium Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Aptis Global
Baker McKenzie
Deloitte
Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick
T/A Economics
Central and Eastern Europe Tax Firm of the Year
Deloitte
Dentons
DLA Piper
Central and Eastern Europe Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Deloitte
EY Bulgaria
EY Romania
TPS
Cyprus Tax Firm of the Year
Deloitte
Eurofast, Taxand Cyprus
EY Cyprus
Denmark Tax Firm of the Year
Deloitte
Plesner
Denmark Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Deloitte
EY Denmark
Finland Tax Firm of the Year
Alder & Sound
Deloitte
DLA Piper
EY Finland
Roschier
Finland Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Alder & Sound
Deloitte
EY Finland
France Tax Firm of the Year
Baker McKenzie
Bredin Prat
Clifford Chance
Dentons
Mayer Brown
Taj (Deloitte)
France Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Baker McKenzie
EY Société d’Avocats
Taj (Deloitte)
Germany Tax Firm of the Year
Clifford Chance
Dentons
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Hengeler Mueller
Hogan Lovells
Mayer Brown
Noerr
WTS Germany
Germany Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Baker McKenzie
Deloitte
NERA Consulting
PwC
TaxID Steuerberatung / Quantera Global
WTS Germany
Greece Tax Firm of the Year
Deloitte
EY Greece
Zepos & Yannopoulos, Taxand Greece
Greece Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Deloitte
EY Greece
Zepos & Yannopoulos, Taxand Greece
Hungary Tax Firm of the Year
Deloitte
DLA Piper
EY Hungary
Hegymegi-Barakonyi (Baker McKenzie)
OrienTax
WTS Klient Hungary
Hungary Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Deloitte
DLA Piper
EY Hungary
OrienTax
Ireland Tax Firm of the Year
A&L Goodbody
Deloitte
Maples and Calder
Matheson
Ireland Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Deloitte
Matheson
Italy Tax Firm of the Year
Allen & Overy
Baker McKenzie
BonelliErede
Chiomenti Studio Legale
Clifford Chance
Crowe Valente / Valente Associati GEB Partners/
Maisto e Associati
Tremonti Romagnoli Piccardi e Associati
Italy Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Baker McKenzie
BonelliErede
Crowe Valente / Valente Associati GEB Partners
DLA Piper
Ludovici Piccone & Partners
Maisto e Associati
Quantera Global
Studio Tributario e Societario (Deloitte)
Luxembourg Tax Firm of the Year
Allen & Overy
Arendt & Medernach
Baker McKenzie
Deloitte
Dentons
DLA Piper
Hogan Lovells
Van Campen Liem
Luxembourg Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Arendt & Medernach
Baker McKenzie
Deloitte
Dentons
EY Luxembourg
T/A Economics
Malta
Deloitte
Netherlands Tax Firm of the Year
Baker McKenzie
Clifford Chance
Deloitte
Dentons
DLA Piper
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Stibbe
Taxand Netherlands
Netherlands Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Baker McKenzie
Deloitte
DLA Piper
Embridge
T/A Economics
Taxand Netherlands
Norway Tax Firm of the Year
Deloitte
EY Norway
PwC
Norway Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Deloitte
EY Norway
PwC
Poland Tax Firm of the Year
Baker McKenzie Krzyżowski i Wspolnicy
Crido Taxand, Taxand Poland
Dentons
DLA Piper
Hogan Lovells
KZP
MDDP
Wardyński & Partners
Poland Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Crido Taxand, Taxand Poland
Deloitte
KZP
MDDP
Portugal Tax Firm of the Year
Cuatrecasas
DLA Piper
EY Portugal
Garrigues, Taxand Portugal
JCG Advogados
PLMJ
PwC
Vieira de Almeida
Portugal Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Baker Tilly
Deloitte
EY Portugal
PwC Portugal
Russia Tax Firm of the Year
Althaus Group
Baker McKenzie
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (Russia)
Clifford Chance
Deloitte
Dentons
KPMG Russia
PwC
Russia Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Deloitte
EY Russia
KPMG Russia
PwC
South Africa Tax Firm of the Year
Baker McKenzie
Deloitte
South Africa Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Deloitte
KPMG South Africa
Spain Tax Firm of the Year
Clifford Chance
Cuatrecasas
Deloitte
Dentons
DLA Piper
EY Abogados
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Uria Menéndez
Spain Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Baker McKenzie
Deloitte
EY Abogados
Garrigues, Taxand Spain
Sweden Tax Firm of the Year
Deloitte
EY Sweden
KPMG AB
Sweden Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Deloitte
EY Sweden
KPMG AB
Switzerland Tax Firm of the Year
Deloitte
Tax Partner, Taxand Switzerland
Switzerland Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Deloitte
Tax Partner, Taxand Switzerland
Turkey Tax Firm of the Year
Baker McKenzie
Centrum Auditing
Pekin & Pekin Law Firm
White & Case
Turkey Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Baker McKenzie
Centrum Consulting
PwC
UK Tax Firm of the Year
Allen & Overy
Baker McKenzie
Clifford Chance
DLA Piper
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Simmons & Simmons
Travers Smith
Weil Gotshal & Manges
UK Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
DLA Piper
Grant Thornton
Ukraine Tax Firm of the Year
Aequo
Avellum
Dentons
DLA Piper
EY Ukraine
PwC
WTS Consulting / KM Partners
Ukraine Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Avellum
Baker McKenzie
DLA Piper
EBS
EUCON
EY Ukraine
PwC
WTS Consulting / KM Partners
REGIONAL AND DEAL AWARDS
Africa Tax Firm of the Year
Baker McKenzie
Deloitte
PwC Angola
RLA Angola
Africa Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Deloitte
KPMG South Africa
PwC
GCC Tax Firm of the Year
Advaita Legal
DLA Piper
SKP Dubai
European Banking Tax Deal of the Year
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
Quad Gas - financing of National Grid acquisition: Clifford Chance; CMS Cameron McKenna; Linklaters; Addleshaw Goddard; DLA Piper; Irwin Mitchell; Eversheds
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
European Capital Markets Tax Deal of the Year
British American Tobacco bond issue / EMTN programme: Stibbe; Davis Polk & Wardwell; Allen & Overy; Cravath Swaine & Moore; Linklaters
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
European Consumer Products Tax Deal of the Year
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
Groupe Arnault purchase in Christian Dior and Hermes shares and subsequent sale of Christian Dior Couture to LVMH: Bredin Prat
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
European Energy Tax Deal of the Year
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
Chrysaor Holdings acquisition of a diversified North Sea oil and gas portfolio from Shell: Debevoise & Plimpton; Dechert; White & Case
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
European Financial Services Tax Deal of the Year
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
GE Capital – Sale of GE Money Bank and other subsidiaries: Clifford Chance; Linklaters; Schulte Roth & Zabel
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
European Joint Ventures Tax Deal of the Year
AP Första JV with Elo Mutual Pension Insurance and Trevian Asset Management: DLA Piper; Roschier; Sidley Austin; Merilampi
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
European Media and Entertainment Tax Deal of the Year
Advent International’s Acquisition of Williams Lea Tag: Weil Gotshal & Manges; EY; Dentons
Bertelsmann acquisition of 22% stake in Penguin Random House: Slaughter and May; Davis Polk & Wardwell
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
European M&A Tax Deal of the Year
Actelion cash offer by Johnson & Johnson: Niederer Kraft Frey; Slaughter and May; Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz
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
European Private Equity Tax Deal of the Year
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 bridge bank Novo Banco to Lone Star Funds: Vieira de Almeida; DLA Piper; Weil Gotshal & Manges
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
European Tax Restructuring Deal of the Year
Abengoa Restructuring: Clifford Chance; Mijares Angoitia Cortés y Fuentes; Linklaters; Santamarina y Steta; Uria Menéndez; DLA Piper; Gomez-Acebo & Pombo; Sullivan & Cromwell; Loyens & Loeff
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
European Telecommunications and Technology Tax Deal of the Year
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
IPO Play Communications: Loyens & Loeff; Latham Watkins; DLA Piper; White & Case
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
European In-house Team of the Year – Direct Tax
Nomad Foods
Zalando
European In-house Team of the Year – Transfer Pricing
Coface
Dassault Systemes
Sandvik
Syngenta
Zalando
Best Newcomer Firm of the Year
Aequo
Aptis Global
Embridge
Rödl & Partner International
SKP Business Consulting UAE
T/A Economics
European Tax Innovator Firm of the Year
Aibidia
Avalara
Innovate Tax
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
Radu si Asociatii SPRL
RLA
Vieira de Almeida
Zanders Inside
European Tax Technology Firm of the Year
Aibidia
Avalara
Bearing Point
Deloitte
WTS Germany
European Tax Policy Firm of the Year
Avellum
Best Friends Tax Network
Crowe Valente / Valente Associati GEB Partners
PwC Russia
Radu si Asociatii SPRL
Vieira de Almeida
European Tax Compliance & Reporting Firm of the Year
Althaus Consulting
Avalara
Deloitte
Doradztwo Podatkowe WTS&SAJA
EY
EY Bulgaria
Tax Partner, Taxand Switzerland
WTS Klient Hungary
European Indirect Tax Firm of the Year
Avellum
Baker McKenzie
Deloitte
DLA Piper
EY Abogados Spain
Hogan Lovells
Tax Partner, Taxand Switzerland
WTS Global
European Court of Justice Firm of the Year - Indirect Tax
Baker McKenzie
EY Bulgaria
MDDP
European Tax Disputes Firm of the Year
Avellum
Baker McKenzie
Best Friends Tax Network
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Hogan Lovells
Ludovici Piccone & Partners
Matheson
Pepeliaev, Taxand Russia
PLMJ
Vieira de Almeida
European Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year
Baker McKenzie
Deloitte
DLA Piper
EY
KPMG
PwC
WTS Global
European Tax Firm of the Year
Baker McKenzie
Clifford Chance
Deloitte
DLA Piper
EY
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
KPMG
PwC
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.
