DLA Piper

Tax-efficiency on every transaction

Tax planning is a critical element of almost every transaction and investment, domestic or multijurisdictional. We handle more M&A transactions than any other firm globally. Our tax and business planning advice is sophisticated, innovative and creative – designed to maximize value and minimize financial risk at every stage.

Few law firm tax departments work with the diversity of clients or jurisdictions that we do. Our global presence and ability to provide holistic services means we consistently help clients plan and realize the most tax-efficient solutions.

Our clients include major multinational corporations, sovereigns and their controlled investment entities, large pension funds, private equity and hedge funds, investment and commercial banks, real estate funds and companies, sports and entertainment companies, large non-US investors and tax-exempts.

They turn to us for the effective tax structuring of national and cross-border M&As, SPACs, and emergent company investments.

“The DLA Piper team has proved to be the best firm in meeting our needs with innovative solutions and quick responses. We can’t say enough about our appreciation for the relationship.”

Legal 500 2022

We represent clients on the investor and sponsor side, and on the buy or sell side. We negotiate tax language in deal documents, and help implement transactions. Our work covers guidance on group financing structures, IP development and exploitation, and the design and implementation of domestic and cross-border tax solutions.

Meeting your objectives matters. We can collaborate with your tax and accounting departments, as well as outside accounting firms, to build consensus on the best approach. We use our broad experience in numerous areas of law, and consider all the latest developments, including the OECD’s BEPS Action Plans, to provide multidisciplinary, integrated advice.

And once a deal closes, we’ll be there to ensure smooth implementation of tax and operational structures. We’re often asked to do this, even where the strategy was developed elsewhere.

We have particular experience advising on a wide range of private equity transactions, and providing continuing guidance to private equity houses between deals. We also have one of the most significant real estate tax teams.

We provide our international tax services while offering clients the benefits of the attorney-client and work-product privileges.

Awards and recognition

Ranked Tax practice, Chambers Global 2022
Leading firm, Nationwide Tax: Corporate & Finance, Chambers USA 2022
Leading firm, US Taxes: Financial Products, Legal 500 2022
Top ranked UK Ranking, International Tax Review World Transfer Pricing 2018-22
Impact Deal of the Year, Asia Pacific, International Tax Review Awards 2021
UK Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year, International Tax Review Awards 2017-19

Experience

Advising on an asset manager M&A matter including roll-up transactions between advisers in different jurisdictions to enhance their combined global platform.
Advising a reputable global household goods distributor on its pre-sale restructuring involving share transfers, business transfers, distributions, and contributions, in order to achieve tax efficiency. We provided Hong Kong tax advice in relation to the restructuring exercise and assisted the client with implementing the above steps in a timely manner.
Advising a multinational engineering firm on its significant restructure of global procurement and services arrangements to form five key hubs across the world. We provided key international tax, transfer pricing and related corporate and contractual advice on these proposals and implementation across the US, the UK, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and the rest of the world. This included noting key ATO focuses of marketing and procurement hubs and related transfer pricing issues.
Assisting a Korean private equity firm with the acquisition of a leading global golfing equipment brand and manufacturer. The transaction involved the acquisition of various subsidiaries across the world, with substantial operations in Australia, the Netherlands and China. Our team worked closely with international colleagues in the relevant countries to provide unified tax structuring and due diligence advice to the client.
Advising a French group and European leader in the payment and transactional services sector for clients ranging from merchants to governmental associations, on the acquisition of the card-acquiring activity of a Swedish group in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland.
Assisting one of the world’s major players in aerospace, defense and security with a variety of tax activities, including:
- managing their Tax Control Framework in the context of the Cooperative Compliance program with the Italian Revenue Agency;
- an audit by the Italian Revenue Agency on the correct application of the Patent Box Regime in the context of a complex reorganization plan involving the main Italian entities of the Group;
- VAT matters; and
- the realignment of goodwill and intangible assets values.
Advising a private equity firm on a global acquisition utilizing an innovative global partnership structure resulting in the creation of the largest independent global pigment dispersion platform.
Advising the world’s #1 nonfiction media company in two high-profile, multi-jurisdictional acquisitions of TV and radio businesses in Northern Europe and in Western Europe.
Acting on the structuring and disposal of a pan-European operating lease business with a substantial market share balancing the US tax considerations of the seller with local country tax requirements.
Advising on the restructuring of the European sub-group of a major US financial institution involving the establishment of a UK holding company for the regulated activities of the sub-group.
Advising on the implementation of tax-efficient management incentive arrangements in the context of an IPO.