Roy Saunders

Founder and Chairman, IBSA

Since qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in 1967, Roy Saunders has accumulated a wealth of commercial experience working independently in commercial property, international tax, advertising and other industries. He is the Chairman of IFS, a boutique international tax practice based in central London. Academically, he is known throughout the world for his many books and publications, the foremost being his red book, International Tax Systems & Planning Techniques published by Sweet & Maxwell. Roy has also taught an MA Course on International Taxation at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies at the University of London.

Roy is very proud of the fascinating client base of entrepreneurial individuals that he has built up at IFS. He feels strongly about the role that ethical tax structuring plays in the growth of an economy, and that this needs to be better understood by the public at large. Roy founded the IBSA to enable business professionals around the world to discover new business relationships and promote best practice by creating sustainable business structures compliant with international transparency, corporate governance and social responsibility.

Paddy Behan

Partner, Simmons Gainsford

Paddy began his tax career in Ireland and has worked in a number of international firms in Ireland and England. He has been a VAT partner in two “Group A” firms and National Chairman of the VAT Practitioners Group.

Paddy advises on the full range of VAT for businesses and their advisors. As well as providing consultancy, he also acts for clients in relation to penalties and disputes and appeals to the first-tier tribunal. For a number of years, he had his own consultancy covering VAT and some customs and trade issues.

Thomas Prock

Partner, Marks & Clerk

Thomas advises clients in the high tech field, in particular, the electronics sector on internet related subject matter and computer-implemented inventions. Thomas is moreover active in protecting inventions in the Cleantech and medical device field.

He has worked on patent applications relating to non-volatile semiconductor storage devices, data processing and exchange, mobile telecommunications, smart grid related inventions, waste reduction and medical imaging, to name a few. Thomas also has experience in contentious related matters, including European oppositions and litigation.

Thomas graduated with a Diploma in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Applied Science in Ulm (Germany) and went on to obtain his PhD from the Institute of Cancer Research, where he investigated the interaction between radio frequency electromagnetic fields and conducting tissue, with particular emphasis on its application to the design of phased array resonators.

Having qualified as a Chartered (UK) and European Patent Attorney in 2007, in 2014 Thomas became one of the few professionals to also qualify as a Patentanwalt (German Patent Attorney).

Mark Bloomberg

Of Counsel, Zuber Lawler

Mark Bloomberg is an intellectual property litigator.  With more than 30 years of experience, he has represented clients in infringement actions, and advised clients concerning patent infringement, validity, remedies and licensing.  During this time, Mr. Bloomberg has participated in all aspects of patent litigation, including jury trials, bench trials, claim construction hearings, arbitrations and appeals.

Mr. Bloomberg’s experience ranges from representing an American-based international consumer product company in a landmark damages trial that resulted in a $925 million damages award, to representing a start-up satellite radio company that successfully launched its satellite radio service after designing around patents asserted by its competitor. He has represented clients in a number of technology areas, including computers, video games, telecommunication systems, electronic trading systems, business methods and medical devices, and has substantial experience representing clients in connection with patent damages and injunctive remedies. Mr. Bloomberg also has experience with patent litigation and counseling concerning a variety of products in the consumer electronics field, including personal computers, video monitors, satellite radios, cellular telephones and cameras.

Mr. Bloomberg also counsels clients in connection with various intellectual property issues and disputes. He has evaluated potential infringement and validity of patents, developed strategies to redesign products to avoid infringement, assessed the merits, potential damages and potential injunctive relief for ongoing litigation in connection with diligence, and negotiated and prepared patent licenses, settlement agreements and purchase agreements.

Prior to joining Zuber Lawler & Del Duca, Mr. Bloomberg was a Partner at Ropes & Gray LLP.  Before becoming a lawyer, Mr. Bloomberg worked in the Spacecraft Steering and Control Group at the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, where he designed algorithms for the inertial guidance system of the MX Missile.

Robert Carpmael

Partner, Marks & Clerk

Robert is both a Patent and Registered Design Attorney. He handles mechanical subject matter, including engineering equipment and utilities, construction and automotive products, manufacturing processes, medical devices, surgical equipment and prosthetics, healthcare products and miscellaneous commercial products such as travel goods, toys and packaging. Robert has substantial patent drafting and prosecution experience both for large and small companies and his practice includes the provision of advice concerning patent and design filing strategies. He also handles general IP portfolio management and the provision of advice or opinions in relation to patent or design right infringement. In addition, he has considerable experience in representing clients at oral proceedings at the European Patent Office before Examining Divisions, Opposition Divisions and Boards of Appeal. Robert graduated from the University of Durham with an Honours Degree in Civil Engineering. He entered the patents profession in 1995, and during his qualifying exams he was awarded the Drafting Prize for being the candidate achieving the highest mark in his UK patent drafting paper. Robert moved to Marks & Clerk in 2009, and became a Partner of the firm in 2010. He was mentioned in the Legal 500 2009 edition and a number of his articles about securing intellectual property have been published in national, local and engineering press.

Catherine Jewell

Partner, Beck Greener

Catherine Jewell is a Partner at Beck Greener LLP and provides patent-related services in the chemical field, from initial advice on patentability, to drafting and filing applications and their prosecution, including opposition and appeals. She has a particular interest in the new unitary patent system which is expected to come into force in Europe in 2017.

She is also a Chartered and European Trade Mark Attorney and has advised on a variety of issues in relation to the use and registration of marks, from clearance searches and pre-filing advice, through to opposition and invalidity/revocation actions.

The majority of her experience relates to European patent and trade mark applications, but she has also handled global portfolios covering countries such as the US, China, Korea, Japan and Canada.

Catherine worked in solid-state and materials chemistry before joining the IP profession, concentrating on the synthesis of inorganic materials and manipulation of their structure and properties.

David Gubbay

Partner, Farrer & Co

Corporate tax expert David Gubbay works across the firm's sectors to help clients through some of the most complex issues they face. He is known for his considered style allied with a grounded pragmatic manner.

Corporate tax expert David Gubbay works across the firm's sectors to help clients through some of the most complex issues they face. He is known for his considered style allied with a grounded pragmatic manner.

David has been practising for over 25 years and has a broad base of experience, falling into three areas.

His corporate tax practice covers all aspects of mergers, acquisitions, disposal, joint ventures, demergers, flotations, re-organisations, capital raising and private equity. The work he does is often international, advising non-UK corporates and funds active in the UK and Europe, and advising clients on the appropriate structures for overseas acquisitions and holding entities in conjunction with other advisers. He also advises individuals selling their companies and businesses, giving advice on entrepreneurs relief, rollover and tax clearances plus new investment structures.

His investment fund work sees him advising both fund managers and funds including the establishment of open and closed-ended offshore funds and onshore funds and investment trusts, the merger and reorganisation of offshore and onshore funds, private equity and property fund work. This includes setting up tax efficient structures for onshore managers and owners, many of whom are non-doms, the use of LLPs and the use of offshore manager structures.

The third part of David’s work portfolio is a mix of real estate, finance and employment and incentive tax work. The real estate work includes property acquisitions, development projects and real estate finance work, including for non-UK purchasers and charities, VAT and stamp duty land tax planning and property fund structures. He advises on a variety of incentive schemes, including EMI and growth share plans, and on the tax issues relating to the commencement and termination of employment, and related employment related securities issues.

Kathleen Heycock

Partner, Farrer & Co

Kathleen's legal expertise and pragmatic approach is welcomed by both her employer and senior executive clients.  She believes in getting know her clients so that she can ensure they achieve an outcome that meets their immediate objectives and that also fits with their long term professional and personal goals.

Kathleen is a Partner in Farrer & Co's Employment Team.

Kathleen is recognised for her pragmatic and commercial advice.  Clients often comment on the strength of her professional support and personal empathy in getting them through difficult times.  

Kathleen's national and international practice focusses on resolving high level complex employment law issues for senior executives, senior partners, businesses and higher education institutions. She is experienced in advising and negotiating on contractual issues, employee relations, employee regulatory issues, mediation and litigation.   Kathleen also advises on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults, particularly in a Higher Education setting.

Over three separate secondments Kathleen gained a valuable insight into the key issues and concerns for HR Directors as well as overall risk management in a large international organisation. Most recently she spent three and a half years on part-time secondment to the HR team at Imperial College London and a yearlong full-time secondment to EY UK LLP, working on employee, partner and transactional matters.

Kathleen's believes that there is no "one size fits all".  Finding the right outcome for each client means delivering top quality legal advice in a style and format that suits that client.

Kathleen qualified as a solicitor in 2005.

Jaco van Zyl

Consultant, Maitland Advisory

Jaco is an advisory and director based in Mauritius, providing high-net-worth clients with international tax and structuring advice. He is also a dual qualified private client solicitor specialising in international tax, with a focus on South African and UK tax. He joined Maitland in 2011 as a Senior Associate and was then seconded to the Luxembourg office where he gained experience in wealth structuring and efficient tax planning methods. In March 2012, Jaco joined the Private Client team in London, specialising largely in cross-border taxation with a special emphasis on the creation of bespoke international tax structures for individuals and corporates. In 2020, Jaco moved to Maitland’s office in Mauritius, where he continues to advise international clients on their private trust and company structures, including estate planning.

Jonathan Riley

Partner, Memery Crystal

Jonathan Riley handles commercial law and commercial contracts work.  His focus is on project structuring, management and delivery, including shareholders' agreements, joint ventures, partnering, collaborations, R&D contracts, outsourcing and service agreements, supply contracts and terms of business.

He also advises on related areas of law including agency, distribution, licensing, franchising, sponsorship, merchandising, e-commerce, and related regulatory areas including data protection, anti-bribery, and consumer protection.  He is also highly experienced in managing and exploiting intellectual property rights, particularly in the technology, brands and media sectors.

Jonathan is well used to implementing tax-driven structures and commercial arrangements usually multi-jurisdictional or with a cross-border element.

Jonathan has a strong international client base, with a particular focus on North America and Europe.

Edward Stone

Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson

Edward has over 20 years' experience advising high net worth individuals, their families, trustees and family offices on cross-jurisdictional asset structuring and international tax, wealth and succession planning. With a unique blend of expertise from having worked both offshore and onshore, in common and civil law jurisdictions and on contentious and non-contentious matters, Edward is recognised for taking a creative approach to wealth structuring, for having particular expertise in the establishment of fiduciary structures and related fiduciary and governance issues. 

Mike Knapper

Head of Intellectual Property, Norton Rose Fulbright

Mike Knapper is an intellectual property and technology lawyer based in our London office. He is Head of Intellectual Property, Europe, Middle East and Asia.

Mike specialises in commercial arrangements involving intellectual property, data and technology, including rights acquisitions and disposals, portfolio structuring, licensing, collaboration, technology transfer, procurement and a broad range of related commercial agreements, with a particular focus on the life sciences, energy and technology sectors.

He regularly advises on intellectual property, IT and data protection aspects of mergers and acquisitions, joint venture transactions and IPOs, and on business separation and carve-out transactions.

Mike also advises on strategies for the protection and exploitation of brands and innovation (including in relation to trade marks, copyright, patents and trade secrets), on sponsorship arrangements, marketing and advertising law and on data protection compliance strategies.

Mike joined the firm in 1998 and was made a partner in 2006, after a period working in-house at The Thomson Corporation (now Thomson Reuters), where he was assistant European Counsel.

Mike is described in Legal 500 as an “excellent, adaptable and effective” lawyer who “thinks of real solutions that will work” and as someone who is “excellent at thinking around stalemate situations”.  

Mike has a degree in Chemistry from Bristol University, where he was awarded the 1995 ICI prize. He is a member of the Licensing Executive Society, INTA, the Society for Computers and Law and represents us on IPLA and the City of London Law Society IP sub-committee.

Lesley Gregory

Chairman, Memery Crystal

As one of the few female chairmen at a UK law firm, Lesley Gregory has led Memery Crystal through several strong financial years, worked to expand the firm’s international offering and encourage an internal culture focused on diversity and core values – all while maintaining her top-rated corporate practice.

She specialises in capital markets work including flotations and secondary capital raisings. She acts for companies, nominated advisers and brokers and has acted for both UK and international companies from the US, Canada, South Africa and Australia including Petra Diamonds Limited and Gaming Realms Plc. Lesley also advises growth companies on alternative forms of raising finance, including retail corporate bonds for companies and clubs from Hotel Chocolat to the Jockey Club. In addition, she advises on acquisitions and disposals of public and private companies as well as on cross-border transactions.

Lesley enjoys the challenges of working with entrepreneurs and growth companies and has previously acted as a non-executive director or special advisor to both public and private companies.

Lesley has been a champion of the firm’s core values programme initiated in 2007, supporting policies and procedures to reinforce the firm’s emphasis on client care, professional development and a supportive workplace. Through her initiative, Memery Crystal became the first law firm to launch a Payroll Giving Scheme with Giveall, a HMRC approved platform enabling employees to donate to any UK charity through their salary on a monthly basis, commission free.

In her spare time Lesley enjoys running and playing tennis, having been an Oxford hockey and tennis blue.

Leigh Sayliss

Partner, Memery Crystal

Alan Kaufman

Consultant, Howard Kennedy

Alan is a consultant and collaborative lawyer and mediator in the family team.  He specialises in heavy weight family law disputes and has had many years experience acting in multi-million pound matrimonial settlements.  Alan acts for wealthy business people, particularly in the property industry and high profile media, entertainment and sports personalities, or their spouses.

Alan is a trained mediator having been taught his mediation skills by the New York Mediation Group and is also a trained Collaborative Lawyer.  He is also a strong believer in round table settlement meetings at which he excels.

In a past life, Alan has had extensive commercial litigation experience (including shareholders and partnership disputes, copyright and property related litigation) and hence is able to bring his commercial acumen to matrimonial financial settlement negotiations.

In 2005, Alan was elected a Fellow of the prestigious International Academy of Family Lawyers and in 2008 was admitted as a member of the high profile group of collaborative lawyers known as the Central London Collaborative Forum, which is comprised of London's leading divorce lawyers.

Alan feels honoured to again be designated a Super Lawyer in the specialist Family Law area and also to be recognised as one of the top 100 Super Lawyers in London covering all disciplines.

The super lawyers nominations are produced yearly by Thompson Reuters on the basis of wholly independent peer review and assessment.

Liz Palmer

Partner, Head of Private Client and Family, Howard Kennedy

Liz advises a variety of clients about the establishment and structuring of trusts for the effective devolution of family wealth and tax mitigation. She has particular expertise acting for non-UK resident/domiciled individuals and specialises in the creation of off shore trusts and complex asset structuring for high net worth individuals.

Liz deals with all forms of inheritance tax and capital gains tax planning and also advises on wills and estate planning particularly for clients with interests and connections with the USA.

Liz is dual qualified being a solicitor and Chartered Tax Adviser (member of Chartered Institute of Taxation).

Neil Lancaster

Private Client Tax, Blick Rothenberg

Neil works with primarily with Entrepreneurs and High net worth individuals in relation to the personal tax affairs, those of their businesses and other structures often providing solutions to complex tax and commercial problems.

Mark O'Donnell

Director, Memery Crystal

Mark O’Donnell is a Director in Memery Crystal’s Corporate team, having joined the firm in 2018.

His core area of specialism is equity capital markets, acting for both UK and international main market and AIM listed companies and their advisers.  Mark acts for a range of clients with experience in the natural resources, technology and life sciences sectors.

Mark also has extensive experience in M&A and general corporate advisory.

Outside of work Mark likes to spend time with his family, enjoys running, cooking and travelling.

Daniel Edgson

Partner, Blick Rothenberg

Daniel has over 15 years’ experience in advising clients on complex tax matters.  He specialises in corporate and partnership tax with a particular focus on those issues surrounding clients in the financial services industry.  His work ranges from the completion of fund tax returns and calculations of reportable income to advising on VAT and FATCA matters.

In addition to compliance work, Daniel has also been heavily involved with structuring a number of UK funds, providing tax structuring advice and due diligence on acquisitions and navigating the changes arising from the Disguised Investment Management Fee rules.

Away from financial services, Daniel has helped clients make claims for R&D tax credits, secured SEIS and EIS relief for a number of start-up companies, implemented EMI schemes and produced transfer pricing reports across a range of different sectors.

Daniel firmly believes in giving clients the advice they need in a timely manner considering both tax and commercial factors. He also takes great pride in being able to convey complicated legislation in an understandable manner (as far as possible!).

David Foster

Private Client Associate Director, Frank Hirth

David provides personal tax advice with a focus on international aspects. More specifically David leads the Matrimonial Tax Planning team, advising clients with divorce and complex family matter resolutions including preparing expert testimony for court proceedings. He is a member of Resolution as a qualified tax expert and has attended collaborative training.

David also provides US estate and UK Inheritance Tax planning for US citizens and non-resident aliens, dealing extensively with individual business owners and entrepreneurs with a connection to the US, handling associated corporation and partnership tax matters impacting the individual/s involved.

David has had a varied international career, and worked for many years in Belgium. He speaks five languages and has a working knowledge of many European tax systems. David is a member of the Association of Tax Technicians (ATT) and is a US Enrolled Agent (EA) licensed to represent clients before the Internal Revenue Service.

David also sits on the Tax Technical Team within Frank Hirth whose primary role is to provide technical support to the wider firm. 

Epke Spijkerman

Partner, BUREN / BUREN Avocats S.a.r.l.

Epke Spijkerman, partner and lawyer at BUREN, specializes in employment and employee participation law aspects of (international) mergers and acquisitions, business transfers, reorganisations and dismissal proceedings (collective and individual). Epke has extensive experience in advising and litigating for national and international companies, including listed multinationals.

Epke graduated in Dutch law in 2000 from Leiden University. In 2008 he completed the specialization course Post-Academic Course Employment Law (PALA) at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Epke regularly gives lectures, publishes in professional journals and teaches at various training institutes.

Epke is a member of the European Employment Lawyer Association, the Amsterdam Employment Lawyers Association, the Dutch Employment Lawyers Association, the Employment Law Association and the Association for Sport and Law.

Paul Twydell

Partner, Simmons Gainsford

A Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Adviser with 18 years’ experience in the profession, I joined Simmons Gainsford in November 2020 from a top 25 firm. I head up the firm’s Corporate Tax team, dealing with corporation tax compliance and advisory matters.

I specialise in the creative, media and technology sector as well as property and some of my key specialisms have been advising on the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS), employee share scheme matters such as the Enterprise Management Scheme (EMI) and also Research and Development tax relief. Before specialising in corporation tax, I was a general accountant for five years and as such feel able to advise clients both in relation to accounting and tax matters, as well as considering the commercial implications of transactional activities beyond their tax impact.

Gareth Kendall

Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright

Gareth Kendall's practice focuses on general corporate and commercial law and commercial property with particular experience in the following:

• Mergers and acquisitions
• Setting up of tax efficient licensing and supply side structures
• European and UK competition matters
• Joint ventures
• UK Commercial property (acquisitions, sales and landlord and tenant)
• UK Residential property
• UK Employment
• Gareth has considerable experience in India and China.

Cees-Frans Greeven

Partner at BUREN / BUREN Avocats S.a.r.l.

Cees-Frans Greeven, attorney and tax lawyer, focuses on advising clients on the Dutch and Luxembourg aspects of corporate and PEVC transactions, including spin-offs, international restructurings and corporate joint ventures. Cees-Frans also works with institutional and private clients on issues related to investment management. Admitted to the Amsterdam Bar, a member of the Dutch Bar of Tax Advisors, IFA and serving on the Tax Committee of the IBA. Admitted to practice in Luxembourg (Liste IV).

Cees-Frans Greeven is "extremely experienced, very structured and efficient, and very reliable," according to commentators. He is noted for his expertise in investment fund formation and tax aspects of financial transactions." Chambers and Partners 2016