European Tax Awards 2019: The winners
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European Tax Awards 2019: The winners

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The winners of International Tax Review’s 15th European Tax Awards have been announced.

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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

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Deloitte

> BPV Hügel

> TPA Group


Baltic states Tax Firm of the Year

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Sorainen, WTS Global

> Deloitte

> TGS Baltic


Baltic states Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

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Deloitte

> TGS Baltic

> Sorainen, WTS Global


Belgium Tax Firm of the Year

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Baker McKenzie

> Clifford Chance

> Deloitte

> DLA Piper

> Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

> Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick


Belgium Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

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Liedekerke

> Baker McKenzie

> Deloitte

> T/A Economics, WTS Global


Central and Eastern Europe Tax Firm of the Year

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Deloitte

> DLA Piper

> Grant Thornton

> Radu si Asociatii SPRL

> TPA

> WTS Alfery, WTS Global


Central and Eastern Europe Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

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EY

> Deloitte

> TPA


Cyprus Tax Firm of the Year

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EY

> Deloitte


Cyprus Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

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EY

> Deloitte


Denmark Tax Firm of the Year

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Deloitte

> DLA Piper

> KPMG


Denmark Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

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KPMG

> Deloitte

> EY


Finland Tax Firm of the Year

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Deloitte

> Alder & Sound

> Bird & Bird

> Borenius Attorneys

> Hannes Snellman

> Roschier


Finland Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

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Borenius Attorneys

> Alder & Sound

> Deloitte

> EY


France Tax Firm of the Year

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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

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EY

> Taj-Deloitte


Germany Tax Firm of the Year

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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

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WTS, WTS Global

> Baker McKenzie

> Deloitte

> Flick Gocke Schaumburg

> NERA Economic Consulting

> Oppenhoff

> PwC


Greece Tax Firm of the Year

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EY

> Deloitte

> Koutalidis

> Zepos & Yannopoulos, Taxand Greece


Greece Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

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EY

> Deloitte

> Zepos & Yannopoulos, Taxand Greece


Hungary Tax Firm of the Year

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EY

> Baker McKenzie, Hegymegi-Barakonyi

> Deloitte

> Tandax Advisory

> WTS Klient, WTS Global


Hungary Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

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Deloitte

> Baker McKenzie, Hegymegi-Barakonyi

> EY

> OrienTax

> WTS Klient, WTS Global


Ireland Tax Firm of the Year

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William Fry

> A&L Goodbody

> Arthur Cox

> Baker Tilly

> Deloitte

> Maples & Calder

> Matheson

> PwC


Ireland Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

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Deloitte

> KPMG

> Matheson


Italy Tax Firm of the Year

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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

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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

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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

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Deloitte

> Allen & Overy

> Arendt & Medernach

> Baker McKenzie

> Simmons & Simmons


Luxembourg Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

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Baker McKenzie

> Arendt & Medernach

> Deloitte

> TransFair Pricing Solutions


Malta Tax Firm of the Year

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Deloitte

> Camilleri Preziosi

> Fenech & Fenech Advocates


Netherlands Tax Firm of the Year

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Stibbe

> Clifford Chance

> De Brauw

> Deloitte

> DLA Piper

> Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

> KPMG

> Loyens & Loeff


Netherlands Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

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Baker McKenzie

> KPMG

> Loyens & Loeff

> NERA Economic Consulting

> Simmons & Simmons

> Taxand Netherlands


Norway Tax Firm of the Year

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EY

> Deloitte

> KPMG

> PwC


Norway Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

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PwC

> Deloitte

> EY

> KPMG


Poland Tax Firm of the Year

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Deloitte

> Arena Tax

> Baker McKenzie

> CRIDO, Taxand Poland

> MDDP


Poland Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

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CRIDO, Taxand Poland

> Baker McKenzie

> Deloitte

> MDDP


Portugal Tax Firm of the Year

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Garrigues

> Cuatrecasas

> Deloitte

> EY

> Morais Leitao Galvao Teles Soares Da Silva

> PLMJ

> PwC

> Vieira De Almeida


Portugal Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

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PwC

> Baker Tilly

> Deloitte

> EY


Russia Tax Firm of the Year

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KPMG

> Baker McKenzie

> Bryan Cave Leighton Partner

> Dentons

> EY

> FBK Legal

> Pepeliaev Group

> PwC


Russia Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

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EY

> Deloitte

> Dentons

> KPMG

> PwC


South Africa Tax Firm of the Year

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Webber Wentzel

> Baker McKenzie

> Deloitte

> Grant Thornton


South Africa Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

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EY

> Deloitte

> Grant Thornton


Spain Tax Firm of the Year

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Garrigues

> Clifford Chance

> Cuatrecasas

> Deloitte

> DLA Piper

> EY

> Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

> Perez-Llorca

> Uria Menendez


Spain Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

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EY

> Baker McKenzie

> Deloitte

> Garrigues

> KPMG

> PwC

> Roca Junyent


Sweden Tax Firm of the Year

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KPMG

> Deloitte

> DLA Piper

> EY

> Linklaters

> PwC

> Svalner, member of WTS Global


Sweden Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

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KPMG

> EY

> PwC


Switzerland Tax Firm of the Year

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Deloitte

> Lenz & Staehelin

> Loyens & Loeff

> Niederer Kraft Frey

> Tax Partner, Taxand Switzerland


Switzerland Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

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Deloitte

> Loyens & Loeff

> Schellenberg Wittmer

> Tax Partner, Taxand Switzerland


Turkey Tax Firm of the Year

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Baker McKenzie

> Centrum


Turkey Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

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PwC

> Baker McKenzie

> Centrum


UK Tax Firm of the Year

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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

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DLA Piper

> Alvarez & Marsal, Taxand UK

> Baker McKenzie

> EY


Ukraine Tax Firm of the Year

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KM Partners, WTS Global

> Asters

> Avellum

> Baker McKenzie

> EY

> PwC

> Sayenko Kharenko

> Vasil Kisil & Partners


Ukraine Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

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EY

> Avellum

> Baker McKenzie

> DLA Piper

> EUCON

> KM Partners, WTS Global


Africa Tax Firm of the Year

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PwC

> Baker McKenzie

> DLA Piper

> RLA, member of VdA Legal Partners


Africa Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

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DLA Piper

> Baker McKenzie


GCC Tax Firm of the Year

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Baker McKenzie

> Deloitte

> DLA Piper

> KPMG


GCC Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

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KPMG

> Deloitte



Regional awards


European Tax Policy Firm of the Year

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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

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Avalara

> Aibidia Oy

> Deloitte

> Vieira De Almeida

> Zanders


European Tax Compliance & Reporting Firm of the Year

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Deloitte

> EY

> KPMG

> PwC


European Court of Justice Firm of the Year – Direct Tax

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Baker McKenzie

> Stibbe

> KPMG

> Loyens & Loeff


European Tax Technology Firm of the Year

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Deloitte

> Aibidia Oy

> Avalara

> EY

> Innovate Tax

> KPMG

> PwC

> WTS Global


European Court of Justice Firm of the Year – Indirect Tax

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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

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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

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Heineken

> BBVA

> Booking.com

> Cargill

> Orange

> Salesforce



Leadership awards


European In-house Tax Director of the Year 2019

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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

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Donata Koren, Zalando

> Luis Abrantes, Carlsberg


European Tax Practice Leader of the Year 2019

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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

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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

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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

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> 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

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> 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

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WTS Global

> Baker McKenzie

> Baker Tilly

> BPV Hügel

> Deloitte

> DLA Piper

> EY

> KPMG


European Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year

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EY

> Baker McKenzie

> Deloitte

> DLA Piper

> Garrigues

> KPMG

> PwC

> WTS Global


European Tax Disputes Firm of the Year

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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

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Deloitte

> Baker McKenzie

> Best Friends Tax Network

> Clifford Chance

> EY

> Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

> KPMG

> PwC


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