Michel Aujean won the Editors' Choice award for his contribution to EU tax policy at International Tax Review's fourth annual European Tax Awards in London on May 22.
Aujean, who now advises companies on EU tax policy as a partner of Taj, the tax and legal member firm of Deloitte in France, worked for the European Commission between 1976 and 2007, finishing up as head of analyses and tax policies in the taxation directorate-general. He collected the only award to an individual at the ceremony.
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer took the European Tax Firm of the Year award, which was for the firm which has the best strength and depth in its international tax services and is widely represented throughout Europe.
Other pan-European awards went to Deloitte for transfer pricing and Linklaters for tax litigation. Dorsey & Whitney was the first winner of the European Court of Justice firm of the year award and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom won for US law firm in Europe. Deloitte in the UK won for best use of the internet and Taxand, a network of independent firms, took the award for best newcomer, which was for firms that are five years old or less.
In addition to the pan-European awards, International Tax Review presented awards for tax and transfer pricing in 24 European jurisdictions – Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and UK.
Multiple winners featured strongly at the ceremony. PricewaterhouseCoopers and Deloitte won 12 awards each, Ernst & Young and the Taxand network five each and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer three.
Other notable achievements included Garrigues, a member of the Taxand network, winning the Spain national tax firm of the year for the fourth year in a row.
In February and March this year, firms in the 24 jurisdictions were invited to submit at least three examples of their best work for the February 2007 to February 2008 period. The submissions were eligible for consideration for the two awards (tax and transfer pricing) in each of the countries, as well as for the eight pan-European awards.
International Tax Review editorial staff considered the submissions, as well as what they already knew about the firms through research for World Tax 2008, to compile shortlists for each award. The shortlists were submitted to a panel of tax executives made up of members of Tax Executives International's European chapter. They chose the winners in consultation with International Tax Review.
Nominees and winners (in bold) are listed below.
Tax Firm of The Year |
|
Austria |
Arnold, Deloitte, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Wolf Theiss |
Belgium |
Allen & Overy, Deloitte, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck & Kirkpatrick, Loyens & Loeff, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
Cyprus |
Consulco, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Andreas Neocleous & Co, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
Denmark |
Bech-Bruun, Deloitte, Plesner, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
Finland |
Borenius & Kemppinen, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Hannes Snellman, Roschier |
France |
Bredin Prat, Clifford Chance, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Landwell & Associés, Linklaters, Mayer Brown, Taj |
| Germany |
Clifford Chance, Deloitte, Flick Gocke Schaumburg, Linklaters, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
| Greece |
Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Zepos & Yannapoulos |
| Hungary |
Andrékó Linklaters, Deloitte, Köves Clifford Chance, Nagy és Trócsányi |
Ireland |
A&L Goodbody, Arthur Cox, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG, Matheson Ormsby Prentice, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
Italy |
Bonelli Erede & Pappalardo, Deloitte, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Lovells |
| Luxembourg |
Atoz, Deloitte, Linklaters, Loyens & Loeff, Nauta Dutilh, Oostvogels Pfister Feyten |
| Malta |
Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
Netherlands |
Allen & Overy, Baker & McKenzie, Deloitte, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Loyens & Loeff, Nauta Dutilh |
Norway |
BAHR, Deloitte, Thommessen, Wiersholm Mellbye & Bech |
Poland |
Accreo Taxand, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Linklaters, MDDP, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
Portugal |
Abreu Advogados, Deloitte, Garrigues, Goncalves Pereira Castelo Branco, Linklaters, PLMJ, Vieira de Almeida |
Russia |
Deloitte, KPMG, Linklaters, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Salans |
Spain |
Cuatrecasas, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Garrigues, Linklaters, Lovells |
Sweden |
Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Linklaters, Mannheimer Swartling |
Switzerland |
Bär & Karrer, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Homburger, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Tax Partner |
Turkey |
Deloitte, Erdikler, Ernst & Young, Mazars/Denge, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
| Ukraine |
Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Magisters, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
| UK |
Baker & McKenzie, Deloitte, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Linklaters, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom |
Transfer pricing firm of the year |
|
Austria |
Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
Belgium |
Deloitte, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
Denmark |
Bech-Bruun, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
Finland |
Deloitte, KPMG |
France |
Arsene Taxand, Landwell & Associés, Taj |
| Germany |
Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Oppenhoff & Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
| Greece |
Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
| Hungary |
Deloitte, Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
| Italy |
Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Transfer Pricing Associates |
| Malta |
Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
Netherlands |
Baker & McKenzie, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Transfer Pricing Associates, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
Norway |
Deloitte, Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
Poland |
Accreo Taxand, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, MDDP, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
Portugal |
Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Transfer Pricing Associates |
Russia |
Deloitte, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
Spain |
Ashurst, Deloitte, Garrigues, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
Sweden |
Deloitte, Ernst & Young |
Switzerland |
Deloitte, Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Tax Partner |
Turkey |
Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Mazars/Denge, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
| Ukraine |
Deloitte, Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
| UK |
Baker & McKenzie, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
European firms of the year |
|
US Tax Firm of the Year |
Latham & Watkins, McDermott Will & Emery, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom |
European Tax Litigation |
Garrigues, Linklaters, Lovells , Plesner, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
European Transfer Pricing |
Baker & McKenzie, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
European Tax |
Baker & McKenzie, Deloitte, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Linklaters, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom |
| Best ECJ Firm |
Deloitte, Dorsey & Whitney, Flick Gocke Schaumburg, KPMG Meijburg & Co, KPMG Finland, Loyens & Loeff |
| Editors' Choice |
Michel Aujean |
| Best Newcomer |
Taxand |
| Best Use of the Internet |
Deloitte in the UK |
