Paynter reaches partnership at Herbert Smith Freehills

International Tax Review is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Garden, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2026

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Paynter reaches partnership at Herbert Smith Freehills

Hugh Paynter, a dispute resolution lawyer, has become a partner of Herbert Smith Freehills in Sydney.

fotoflexer-photohughpaynterhfs.jpg

Paynter has acted in major, high-value tax disputes that have dealt with a range of issues and industries, such as for National Australia Bank in litigation with more than A$900 million ($922 million) at stake concerning international hybrid capital raisings (the $1 billion ExCaps and $450 million TrUEPrS), involving general deductibility, Part IVA (anti-avoidance) and transfer pricing issues; Lend Lease in its successful defence of a $95 million Part IVA and capital gains tax dispute concerning its A$365 million Westpac warrant transaction and the Cross City consortium in a A$60 million land rich stamp duty dispute involving significant valuation issues.

more across site & shared bottom lb ros

More from across our site

Long-running, high-value and complex enquiries are a significant reason for HM Revenue and Customs’s increased TP yield, experts suggest
Landmark legal updates in India have led companies to prioritise specialised tax advisers over accountants, ITR has found
Brazil’s shift to a nationwide consumption tax is more than conceptual; it fundamentally transforms municipal revenue, enforcement, and administrative disputes
While some advisers praised the ruling’s definition of a ‘voucher’ for VAT purposes, a UK partner said the case left unanswered questions
While pillar two has been enacted on paper in Brazil, companies are encountering a range of practical compliance issues, ITR has heard
Moore, founding partner of the Chicago tax boutique which bears her name, shares her career wisdom for ITR’s new Women in Tax interview series
But partners at the firm admit that jumping ship to the US would not be as easy as some believe
Governments are rewriting tax policy for the AI era, deploying digital taxes, tailored incentives and algorithmic enforcement that redefine where value is created
Wingrove will succeed Bill Thomas, who has served in the role since 2017; in other news, Andersen unveiled a sharp increase in revenues for 2025
Partners are divided on Italy vs PDM D’s analytical depth, evidentiary standards, and what the judgment signals for future intra-group financing cases
Gift this article