Former official wins European tax award

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

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