Director, M&A Tax (UK) in London

Leo Berwick is a boutique tax and deal advisory firm built around infrastructure and energy transition.

We are not generalists who happen to cover the sector - it is the whole of what we do, and it is why sponsors, developers, and funds bring us their most technical transactions.

Leo Berwick UK is an independent, partner-led practice, established as a UK LLP and run from London by its own founding Partnership team and Management Committee.

We set our own strategy, select our own clients, and are accountable to each other.

Where a mandate is genuinely cross-border, we draw on the wider Leo Berwick network across North America and Europe.

Our advisers come from Big 4 and City law firms, and most arrived for the same reason: the work was interesting, the structure around it was not.

As a growth-stage company, we move quickly, work collaboratively, and value people who take initiative and thrive in a fast-paced environment.

Our culture is grounded in high performance, continuous learning, and the shared ambition to build something exceptional, together.

What we’re looking for

We are looking for a Director, M&A Tax, to join the founding London deal team.

This is a build role rather than a seat.

You will be among a small group who determine what this practice becomes - how it goes to market, who it hires, which sponsors and sub-sectors it serves, and how the work itself is delivered.

If you have spent years thinking that tax and deal advisory in this market could be done rather better than it currently is, this is the opportunity to test that view with the mandate to act on it.

• You’re the right fit for this role if –
• You currently work at a Big 4 accounting firm or a leading City law firm in their transactional tax group, and your patience has run out with the process rather than the work.
• You are technically excellent, and aware that this is reflected only modestly in what you are paid, because of how large organization’s set pay.
• You hold views on how deal advisory should be delivered - pricing, staffing, responsiveness, the quality of the advice itself - and would prefer to build against them than continue to work around them.
• You want to be paid for what you contribute. Our cash compensation sits meaningfully ahead of Big 4 and consulting benchmarks.

What you'll do

• Lead the day-to-day execution of UK and cross-border M&A transactions across infrastructure and energy transition, including tax due diligence and structuring
• Be a trusted advisor and primary point of contact for every Leo Berwick client and partnership
• Provide timely and quality tax advice, always aiming to exceed client expectations
• Review and draft tax opinion memoranda, including on complex technical topics such as UK corporate tax, cross-border structuring, and inbound/outbound investment issues
• Review tax aspects of share purchase agreements, merger agreements, and other legal documentation; provide tax opinion memorandums
• Review and assist clients in the quantitative and qualitative analysis of the tax data in their financial models and projections for the transaction
• Collaborate with senior leadership (Partners and Managing Directors) on business development, identifying opportunities, leading proposals, and cultivating client relationships
• Keep abreast of UK corporate tax and relevant OECD/international developments, and contribute to the team's technical and thought leadership output
• Mentor, develop, motivate, and train Vice Presidents and Senior Associates

What you bring

• Minimum 5 years of post-qualification experience in tax due diligence, deal structuring, and post-merger integration at a Big 4 accounting firm, in-house corporate tax team, or City law firm, with a track record of operating at Senior Manager/Director level or above
• ACA, CTA, ACCA (or equivalent chartered accountancy/tax qualification), or a law degree with relevant M&A tax experience
• Demonstrated experience planning and executing projects, including managing budgets and owning client accounts
• Ability to communicate complex tax concepts to clients in a clear and concise manner
• Demonstrated track record of leading teams and projects, managing budgets and delivering results under tight deadlines
• Strong communication skills - able to explain complex tax issues clearly to non-technical stakeholders
• Excellent writing, research, analytical, and presentation skills, with strong proficiency in Excel and Power Point
• High attention to detail; strong organisational skills and capacity to juggle multiple projects
• A self-starter mindset; comfortable operating with some ambiguity in fast-paced deal environments
• Generous paid annual leave
• Flexible working arrangements - remote and location flexibility
• Study and professional subscription support
• Private medical and dental cover
• Pension contributions
• Monthly well-being allowance
• Further benefits to support your physical and mental wellbeing
• Equal Opportunity Statement

Leo Berwick is committed to providing equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment.

We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation, in accordance with the Equality Act 2010, or on the basis of any other characteristic protected by applicable law.