Corporate Tax Associate (1-3 PQE)

About Withers: A law firm focused on people, performance, and collaboration. For the past 130 years, we have supported some of the world’s most remarkable people and organizations at defining moments in their lives. We are united in our commitment to integrity, quality and collaboration. We have a culture of high performance and deliver excellent service consistently across the firm. We provide tailored solutions built on trust and partner with our clients to achieve their goals.

Many of our clients are shaping the future and creating solutions to tackle many of the world’s problems. It makes for a fascinating and challenging practice. Our role is to get to know each individual client, find out where they want to be, and help them to get there – whether they are building a business, buying a home or protecting and defending their interests. To meet their unique needs we are exceptionally collaborative, working together across teams and time zones. And we are agile – focusing on strategy rather than rigid ideas and traditional hierarchy. Join us to be part of a team that is always looking to the future. Where initiative, big ideas and bold moves are always encouraged. Where you can truly be yourself.

The Department: Our team helps founders, entrepreneurs and owners of private capital around the world structure their business and personal affairs in a way that allows them to maximise returns on and the efficiency and preservation of their wealth. We advise on all aspects of business and investment structuring, both domestically in the jurisdictions in which we have offices and internationally. Our advice includes the design and implementation of trading, investment and holding structures, as well as the modernization of existing ones. We frequently act as general counsel, advising on all legal aspects of their day-to-day operations and deal flow. Clients include privately owned businesses operating across numerous business sectors such as brands, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, services, hotels and leisure, information technology, media and telecoms as well as financial institutions and public enterprises.

The Role: We are looking for an ambitious Associate with experience of providing UK corporate tax advice with commercial acumen, preferably gained within a leading international law firm, who is looking to transition into a more client-facing and project leading role, working for founders and entrepreneurs as well as companies, with excellent prospect for career progression in a growing team.

The ideal candidate must have experience in:

• Providing UK tax advice for both domestic and international businesses
• Cross-border investment and business structuring
• Providing tax advice integrated with the commercial, legal and regulatory aspects of transactions
• Drafting tax deeds and warranties, finance documents and advising on business taxation
• Delivering high quality professional services with a focus on UK tax law

It would be beneficial if the candidate also had skills and experience in some of the following:

• Building and maintaining a network of intermediaries and enthusiasm for developing business
• Advising on management incentive arrangements, and/or investor tax reliefs, such as the EMI scheme and EIS
• Advising on employment-tax related issues and the IR35 rules
• Advising on commercial real estate transactions
• Advising on tax aspects of investment funds

Person Specification: Candidates must be 1-3 PQE, be admitted to practice as a solicitor in England & Wales, and must have demonstrable experience of working on tax aspects of corporate and transactional matters. Must have recent experience of cross-border corporate tax structuring. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, effective team player, an enthusiastic and engaged attitude with excellent people skills and a good, clear communication style. A willingness to take responsibility and ability to form strong working relationships across all areas of the practice. Excellent technical ability, solid drafting skills and strong research skills. Ability to communicate and handle client contact (both internal and external) from the outset. A commercial and pragmatic outlook. Strong IT skills (e.g. Word & Excel).

The Essentials: Working hours: 9.30am – 5.30pm but flexibility is a must. Hybrid working. Flexible benefits package.

Equal Opportunities Employment Statement: It is the policy of Withers to provide equal opportunities for all employees in relation to recruitment, training and promotion. Decisions in these areas will be made only by reference to the requirements of the job and shall not be influenced by any consideration of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic and national origin), religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.