Old Square Tax Chambers is honoured to be recognised in the Chambers and Partners High Net Worth 2019 Directory. James Kessler QC, Rory Mullan, and Harriet Brown received individual recognition.
Ranked as a leading set in the Tax: Private Client section, Chambers is particularly highlighted for taxpayer-side advisory work, although its “very capable and knowledgeable” barristers also handle litigation matters for taxpayers, including high net worth individuals.
James Kessler QC “does a lot of advisory work, and is a leader in the market,” says one source, adding: “He wrote the tome on foreign domiciliaries.” Interviewees also mention Kessler’s guide to drafting wills and trusts. One says he has an “extremely good reputation and obviously knows his stuff – he’s clearly extremely knowledgeable. He has a got a book on drafting trusts and wills which is extremely well regarded and clear.” Another source summarises: “James without any doubt at all remains a leading light of the tax Bar. He reinvented drafting and wrote a book about it. It was genuinely influential. Then he spotted the massive influx of non-doms and wrote his next book.”
Rory Mullan wins praise both for his litigation practice and for his writings on tax and European law. “Rory has a strong litigation practice – he has won some difficult cases,” says one interviewee. “I can’t speak highly enough about him,” enthuses another; “he was hot off the mark when it came to spotting how European laws had a massive impact on the UK. Rory wrote this book, ‘The Interaction of EU Treaty Freedoms and the UK Tax Code’. Since that book came out it’s been common currency among every tax adviser.”
Harriet Brown is a specialist in offshore tax work, domicile and residence, and related matters. Sources highlight her dual qualification as a Jersey advocate as a particular strength. An interviewee reports that “Harriet is very committed to her clients, she is very punchy in court and is very good with procedural stuff.” An instructing solicitor praises Brown’s “excellent technical knowledge, very structured thinking, practical and commercial approach, and can-do attitude.”
One source reports that the clerks Cliff Holland and Franco Lombardi are “very quick and flexible, and helpful in getting you what you need.” Another adds that “the clerking is efficient; they are responsive in terms of timelines and feedback and when we needed things quickly they have been very responsive.”
