"They are pragmatic, clever and client-oriented. The team are excellent at recognising what the client wants and finding the most effective way to reach that aim." Chambers & Partners (Tax: Contentious)
We have a fantastic new opportunity for an experienced lawyer to join our Tax Disputes team in London.
Joining at Legal Director level, you will play a pivotal role in helping to shape the strategy for growth of the practice, in line with the firm's wider 2030 strategy. The expectation is that you will be immediately building a case for progression to partnership in the short term as part of the practice's ambitious growth plans.
The practice
Osborne Clarke's Tax Disputes practice is led by Jack Prytherch, who joined the firm as a Partner in 2024.
The team covers all forms of (direct and indirect) contentious tax matters, including managing tax risk, HMRC investigations and voluntary disclosures, and tax litigation before the tax tribunals and higher courts. The practice has enjoyed sustained growth and has developed a particular reputation in a number of key areas:
- Technology sector - the Tax Disputes team has won mandates from numerous prominent technology-focused clients, including platforms and often with an international element;
- Financial services sector - the practice is also building up an impressive client roster in the financial services sector, many of which are international and cross over into the digital space;
- Contingent workforce sector - the firm has outstanding expertise in disputes in this area, building on the firm's wider pre-eminence in the sector. We are seeing a significant increase in disputes in this sector, with the increased importance of flexible workforces to employers and HMRC's focus on enforcement both in this area and the wider gig economy; and
- Tax-based litigation - the practice is often asked to advise on tax-related litigation matters, defending major accountancy firms against professional negligence claims for tax advice.
Find out more about the practice using the following links:
https://www.osborneclarke.com/services/tax/tax-disputes
https://www.osborneclarke.com/lawyers/jack-prytherch
The work
Recent examples of the team's work include:
- Advising a multinational fintech group on a multi-million pound corporation tax dispute with HMRC.
- Advising a UK financial institution on the voluntary disclosure of high-value VAT errors relating to intra-group recharges.
- Advising on a major tax dispute with HMRCconcerning the application of the Managed Service Company tax rules to accountancy service providers.
- Advising a global infrastructure group on commercial litigation concerning multi-million pound employment tax issues with industry-wide implications.
- Advising representatives of the UK banking and financial services industry on new tax promoter rules, successfully securing changes to HMRC policy and legislation.
The team
The Tax Disputes team is ranked in both Chambers & Partners and Legal 500. The team is led by Jack Prytherch, who is also individually ranked in Chambers & Partners.
Jack is supported by a specialist core team, including a dedicated senior associate, a junior associate and a trainee. The wider team also includes individuals from the Tax and Commercial Disputes service lines, as well as other specialists where a multi-disciplinary approach is required.
Technical skills and experience
Candidate should be a qualified solicitor or barrister with experience of the UK Tax Tribunal and UK higher courts, and should have experience of helping to run a team.
We are seeking a candidate with excellent technical ability and experience within specialist Tax Disputes work, although we are also happy to consider candidates with a mixed contentious and non-contentious tax background. In line with our growth ambitions for the practice, you will also have strong client relationship management and business development skills.
We are looking to recruit at Legal Director level. However, the expectation is that you will be immediately building a case for progression to partnership in the short term as part of the practice's ambitious growth plans. Potential partner candidates will be considered in certain circumstances, and candidates with less experience will also be considered.
Your career development
Like all our lawyers, you will benefit from our multi-award-winning career development programme. At each stage of your career this provides you with:
clear expectations of your role and what it takes to progress;
- high quality clients and work, with early responsibility and client exposure;
- thorough assessment and individual feedback from a range of experienced colleagues;
- robust technical training with early skills based development, increasingly tailored to you; and
- reward for your contribution, progression and potential, rather than PQE or tenure.
Salary and benefits
We offer competitive salaries and generous benefits.
Our recruitment process
We welcome direct applications for our opportunities - if you would like any further information about this role or the firm, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please contact, in complete confidence, Rachael Nye/Angharad Jenkins on [email protected] / [email protected]
Please note we review and progress applications on a rolling basis. At Osborne Clarke we do not make any recruitment decisions using automated decision-making.
We are committed to providing an environment where you can perform to the best of your abilities at every stage of your recruitment experience and beyond. If you require any adjustments to be made during the application stage, interview process, or when working with us, please let us know in confidence.