Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (Blakes), one of Canada’s leading business law firms, has made up 13 new partners including one tax partner.

Carrie Aiken is a member of the Calgary tax group. Her practice focuses on a broad range of domestic and international tax matters, including mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganizations and financings, and cross-border income trusts. She has also assisted clients in several stages of the tax dispute resolution process.

International law firm McDermott Will & Emery today announced that it has named Tom Scott as the new head of its London tax practice group. Mr. Scott is the second partner to join McDermott’s U.S. and International Tax practice this year.

Prior to joining McDermott Mr. Scott was a senior tax partner at global accounting firm KPMG LLP for six years where he was Global Lead Tax Partner for several of the firm’s largest clients. Before joining KPMG, he was a tax partner at Linklaters for 15 years, where he focused on the tax aspects of cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&A).

“We are delighted to welcome Tom to McDermott,” said Lowell D. Yoder, partner and head of McDermott’s U.S. and International Tax practice group. “Tom brings a unique perspective from having served in senior roles at a top law firm, a top accounting firm, and most recently, academia. With his extensive experience in domestic and cross-border corporate tax issues, Tom will be able to work seamlessly alongside our Corporate colleagues on a variety of UK and European transactional work.”

“With his in-depth experience in corporate tax, tax strategy and dispute resolution, Tom will help drive forward the Tax practice in London,” added Hugh Nineham, partner and head of McDermott’s London office. “He is well known as a senior, experienced tax counselor with a strong reputation and an unusual combination of technical and commercial skills, who will fit right in with our team.”

Mr. Scott has broad experience across corporate transactions, international tax planning, tax structured finance, banking and capital markets tax, dispute resolution and tax litigation and property tax. Much of his work has been concentrated in the energy, retail and financial services sectors.

With a strong reputation among the wider tax and business community, Mr. Scott was until recently the Chairman of the UK branch of the International Fiscal Association, is a member of the Tax Advisory Board at PLC magazine and is a Visiting Lecturer in Law at Oxford University.

Mr. Scott is a frequent writer on tax issues and has been published in the Times, International Tax Review, PLC Magazine and Accountancy. He has also contributed to books such as Tolley’s Tax Planning and Tolley’s Company Acquisitions Handbook.

Michelmores LLP has made three significant lateral hires to its Exeter office including an employment law partner, a private client solicitor and the new post of Director of Tax.

Private client lawyer, Ian Bond, joins Michelmores from the Co-operative Trust Corporation in Bristol where he was Head of Wills, Trust & Probate. He joins the largest private client team in the region, which now has 11 partners and 26 other lawyers and legal executives.  Ian is a Member of the Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners (STEP) and a Member of the Law Society’s Private Client Section.

Brian Garner joins Michelmores as Director of Tax having previously headed up the tax department at Bond Pearce LLP.  Brian is very well known in the region’s business community having practised at the Exeter Office of Ernst & Young for over 20 years and brings over 34 years tax experience and an outstanding reputation to the firm.

Brian has significant experience in the renewables sector and has been advising on such deals for more than 15 years.

Malcolm Dickinson, Michelmores Managing Partner said: “Despite a challenging economic environment, we see an investment in people of real quality as the way forward for our business.

“We are delighted with these significant additions to the firm and I am certain that each will make a real contribution to Michelmores’ future growth.”

Weidema van Tol, Attorneys & Tax Advisors in Luxembourg, Switzerland and the Netherlands, have announced that Sean King will be its first U.S. representative. King will provide assistance to clients of Weidema van Tol in the U.S. and Canada and will be responsible for business development and client relationship management. He will be based in Richmond, Virginia.

“We are delighted that Sean will be the first U.S.-based representative of Weidema van Tol,” said Frank Weidema, Managing Partner of Weidema van Tol and Vice President of Temmes Management Services B.V. “Having known Sean for many years, I believe his past experience with a Big 4 firm and two law firms make him ideally suited to serve the clients of Weidema van Tol and to introduce its capabilities to multinational companies and law firms,” Weidema said.

King has served as chair of the International Tax Practice for Williams Mullen, a law firm with approximately 300 attorneys based in Richmond, where he focused on international business transactions and taxation. His practice includes providing advice on structuring mergers and acquisitions, internal restructurings and operations, joint ventures, external and internal financings, and transfer pricing matters, including the cross-border transfer and licensing of intellectual property. Before joining Williams Mullen, King was a partner in the New York office of law firm of Hill Smith King & Wood which has offices in Amsterdam, London and New York. He also previously was a senior manager in the Charlotte, North Carolina office of PricewaterhouseCoopers in the International Tax Services group.

King is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Tax Court. He is also a member of the North Carolina Bar Association where he serves as a member of the Council of the International Law Section. Mr. King is the author of multiple publications on international taxation and is a regular speaker on the cross-border structuring of investments. In 2009, Mr. King was honored to be included in The International WhoРІР‚в„ўs Who of Corporate Tax Lawyers.

He received his Master of Laws degree in taxation, magna cum laude, from the Chicago-Kent School of Law. He received his Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, from Michigan State University College of Law and his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.

King will work closely with Gene White who is the U.S.-based representative of Temmes Management Services B.V. (www.temmes-management.com). Temmes is an affiliate of Weidema van Tol which provides management services to international holding and finance companies in Luxembourg, Switzerland and the Netherlands. These services include accounting, tax, treasury support, corporate secretarial, resident director, staffing and office leasing services.

Weidema van Tol (www.wvant.com) is a partnership of attorneys and tax advisors which focuses on providing corporate legal and tax services to multinational corporations. It specializes in assisting its clients with international holding and finance structures. Weidema van Tol has offices in Luxembourg, Switzerland and the Netherlands. In Luxembourg the firm operates as Weidema & AssociГ©s.

McGrigors appointed two new members to its national Tax Disputes & Investigations practice in August.Andy Brown and Steve Porter joined the Manchester-based team on 25th August, Andy as Director and Steve as Solicitor. Both are indirect tax specialists and have previously worked together at Dickinson Dees, one of the major law firms in the North East, although they regularly work nationally.Their skills and experience strengthen the team’s core specialism of representing taxpayers in disputes with HMRC, either through litigation or through negotiated settlement. Significantly, they also have a wealth of experience of �contentious advisory’ work – proactively identifying opportunities for making claims for clients for overpaid or under-recovered VAT.  David Anderson, Partner, who heads up both the firm’s Manchester tax practice and the national indirect tax practice, comments:“We are delighted to welcome our two very experienced new joiners to the practice. Aside from offering invaluable support in building the Manchester practice, their skills and experience take the McGrigors tax practice into new areas of work. Andy works with many pension trustees and has significant experience in this and a number of other key areas that complements our existing contentious indirect tax practice – so these are very exciting times for us”.

Specialist City law firm GSC Solicitors LLP has announced the appointment of tax barrister Menna Bowen.

Menna joins from the London office of Ernst & Young, where she was a director in their Financial Services Tax practice. Before this she was tax counsel at leading international law firm McDermott Will & Emery where she worked closely with GSC current head of tax Alastair Wilson specialising in tax advisory work for quoted and unquoted companies and high net worth individuals. Her work is mainly in the financial services sector with a particular focus on alternative investments and hedge funds.

MennaРІР‚в„ўs appointment is the latest in a series of moves by the fast growing City firm, aimed at developing its capabilities in financial services and supporting its corporate practice, and follows the appointment of fellow barrister Alastair Wilson who set up the firmРІР‚в„ўs tax department last year.

Commenting on the appointment, GSC Senior Partner Saleem Sheikh said: “We are all looking forward to working with Menna. In these challenging market conditions we are pleased to have been able to add a barrister of her quality and experience, which further enhances our ability to serve the needs of both our corporate and individual clients particularly in the financial services sector.”

Menna Bowen added: “I am delighted to be joining GSC Solicitors as the firm expands its focus on tax advisory work. This ideally compliments my specialist expertise on the international tax planning and estate management of wealthy international clients and private companies whilst the firm’s culture of flexibility and proactive service are well suited to the needs of my international corporate and private clients.”

About GSC Solicitors LLP

GSC Solicitors LLP is a specialist City law firm with seven partners and over 35 staff. It is well regarded for its media and intellectual property, commercial property, corporate and international work. The firm represents a wide range of corporate and individual clients including entrepreneurs, small and medium-sized businesses, publicly quoted companies, major institutions in the UK and internationally. GSC focuses on the commercial issues and provides business solutions that are clear, concise and effective.

Dixon Hearder has joined Baker & McKenzie as a partner in the FirmРІР‚в„ўs Sydney tax practice. Mr. Hearder joins Baker & McKenzie from Corrs Chambers Westgarth, where he was a partner and Sydney Taxation Work Group Leader. He was also the State Pro Bono Partner for the Corrs Giving Back Program.

Mr. Hearder has extensive experience advising Australian and international clients across the range of Australian taxation laws. He has particular expertise in stamp duty and transfer pricing. Mr. Hearder holds Bachelors of Commerce and Law from the University of New South Wales, a Master of Laws from the University of Sydney, and is a Fellow of the Taxation Institute of Australia and has previously qualified as a chartered accountant.

Mr. Hearder joined Corrs Chambers Westgarth in Sydney as an associate in 1997. He worked with Clifford Chance in London from 2001 to 2003, before returning to Corrs Chambers Westgarth. Prior to joining Corrs Chambers Westgarth, he worked with KPMG in Sydney.

Commenting on Mr. Hearder’s election as a new partner, Chris Freeland, National Managing Partner at Baker & McKenzie, said, “We are delighted that Dixon has joined us to further enhance our Australian taxation capabilities and we are very pleased to welcome him to Baker & McKenzie. Dixon has extensive experience advising across the range of taxation matters affecting our Australian and international clients. Dixon’s arrival, together with that of Tim Sherman from Mallesons Stephen Jaques in late 2009, ensures that we continue to offer the seamless taxation advice our clients demand. We are also looking forward to Dixon sharing his experience in the pro bono area to assist with the many great programmes on which Baker & McKenzie lawyers advise.”

Dixon Hearder is the sixth partner to be elected at Baker & McKenzie in Australia this calendar year, following Andrew Chew (Construction), Bryony Binns (Employment), Christopher Hughes (Corporate), Peter Lucarelli (Disputes) and Chris Freeland (National Managing Partner).

Baker& McKenzie has added a team of experienced customs and tax lawyers led by partner Jasper Helder, senior associate Brian Mulier, associate Chiara Klaui and junior associate Goran Danilovi.

The team further strengthens Baker & McKenzieРІР‚в„ўs trade & customs and tax law capabilities in Amsterdam and globally, particularly in the areas of customs classification and valuation (including transfer pricing), tax and customs efficient supply chain structuring (including sourcing strategies and rules of origin) as well as EU export controls and sanctions.

Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has announced that Andrey Shpak has been recruited to lead the Goltsblat BLP tax team in Moscow.The announcement of AndreyРІР‚в„ўs appointment coincides with the first anniversary of the launch of Goltsblat BLP, the first international Russian law firm. The new firm was created when renowned corporate lawyer Andrey Goltsblat and some of his colleagues left Pepeliaev, Goltsblat & Partners (PGP) to join BLP. Since leaving PGP, the Goltsblat BLP team has retained 90% of its former client base, and gained numerous new international mandates.

Andrey, a former PwC director and a specialist in advising both Russian and foreign companies on tax related issues, will lead the development of tax services at Goltsblat BLP to respond to increasing demand from clients. Following significant growth, the team now includes seven highly-qualified tax lawyers who provide tax consulting services to large-scale, complex projects across the firm.

Andrey, who joins Goltsblat BLP as a partner, started his career at PwC in 1995 and has worked across a number of sectors including FMCG, manufacturing, automotive, telecommunications and media. As a director in PwCРІР‚в„ўs M&A Tax Practice, he worked with Russian and foreign corporates on a variety of matters. For example, he recently advised on the acquisition of a leading pharmaceuticals distributor by a major private equity fund and on the acquisition of US assets by a leading Russian steel producer.

Within the UK, the BLP tax team has also grown considerably and is now the largest in the London legal market, following a number of major hires, including industry leader Michael Wistow in 2007 and more recently private client expert Murray North from Clifford Chance. The combined Goltsblat BLP / Berwin Leighton Paisner team now includes over 60 British and Russian tax lawyers based in Moscow and London. It offers the full range of tax services associated with financing, M&A transactions, real estate and funds operations and structuring. The team also has proven experience in representing clientsРІР‚в„ў interests before the various tax authorities.

Andrey Goltsblat, Managing Partner of Goltsblat BLP, said: “I am very pleased to welcome Andrey, who is one of the strongest tax lawyers in Russia, to our team. We are building the practice in response to a growing demand for tax services from our clients and in line with our aim to provide comprehensive legal support in all areas of law, both in Russia and globally.”

Andrey Shpak said: “I am delighted to be part of the dynamic Goltsblat BLP team and pleased to have an opportunity to work with such highly-qualified specialists in Moscow, London and other jurisdictions that are key to Russian clients. In addition to the global capabilities of the firm, I am excited about working across the other key specialisms such as real estate and corporate to provide our clients with tailored, commercially-focused advice.”

OРІР‚в„ўMelveny & Myers LLP has named partner Brad Okun, a recognized authority in the tax field, as head of the FirmРІР‚в„ўs Tax Practice, succeeding Robert Rizzi. Okun was formerly head of OРІР‚в„ўMelvenyРІР‚в„ўs New York office.

OРІР‚в„ўMelveny is one of the few international law firms with US, UK, and Chinese tax capabilities and Okun will be tasked with further expanding the FirmРІР‚в„ўs footprint in the global marketplace. OkunРІР‚в„ўs practice focuses on providing tax analysis and advice in connection with corporate transactions, as well as counseling on the operation of complex tax laws. He has extensive experience in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, corporation restructuring, corporate finance, limited liability companies and partnerships, and cross-border investing. Among other client matters, he has worked on engagements for Apollo Management, CCMP Capital, HarrahРІР‚в„ўs Entertainment, and IAC/InterActiveCorp.

“Brad’s talent and leadership in the tax sector will help us build on the already substantial momentum that we have developed in the US and abroad,” said Arthur B. Culvahouse, Jr., Chair of O’Melveny & Myers. “His vast experience handling the myriad challenges companies face while operating under disparate and complex tax laws and advising on other high-level strategic matters will be of great benefit in growing our relationships with existing clients and attracting new assignments.”