Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has strengthened its tax practice with the hire of an in-house lawyer from Goldman Sachs.
The hire of Michael McKenna (pictured) is the latest in a series of lateral appointments to the firm’s tax practice and takes the group to 13 partners.
McKenna was a tax counsel at Goldman Sachs International, where he advised the bank’s divisions on the tax implications of their business and on transactions outside the US. Before that he spent seven years in the tax group at Clifford Chance (CC), where he had a particular focus on real estate clients as well as finance and securitisation deals.
His hire follows that of new BLP tax chief Michael Wistow from CC in September last year and the recruitment of Linklaters tax partner Neal Todd the previous year.
The firm also launched a contentious tax team late last year, with the appointment of Liesl Fichardt from Dorsey & Whitney and Jonathan Levy and Andrew Watters from specialist consultancy Levy Watters in November 2007.
Wistow told Legal Week: “[McKenna] is a very important tax lawyer. He is great with demanding clients and his perspectives will be valuable.
“His proven track record of demanding clients coupled with invaluable experience obtained in a leading investment bank make him a good fit and he will add more strength to our overall tax capabilities.”
McKenna said: “It is exciting to be returning to private practice in a firm that recognises the importance of tax, both contentious and non-contentious. Clients are consistently in need of high-quality tax advice, both in the UK and overseas, and there is a real opportunity to be part of a team that will deliver this.”
