RPC recruits BLP partner to head up tax disputes team

Reynolds Porter Chamberlain (RPC) has bolstered its tax practice with the hire of Jonathan Levy from Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP).

Levy, who has been a partner at BLP for almost two years, will lead RPC's five-partner tax disputes practice.

He joined BLP at the start of 2008 from tax boutique Levy Watters, where he was a name partner, and has also previously held roles as head of tax litigation at Ernst & Young and deputy head of international tax at the Inland Revenue Solicitors Office.

His hire is part of a string of recent recruitment for RPC. In April the firm sealed the hire of former Eversheds insurance and reinsurance chief David Webster as partner in the City. In addition, so far this year the firm has also hired corporate partner David Wallis from Dechert, finance chief Gwyneth Macaulay from Hammonds and property litigation chief Tim Fogerty from Bevan Brittan.

Commenting on Levy's hire, RPC managing partner Jonathan Watmough said: "Tax disputes has been a fast-growing area of core business for RPC for several years now, and it is important to us that this growth continues. In Jonathan we have secured a natural leader with the profile and energy to help propel the team to greater heights."

RPC entered into Legal Week's UK top 50 rankings this year, posting a 5.3% increase in revenue to reach £60.1m and seeing profits climb by 7.9% to a new mark of £327,000.

In a statement, BLP said: "We are grateful to Jonathan for his contribution to BLP's tax team, which has more than 65 dedicated lawyers, including 23 partners, and we wish him all the best at his new firm."

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