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Gareth Banfield

Counsel

London

Image of Gareth Banfield
Gareth Banfield

Counsel

London

Gareth has a very broad practice and advises on all aspects of corporate tax and VAT. His experience includes advising on the tax aspects of complex domestic and international financing transactions including bank and project finance, capital markets transactions, securitisations, derivatives and structured finance transactions as well as advising on tax issues on corporate transactions including mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures, corporate restructurings and reorganisations and private equity transactions. He also advises on tax disputes and investigations and has experience assisting companies through HMRC’s high risk corporates programme and in litigating tax matters.

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Publications: 24 July 2023

Podcast: Pillar Two and M&A – How the new global minimum rate of tax is impacting M&A

In this podcast, our tax experts explore some practical implications that Pillar Two could have on M&A transactions and documentation. 

Read more Podcast: Pillar Two and M&A – How the new global minimum rate of tax is impacting M&A

Expertise

Practices

Tax

Office

London

One Bishops Square
London
E1 6AD

View office →

Qualifications

Professional

Admitted as solicitor, England and Wales, 2002

Academic

LLB, Law, University of Essex, 1988

Experience highlights

Other noteworthy experience

Advising:

  • Advising a number of financial institutions on VAT issues arising in connection with pension fund management.
  • Advising financial institutions on the VAT treatment of certain payment services.
  • Advising a leading global investment adviser in relation to certain VAT litigation issues.
  • The lenders to a participant in the unincorporated joint venture developing the London Array project.
  • A global insurance company on the GBP12bn sale of a UK annuity portfolio to Rothesay Life.
  • A division of a multinational financial institution on the tax consequences of the transfer of its EEA Investment banking business from the financial institution to the Dutch subsidiary of the financial institution.
  • A UK financial institution on its strategic partnership with Schroders in the wealth, investment and financial planning sector.
  • A multinational financial institution on the acquisition of the worldwide Equity Markets and Commodities activities of Commerzbank.
  • A multinational insurance company on its GBP5.6bn acquisition of Friends Life.
  • The banks on tax aspects of the GPB1.25bn restructuring of Drax, the largest coal fired power station in Western Europe.
  • Eversholt Investment Group (EIG) on the acquisition of Eversholt Rail Group (Eversholt), one of the UK's three leading rail rolling stock companies, from HSBC Asset Finance (UK) Ltd. The transaction values Eversholt's gross assets at approximately GBP2.1bn.
  • A sovereign wealth fund on its proposed establishment in the UK and related investment, regulatory and tax issues.
  • Coca-Cola Iberian Partners on its three-way merger with the U.S. publicly listed bottling company Coca-Cola Enterprises Limited and the private German bottling company.
  • Coca-Cola Erfrischungsgetränke, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Corporation (Coca-Cola), to form a new UK company Coca-Cola European Partners. 
  • A major multi-national retailer on the restructuring of their equity holding structure and intra-group debt arrangements.