Wedlake Bell LLP

Corporate tax.

Michael advises on all aspects of UK and international taxation affecting businesses situated both in the UK and overseas. He is frequently asked to advise on the structuring of real estate transactions and has extensive experience advising both buyers and sellers on M&A and real estate-related transactions, ranging from FTSE 30 companies to family-owned companies. He also advises owners of all types of property interests be that UK and non-UK resident individuals, companies or partnerships, as wells as offshore and UK trustees on their underlying interests in land be that investment or trading, such as landed estates.

Michael has a particular expertise in indirect tax and regularly advises on the VAT and SDLT implications of a range of transactions.

In addition to his advisory practice, Michael is very experienced at handling enquiries and investigations made by, and appeals against, HM Revenue & Customs.

Michael joined Wedlake Bell in 2005, having initially qualified in 2001 at what is now Squire Patton Boggs. He holds an LL.B. (Hons) from the University of Sheffield, an LL.M. in Taxation from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and is part of the teaching faculty on the MSc in Taxation at the University of Oxford. He has lectured on VAT law at a number of universities in London, at the Academy of European Law in Germany and at the Institute for Judicial and Legal Studies in Mauritius.

British Property Federation’s VAT committee; Law Society’s VAT and Duties sub-committee; VAT Practitioners Group (National Chairman).

Driffield School; Sheffield University (1997 LLB (Hons)); London School of Economics (2004 LLM taxation).

Shooting, chainsawing.