Joseph Hage Aaronson LLP > London, England > Firm Profile

Joseph Hage Aaronson LLP Offices

Joseph Hage Aaronson LLP
280 HIGH HOLBORN
LONDON
WC1V 7EE
England
Visit website 0207 851 8888

Joseph Hage Aaronson LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings

Dispute resolution > Tax litigation and investigations Tier 1

Joseph Hage Aaronson LLP, a respected tax boutique, offers ‘incomparable experience of litigating major tax cases’, with a strong track record appearing before the First-Tier Tribunal, Upper Tribunal, High Court, Court of Appeal, and the UK Supreme Court, as well as the CJEU. In addition to its aptitude for litigation, the firm handles arbitration and investigations, representing a diverse range of domestic and international clients in the full spectrum of contentious tax. Graham Aaronson KC, who ‘needs little introduction’, co-leads alongside fellow founding partner Michael Anderson, whose practice covers both civil and criminal tax disputes. Simon Whitehead specialises in direct tax, while Iain MacWhannell is noted for his strength in VAT, in addition to a strong fraud/avoidance/abuse tax practice. Also key are Daniel Margolin KC, who has experience appearing before the Supreme Court, and Helen McGhee, noted for her aptitude in international tax disputes.

Practice head(s):

Graham Aaronson KC; Michael Anderson

Other key lawyers:

Iain MacWhannell; Simon Whitehead; Paul Farmer; Daniel Margolin KC; Helen McGhee

Testimonials

‘Helen McGhee has excellent knowledge of private client tax and great expertise in handling disputes and litigation at all levels of the court system.’

‘THE top tier tax litigation firm in the UK. Incomparable experience of litigating major tax cases. Partners have unrivalled experience, knowledge and tactical nous.’

‘Iain MacWhannell is excellent. He is commercial and astute, but also personable. He is the go-to lawyer for major VAT cases.’

‘Daniel Margolin KC is a class act. An excellent advocate who is calm under pressure. His advice is clear and succinct.’

‘Graham Aaronson KC needs little introduction. His stellar reputation is well deserved. He is as sharp as a tack and his ability to recall detailed facts is astounding. He also has the ear of the judges, as they know they can rely on what he says. ’

‘The people make the practice unique, vast experience and knowledge in dealing with these complex investigations. Knowledge of how HMRC work is key in negotiating. ’

‘Helen McGhee is very knowledgeable, has vast experience and is excellent in negotiating with both the end client and HMRC, explaining things clearly and concisely. Very approachable and always willing to help in all situations. ’

‘Helen McGhee has an outstanding understanding of complex tax situations and writes correspondence with clarity and poise.’

Key clients

British American Tobacco PLC

Prudential PLC

AXA PLC

Fidelity International

Ford Motor Company

GKN Aerospace Limited

‘The VAT Umbrella Appeals’

ABRDN PLC

Shield Contract Services (UK) Limited

Dandara Group

Sports Invest Ltd

Work highlights

  • Acting as Lead Solicitors in the Franked Investment Income GLO, advising 17 multinationals in their challenge to the UK’s dividend taxation scheme.
  • Representing over 24,000 Mini Umbrella Companies in their appeals to the Tax Tribunal against assessments to VAT, National Insurance Contributions, and VAT de-registration.
  • Acting on behalf of over 170 multinational businesses seeking repayment of unlawfully levied tax on foreign portfolio dividend income following the successful decision in the Supreme Court in the Prudential case.

Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: mid-market

Joseph Hage Aaronson LLP > Firm Profile

The firm: Our clients’ needs are at the heart of JHA’s business; our unique structure was born out of a belief that an effective case strategy could be delivered more efficiently if lawyers, barristers, and forensic accountants worked side by side from the outset.

We combine the qualities of a traditional law firm with that of a chambers. Solicitors and barristers, with their distinctive training and experience, work closely as an integrated team to discuss and devise strategy together from the outset to meet our clients’ aims, whether via litigation, arbitration, mediation or settlement.

This simple precept has enabled us to attract and retain numerous clients, many of whom have come to rely on us as a trusted partner to manage and settle their complex disputes.

All clients have full and easy access to the whole legal team from the initial meeting onwards. We provide timely advice and the efficient delivery of a well-considered and effective case strategy. We build close relationships with our clients, based on mutual trust and a deep understanding of their commercial and legal objectives. We are highly sensitive to our clients’ need for privacy and never seek to promote our own business based on their success.

JHA is ranked in Tier 1 in the Legal 500 UK for Tax Litigation and Investigations and is recognised as the only top tier firm for Contentious Tax by Chambers UK. These accomplishments have been achieved every year since the firm was founded in 2013.

Types of work undertaken
Tax disputes: JHA’s contentious tax practice brings together barristers, solicitors, chartered tax advisors, and accountants. Together, we deliver a cohesive, considered and effective approach to advising and representing clients through all stages of a dispute.

Our practice is ranked in Tier One of Legal 500 and is the only group to be ranked in Band One in the Chambers UK guide. We have achieved this top tier recognition every year since the firm’s inception.

We act on a wide range of domestic and international tax disputes, advising multinational corporations on various corporation tax disputes with HMRC. This includes acting in all but one of the Group Litigation Orders (GLOs) challenging various elements of the UK’s tax legislation as being contrary to EU law.

In more recent years, JHA has also built a strong reputation for our tax fraud/abuse and tax investigations work, including our role as lead and test case solicitors in the largest VAT Group Litigation that has ever taken place in the Tax Tribunal.

Transfer pricing disputes is a further area of expertise; we are experienced at dealing with HMRC enquiries and investigations and have been active in the highest profile and value transfer pricing disputes of recent years, including those involving Diverted Profits tax. This is an area we have been advising on since its introduction and we are proficient at reaching settlements with HMRC, including in obtaining significant penalty reductions.

Our team also represents entrepreneurs and owner-managed businesses on sensitive or difficult tax disputes as well as high net worth individuals facing enquiries and criminal investigations. We work to resolve tax disputes through proactive cooperation and engagement with HMRC, resulting in a constructive working relationship, which enables us to deliver a high proportion of positive outcomes for clients.

Main Contacts

Department Name Email Telephone
Joe Hage [email protected] +44 (0)20 7851 8888
Graham Aaronson KC [email protected] +44 (0)20 7851 8888

Meet The Team(s)

Lawyer Profiles

Photo Name Position Profile
Graham Aaronson KC photo Graham Aaronson KC Graham Aaronson KC is a founding partner of Joseph Hage Aaronson LLP… View Profile
Michael Anderson photo Michael Anderson Michael has been a partner at JHA since its inception. He has… View Profile
Lynnette Bober photo Lynnette Bober Lynnette is a Director in the Joseph Hage Aaronson tax team.  She… View Profile
Steve Bousher photo Steve Bousher Senior Associate dealing with a wide range of tax disputes including: representing… View Profile
Megan Durnford photo Megan Durnford Megan was called to the Bar in 2016 and has a burgeoning… View Profile
Paul Farmer photo Paul Farmer Paul Farmer is a Barrister and was a founding partner in Joseph… View Profile
Julia Glukhikh photo Julia Glukhikh Julia completed pupillage with the firm in January 2024. Her developing practice… View Profile
Thomas Hemming photo Thomas Hemming Thomas completed pupillage with the firm in January 2024. His practice focuses… View Profile
Joseph Irwin photo Joseph Irwin Joseph qualified as an associate at JHA in December 2017. His practice… View Profile
Iain MacWhannell photo Iain MacWhannell Iain was called to the Bar in 2006 and his practice focuses… View Profile
Daniel Margolin KC photo Daniel Margolin KC Daniel was called to the Bar in 1995 and appointed Queen’s Counsel… View Profile
Ray McCann photo Ray McCann Ray is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation and was… View Profile
Helen McGhee photo Helen McGhee Helen is a Partner in the Joseph Hage Aaronson contentious tax team… View Profile
Simon Whitehead photo Simon Whitehead Simon Whitehead was a founding partner of the firm. He has more… View Profile

Solicitor Profiles

Photo Name Position Profile
Richard Doran photo Richard Doran Richard joined the firm in September 2023 as partner in the tax… View Profile
John Hayton photo John Hayton John is a solicitor whose practice spans direct and indirect tax litigation.… View Profile

Diversity/Community


At Joseph Hage Aaronson our commitment to diversity and inclusion, responsible businesses, and having a positive impact on our community is entrenched in our culture. This is reflected in our firm values of commitment, inclusiveness, creativity, and integrity.

We believe a diverse and inclusive community encourages a stimulating, rewarding and inventive working environment. For these reasons, we are committed to creating a welcoming workplace in which all our people can thrive, regardless of their characteristics, beliefs, and preferences. We monitor diversity statistics to ensure that our practices are fair and non-discriminatory. This means we are best positioned to continue to provide our clients with a first-class service.

Our pro bono work, sponsorships, and charitable giving enable us to help and support individuals and organisations with limited access to resources and opportunities. It also means our people can share their experience and expertise in support of causes which can have a positive and lasting impact on our community.

The two main charities we support are Access2Justice and the children’s charity Variety. Access2Justice provides legal services support to those who need it the most, particularly the ill, injured and economically disadvantaged. Variety helps to change the lives of children throughout the UK who are sick, disabled or underprivileged, through providing specialist coaching, equipment or experiences, and by supporting hospitals and youth centres.

We also encourage many of our employees to actively support their own charitable initiatives and we make financial contributions to their chosen causes.

JHA is a passionate supporter of the arts and is involved in many initiatives that support artists and nurture new talent in the art world. Education is also a key focus and we sponsor educational programmes and training.

The firm supports staff in providing pro bono support or undertaking voluntary work. All solicitors and barristers at JHA are given an allowance of 40 hours from their working year to participate in either voluntary or pro bono work. Employees in support functions can devote 20 hours of working time to voluntary work each year.