Melanie Hall has been an acknowledged leader in the field of VAT for decades, having appeared in many of the iconic cases which have built the foundations of the tax such as Abbey National, Kretztechnik, EC v Ireland, The Wellcome Foundation, Midland Bank, Weald Leasing, EDS, Church Schools Foundation, Redrow, Dr Beynon, ICAEW, Mobilx and Sub-One to name a few. Melanie is instructed by both HMRC and the private sector in high profile and complex cases. This not only deepens her understanding and experience of the tax but ensures that any legal opinion she expresses will be respected by the other side. There are very few areas of VAT upon which she has not advised.

In addition to VAT, Melanie continues to take a lead role in shaping the response to sector-wide challenges concerning landfill tax and the aggregates levy which have been litigated in the domestic and Europeans courts during the past decade.

Qualified 1982; Inner Temple. Made QC 2002.

Melanie is a member of the editorial board for The Tax Journal, a Trustee of Somerset House and co-founded the charity The Circle with Annie Lennox to support disempowered women and girls. She is an Honorary Fellow of Law at Durham University.

Durham University (1981 BA).