Bird & Bird's tax team is well versed in advising tech, communications, life sciences and energy clients on tax aspects of transactional matters and works with the firm’s offices abroad to support clients undergoing international reorganisations. Willem Bongaerts leads the team, advising tech companies and private equity funds on international tax structurings tied to M&A, and with structured finance transactions. Arnoud Knijnenburg assists clients with tax structuring, compliance and reporting measures, and is also an experienced tax litigator. Head of VAT Andy van Esdonk joined the team from Meijburg Legal a member firm of KPMG International in December 2022.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'Unique client approach and innovative advisory.'

  • 'Willem Bongaerts is able to communicate with very demanding clients and able to explain himself in a manner where everybody can understand him.'

  • 'Excellent team on both Dutch tax advice and also cross-border matters where needed. Very commercial and user-friendly.'

  • 'Arnoud Knijnenburg is a top-notch tax lawyer and a vigorous advocate for his clients, while still maintaining a deal-oriented approach that is critical for tax issues in an M&A context. Incredibly responsive.'

  • 'Bird & Bird has been a great help for the client to navigate through various international tax regimes.'

Key clients

  • DXC Technology
  • Zoomo
  • Fin-Pay
  • Invest-NL
  • Cellnex Telecom S.A.
  • Connectria
  • Chinook Therapeutics, Inc.
  • Wolfspeed, Inc
  • Secure 24 (Symmetry Global)
  • Veloxis
  • ImmunoPrecise Antibodies Ltd
  • Solo Brands
  • Electronics For Imaging, Inc.
  • Dayco
  • Iberica Partners
  • BloomReach Inc.
  • Unisun Energy Group
  • Qblox
  • PerClass
  • Bloomreach
  • Platina Partners LLP
  • Valyuu
  • Guesty

Work highlights

  • Advised Invest-NL on the tax aspects of its investment in Lightyear.
  • Assisted Platina Partners LLP with the acquisition of a majority stake and supplemental investment in Holiday Home Experts B.V. and its subsidiaries in multiple countries.
  • Assisted a manufacturer of electric vehicles based in China on the tax and corporate law aspects of its international expansion.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Willem Bongaerts

Other key lawyers

Arnoud Knijnenburg, Andy van Esdonk, Ivo Ijzerman, Ashraf Abdirizak