International law firm Simmons & Simmons has announced that leading tax lawyer Martin Phelan is to join the firm’s Dublin office as head of tax on 4 January. Martin is the latest senior hire at Simmons’ practice in Dublin, following partners Peter McKeever in September, and Rachel Stanton and David Brangam in January of last year.
Martin joins the firm from William Fry, where he has been head of tax for twenty years. He is also Secretary-General of CFE Tax Advisers Europe, the representative body of tax institutes and chambers in Europe, a position that places him at the heart of European tax policy discussions. Additionally, he has previously served as president of the Irish Tax Institute.
At William Fry, Martin was responsible for building the firm’s tax practice from the outset, with his personal practice evolving to encompass a broad sector focus across Financial Services, TMT and Pharma. Earlier in 2020, Legal 500 recognised Martin as the top tax lawyer in Ireland, largely thanks to his impressive reputation in the field of international tax.
Welcoming Martin to the firm, country head Fionán Breathnach said: “I am so pleased to welcome Martin to the Simmons Dublin team. He brings with him a tremendous reputation, being both a leading international tax expert and the only qualified tax lawyer in Ireland who is also a qualified arbitrator. These enhanced qualifications add a focus to his practice on international tax disputes arising from the global tax policy agenda now being pursued. He will be a fantastic asset to our growing team in Ireland.”
Darren Oswick, head of Simmons’ international tax practice, added: “It is fantastic to have Martin and his team on board. In addition to providing tax support to the transactional work being done by the wider Simmons Dublin office, we are looking forward to working with Martin on tax advisory and disputes mandates, particularly those with a cross-border nature. Ireland was the missing piece in our European tax network, and we are delighted we will now be able to offer our clients best in class tax coverage across all the major European financial centres.”
On his move to Simmons, Martin commented: “Joining Simmons at this time presents great opportunities to provide clients with a seamless international tax service across the firm’s key sectors; Asset Management & Investment Funds, Financial Institutions, TMT and Healthcare/Life Sciences. As we deal with Britain’s exit from the European Union and continue to manage the challenges of COVID-19, there will be plenty of issues and opportunities for clients, where responsive tax guidance will play a crucial role in the decision making process.”