Latest Move Signals Irwin Mitchell’s Intention To Build Market-Leading Contentious Tax Team

National law firm, Irwin Mitchell, has again boosted its fast-growing commercial practice with the announcement that it has appointed leading tax investigations partner, Phil Berwick, from Pinsent Masons.

Based in the firm’s London office, Phil is the 19th new partner to be announced by Irwin Mitchell’s commercial practice this since the start of 2012 and follows other recent lateral hires including new head of commercial litigation, Nigel Kissack, and intellectual property specialists Alex Newman and Georgie Collins.

A former inspector of taxes, Phil left the Inland Revenue 18 years ago and worked in the investigation teams of various accountancy and consultancy firms, spending four years as head of tax investigations at Tenon. He joined McGrigors, the law firm which subsequently merged with Pinsent Masons, in 2009, as head of their tax investigations team.

Phil deals with a range of HMRC’s specialist units, but is principally involved in investigations instigated by HMRC's Specialist Investigations and Local Compliance Fraud teams. He is a recognised expert and innovator in relation to advising clients on international disclosure facilities. His clients include corporate entities, individuals, sole traders and partnerships, and he frequently assists professional advisers who seek his specialist expertise.

Commenting on his appointment, Phil Berwick said: “Irwin Mitchell is a very attractive proposition and it presents me with an exciting opportunity to build a market-leading tax investigations and disputes team.

“I firmly believe that there is enormous potential for growth. HMRC continues to take an increasingly tougher stance on avoidance as well as evasion, and clients need to take specialist advice. Another growth area is international disclose facility work, and I believe Irwin Mitchell is ideally positioned in this fast-changing market to ensure that it can capitalise on the opportunities which will present themselves.”

Niall Baker, partner and chief executive of Irwin Mitchell’s Business Legal Services (BLS) division, said: “This appointment speaks volumes for our determination to keep expanding and is a further sign that senior advisers, not just lawyers, are excited about what we are doing and want to be part of it.

“Phil is an important strategic hire and exactly the type of person we are looking to bring into Irwin Mitchell. He is a vastly experienced operator, an innovator, a market leading expert in his field, and someone who enhances the range of services that we can offer to the business legal market.”

In addition to the three new litigation partners, Nigel Kissack, Georgie Collins and Alex Newman, Irwin Mitchell’s BLS team recently announced the appointment of restructuring partner John Vickery from DLA Piper in Manchester.

Other senior partner hires include Chris Rawstron, who heads up the BLS division in Birmingham, banking and finance partners Jon Bew and Andrew Watson, and real estate partners Roy Beckett, Patrick Duffy, Tony Weightman and Anita Weightman.