Baker McKenzie continues to grow its bench strength in Hong Kong with the appointment of leading tax lawyer Stefano Mariani as tax disputes counsel. Stefano is an experienced tax litigator in Hong Kong. He is the only solicitor advocate with higher rights of audience who actively represents clients in tax appeals before the Inland Revenue Board of Review, the District Court, the High Court, the Court of Appeal in Hong Kong, and at all stages of civil proceedings.
He brings with him extensive experience in advisory and contentious tax matters, ranging from corporate taxation and group reconstructions to personal taxation, stamp duties, and property taxes. He advises on all matters of Hong Kong and international tax law, with a particular focus on dispute resolution. His experience includes cross-border tax planning and Double Taxation Treaty driven tax structuring. He also advises on trust dispute resolution, including international trusts, estate planning and succession litigation, and charities.
"Stefano's deep understanding of the tax authority, strong market reputation for tax litigation and broad range of experience in Hong Kong tax matters will further enhance the team for our clients," Pierre Chan, Head of the Tax Practice in Hong Kong SAR, said. "We warmly welcome him to the team."
Brendan Kelly, Chair of the Asia Pacific Tax Practice, added: "Tax is a leading strategic area of practice for Baker McKenzie. With the pressure to generate collections, governments will continue to target multinational corporations as a source for revenue generation. We expect to see a continuation of the recent trend of a major uptick in audits and controversy across the region. In addition, we believe tax advice is not simply about reading the rules, but about knowing what can be supported and sustained in the courts. Hong Kong is no different in this regard. We look forward to Stefano joining us and contributing to the growth of our market leading team."
Baker McKenzie's Tax Practice is one of the most highly regarded and largest tax groups in the world. Ranked Band 1 by Chambers Global for its work in the United States, Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific, the group is recognized by clients and industry peers for the premium-quality tax advice it provides worldwide. Baker McKenzie's Tax Practice deftly covers all aspects of tax planning and transactions, global tax policy, transfer pricing, indirect and state and local taxes, dispute resolution (both administrative and litigation), and wealth management matters. In Asia Pacific, the team was most recently awarded "International Tax Law Firm of the Year" for sixth consecutive year at the International Tax Review Asia-Pacific Tax Awards 2022.