Having worked at one of the "big four" accounting firms, as well as a large international law firm, what do you see as the main learnings from your previous roles that you bring to ABL's renowned tax practice?
Working in these types of environments is very different – where one provides a more practical insight into the application of tax laws and the compliance obligations of taxpayers that follows, the other provides a more theoretical approach and teaches you to understand tax laws through the lense of policy makers.
When these insights are married together, they provide you with a profound understanding of the design, administration and operation of the law. These accumulated learnings and skills have given me a more sophisticated understanding of domestic and international tax laws, and taught me to appreciate the importance of having transparency, efficiency and economic policy embedded within our tax regimes.
It's these unique insights and experiences that allow me to provide a more holistic service to my clients and add value to ABL’s tax practice.
The scope of your own practice is very broad, encompassing taxation issues associated with mergers and acquisitions, cross-border arrangements, corporate structuring and employee incentive programs. The variety must be both very rewarding but also challenging?
Yes, you are absolutely right but, for me, it's this variety that keeps things interesting!
My clients comprise large businesses, private companies and high-net-worth individuals, so where I might be negotiating on the tax aspects of a multi-million-dollar transaction one day, the next day I will be advising an offshore client on how to structure their business in Australia, and the day after that, advising another client on their ability to register as a charity and seek endorsement as a deductible gift recipient. There are no two matters that are the same.
Tax law is one of the fastest evolving areas of law around the world and having a wide-range of clients requires me to stay abreast of all recent legislative amendments. Although challenging at times, it makes me a better practitioner and, ultimately, allows me to provide a better service offering to my clients.
Tax law is one of the fastest evolving areas of law around the world and having a wide-range of clients requires me to stay abreast of all recent legislative amendments. Although challenging at times, it makes me a better practitioner and, ultimately, allows me to provide a better service offering to my clients.
You won last year's Lawyers Weekly 30 under 30 Award for tax and you're currently studying a Master of Laws at Sydney University. What is it about tax law that drives you to achieve as much as you have so early in your career?
I genuinely believe that you can only be as good as your team and those around you, and have been very fortunate to have had great mentors throughout my career who have reinforced the values of respect and hard-work, and the importance of critical thinking. Without their support, I would not be where I am today in my career.
Tax law is a unique area of the law – it applies to almost every commercial decision yet is never the driving force behind making those decisions. It’s this idiosyncrasy that makes it so fascinating.
Tax law requires an art of interpretation, level of complex problem-solving and inquisitiveness, and acknowledgment that there often no single correct answer. It is a desire to master these skills and deliver the best outcome that continues to motivate me. As my Sydney University lecturer recently reminded me, paying tax is a good thing, it means you are running a successful business!
