Kevin Lowe
I lead the Corporate Tax team, concentrating on structuring transactions, management tax planning, VAT and M&A. A key part of my role is explaining technical concepts in simple language. I like to think this differentiates me from other tax lawyers.
Tel: +44 (0)870 730 2879
Email: kevin_lowe@wragge.com
Best brains in...
Tyre-kicking! I don't just 'turn the wheel' and implement the structures I am presented with, but 'kick the tyres' with other lawyers involved in the project, challenging the structures to see if they are the best solution to the problem.
Understanding how M&A deal structures impact on the tax liabilities and cover required. So many tax lawyers simply roll out precedent documents and clauses. You can't do that. Every deal is unique and demands a bespoke document.
Minimising tax charges for management investors, on the way into and out of their investments - we do this every day and have probably come across every possible issue (and its solution).
Highlight of your career so far?
Establishing the UK arm of a European private equity fund manager. Our team provided tax, corporate, funds and financial services advice on the set-up and the creation of new carry and co-investment structures. We also helped one of the principals to relocate here.
Most challenging job you've ever done?
I gave corporate tax advice in conjunction with KPMG to European real estate developer Parkridge on a series of transactions worth £1.03 billion. This included a group reorganisation and demerger, the sale of Parkridge's industrial development business to ProLogis and the acquisition by ProLogis of a 25% stake in Parkridge's retail and mixed-use development business.
What about outside the UK?
I'm frequently involved in structuring foreign investments for UK investors and businesses and in establishing a tax efficient path for foreign businesses coming into the UK, or using it as an intermediate holding jurisdiction.
Dedication to client care? Prove it!
In a word, effort. A London-based client said that although I was based in Birmingham, they saw more of me than their London-based advisers. I always make the effort to pop in for a quick chat about what is going on in their world.
Best example of a creative legal solution?
We provided VAT structuring advice to the Ministry of Defence in relation to the unique alliancing structure being used in the £3 billion plus project to design, build and maintain two new aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy. The MoD can't recover VAT, so the addition of hundreds of millions of pounds of VAT to the cost of the project would may stopped it proceeding.
When have you ever given a client a real competitive edge?
I've spoken to a number of clients about creative ways to fund their pension schemes, utilising income streams from assets.
What's your single greatest contribution to Wragge & Co's corporate responsibility?
Little things can have a big impact. I never leave my screen or computer on standby overnight and rarely use the lifts. If everyone in the firm did these two simple things it would have a massive impact on our energy use.
What's been written or said about you that you're most proud of?
'Our relationship with the Wragge & Co Tax team gives us 24-hour access to any one of its team of tax lawyers – it really does feel like they are just down the corridor. What we really like is that they don't give a long list of reasons why something can't be done or engage in long-winded negotiation on unimportant clauses, but instead take a proactive, commercial approach.'
