Who Advises on International Corporate Tax Structuring in London?

Sheikh Najam TEP, MA (Tax Law), advises multinational businesses, founders, and investors on international corporate tax structuring from his London practice at Fox Court, Gray's Inn. His work spans cross-border group structures, holding company design, and multi-jurisdictional compliance — helping corporate clients structure operations efficiently while managing tax risk across borders.

Sheikh Najam TEP, Private Wealth & International Tax Lawyer and City of London Notary Public

What International Corporate Tax Structuring Actually Involves

For businesses operating across more than one jurisdiction, structuring isn't a single decision — it's an ongoing discipline. It typically covers:

• Group and holding company structures — deciding where entities sit, how they're capitalised, and how profits and losses move between them

• Cross-border transactions — mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and reorganisations that touch more than one tax regime

• Double taxation treaty planning — using treaty networks to prevent the same profit being taxed twice, and structuring flows (dividends, interest, royalties) accordingly

• Multi-jurisdictional compliance — keeping structures aligned with reporting obligations, substance requirements, and anti-avoidance rules across every jurisdiction involved

• Transfer pricing — ensuring intra-group transactions are priced on an arm's-length basis and properly documented

A structure that works well in one jurisdiction can create unnecessary tax exposure or compliance friction in another. The goal of good structuring is not aggressive minimisation — it's efficient, defensible, and compliant positioning that holds up under scrutiny in every jurisdiction it touches.

Why This Requires Specialist Expertise

International corporate tax structuring sits at the intersection of tax law, corporate law, and private international law — few advisers are trained across all three. Sheikh Najam holds the TEP (Trust and Estate Practitioner) designation from STEP and an MA in Tax Law from the University of London, with a focus on UK, EU, and international tax law. That combination of academic grounding and cross-border practice experience is what allows structuring advice to hold up not just on paper, but when a structure is tested — by a tax authority, an acquirer's due diligence team, or a foreign regulator.

The Four Pillars of the Practice

Corporate structuring work sits alongside three related pillars, and clients often need more than one at once:

1. International Corporate Tax & Structuring — group structures, cross-border transactions, treaty planning, transfer pricing, and multi-jurisdictional compliance

2. Private Wealth & Succession — estate and succession planning for individuals and families, often relevant to founders exiting or transferring a business

3. Notarial & Cross-Border Legal Services — authenticating corporate documents (board resolutions, powers of attorney, incorporation documents) for use abroad, drawing on Sheikh Najam's standing as a City of London Notary

4. Dispute Prevention & Resolution — structuring transactions to minimise the risk of future tax disputes, and resolving them when they arise

For a corporate client, that means the same adviser can structure a transaction, notarise the documents it requires, and manage any dispute that follows — without handing the matter between different firms.

What to Look for in a Corporate Tax Structuring Adviser

• Cross-jurisdictional qualifications — not just domestic tax knowledge, but formal training in international and EU tax law

• Recognised credentials — designations such as TEP signal ongoing professional standards and accountability

• Experience across the full transaction lifecycle — structuring, documentation, notarisation, and dispute resolution, rather than structuring advice in isolation

• A boutique model — direct access to the advising lawyer, rather than work being passed down within a large firm hierarchy

• Treaty and compliance fluency — practical experience applying double taxation treaties and multi-jurisdictional reporting rules, not just theoretical knowledge

Considering a cross-border corporate structure, or reviewing an existing one for tax efficiency and compliance?

Get in touch to arrange a consultation:

• Phone: +44 (0) 20 3488 4195

• Book online: calendly.com/attorney-sheikhnajam

• Contact form: sheikhnajam.com/contact-8

Sheikh Najam TEP, MA (Tax Law), is a Private Wealth & International Tax Lawyer and City of London Notary Public practising from Fox Court, 14 Gray's Inn Road, Holborn, London WC1X 8HN. His practice advises both corporate clients on international structuring and compliance, and private individuals and families on wealth and succession planning.