Called to the Bar in 1995 and a CEDR Accredited Mediator, Julian brings a wealth of experience gained from a distinguished career that spans both the independent Bar and senior positions within leading City and international law firms. He has also worked in New York and the Cayman Islands. His practise is disputes-led, with a strong emphasis on the intersection between legal, commercial, and tax issues.
Julian is a specialist in tax law and its associated fields, including commercial chancery, equity, company law, cryptocurrency and digital assets, partnerships, insolvency, and professional negligence. He advises on complex investigations and appears regularly for corporate entities, individuals, and HMRC at both trial and appellate levels. Much of his work involves high-value or technically challenging disputes, often arising from cross-border transactions or cases with voluminous documentation. He also has experience advising and representing individuals in matters involving allegations of fraud, including criminal tax investigations.
Julian’s international advisory and disputes experience includes:
- Advising on cross-border UK tax issues and representing international clients, which has included individuals and businesses based in the Cayman Islands, Mauritius, Dubai, United States of America, Nevis and British Virgin Islands (BVI), Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man.
- Advising on commercial chancery, mistake and trust related matters relating to cross-jurisdiction holding structures in Nevis, BVI and Mauritius, including representation in the High Court (Chancery Division) in England.
- Advising clients on international holding structures, including corporate tax residence (central management and control; dual residence); Julian represented Development Securities plc in the only recent leading dispute on corporate tax residence in the UK (through to the Court of Appeal).
- Advising on international trust disputes (arising from trusts in Nevis and BVI), extent of trustee powers and obligations / rights of beneficiaries.
- Advising on international and UK tax matters, such as double taxation agreements, mutual agreement procedures, transfer pricing, permanent establishments, double tax relief, exchange of information, cross-border transactions, withholding taxes (interest / royalties), residence, property development and investment, development and exploitation of intellectual property and e-commerce, shipping and aviation.
- Advising on UK tax codes relating to international matters: Transfer of Assets Abroad (TOAA), Diverted Profits Tax (DPT), Value Added Tax (VAT), tax enforcement in UK and overseas.
- Advising on professional negligence (claims and defence) relating to international business structures and commercial agreements.
Julian was awarded a Ph.D (University of London) in Tax Law relating to intellectual property and its exploitation. He is co-author of Taxation of Intellectual Property (Bloomsbury Publishing), A Practical Guide to Tax Disputes (Lexis) and Internet Business (Commerce and Tax) (Jordans).
Julian is ranked as a Leading Practitioner in Chambers UK Bar 2025.
Julian has particular expertise in areas such as corporate structures, partnerships, intellectual property, trusts, and insolvency, allowing him to provide strategic, commercially attuned advice across a broad range of contentious and non-contentious matters.
He appears regularly in courts and tribunals across the UK, including London, Manchester, and Edinburgh, acting both as sole counsel and as part of larger legal teams.