Baker & McKenzie has hired experienced KPMG tax partner Steve Labrum to strengthen its City transfer pricing team.
Labrum joins the firm’s London office after spending two years at the Big Four accountant. Prior to this, he spent two years as global head of transfer pricing at Alvarex and Marsal, joining the firm in 2012. He was also previously a partner at EY, spending 17 years at the accounting giant and has also held roles with Deloitte and PwC.
His move to Baker & McKenzie follows the election of former UK head of tax Alex Chadwick as London managing partner for a three-year term in August. Chadwick will be replaced as London head of tax by Mark Delaney.
Chadwick (pictured) said: ‘This latest appointment continues our ongoing strong strategic commitment to grow our London tax, disputes and transactional practices.’
Baker & McKenzie has made a number of lateral hires in recent months to strengthen the London office, which experienced solid growth under previous managing partner Paul Rawlinson, who was elected global chair of the firm earlier this year.
At the start of the year, Baker & McKenzie added to its disputes practice with the hire of former Hogan Lovells litigator Hugh Lyons. The firm also recently brought over Andy Moody from Eversheds, Barclays managing director of litigation Jonathan Peddie and BBC head of litigation Nadia Banno.
The firm’s reshuffle in London leadership comes after former global chair Eduardo Leite stepped down after six years in the role. His final year at the firm saw Baker & McKenzie post an 8% boost in revenues to $2.62bn for 2015/16, after reporting falling revenues the year before.
For more on Baker & McKenzie, see Alex Chadwick’s Horizon Scan: ‘Fighting back – a golden opportunity to take on the Big Four in tax services’
matthew.field@legalease.co.uk
