Craig Silverwood joins MinterEllison as a Transfer Pricing partner

MinterEllison has announced that economist and international tax expert Craig Silverwood is joining the firm as a Transfer Pricing partner. Craig has moved from EY’s international tax and transfer pricing practice.

Craig will be based in the firm’s Melbourne office in a national role. He brings significant value chain analysis, business function analysis and transfer pricing and international tax capability to the international tax solutions provided by MinterEllison.

Some key reasons stated by Craig for joining MinterEllison were:

• “Post the landmark Chevron transfer pricing decision, MinterEllison has the best tax team to help clients manage their transfer pricing risks through a combination of its unique insights gained from acting on the case and its ability to help clients produce documentation that stacks up as proper evidence”.
• It’s an exciting challenge to have the opportunity to bring my knowledge and experience to MinterEllison given the ATO’s increased focus on cross border structures and transactions. The intense focus on international tax arising from the OECD’s Base Erosion and Profit Shifting policies, developments in transfer pricing laws, and new laws like the Diverted Profit Tax and Multinational Anti-Avoidance Law make the international tax area one of key demand.”
• “There is a clear shift in the market wanting to engage MinterEllison help manage tax and transfer pricing risks. This also comes at a time when the Big 4 accounting firms are grappling with audit independence rules that can limit the tax services they offer clients. I am excited to be part of MinterEllison’s multidisciplinary tax team who will be able to carry out truly independent reviews and assist clients to manage their tax risks.”

Bill Thompson, Australian Tax Practice Leader at MinterEllison added: “His recruitment further aligns our Tax practice to the strong demand we are seeing across the global market for unified solutions that bring together value chain and business function analytical capability with strong tax legal capability in cross-border deals and financing. The need for this solution with our clients is apparent in international transactions within multi-national groups, cross border finance and in evidencing and defending tax positions in relation to deals and business models.”

His move reinforces the firm’s 2020 growth plan with three other tax partners commencing in the past year. These partners are Anthony Portas: corporate tax (previously in-house Head of Tax), James Momsen – deals tax (previously Big 4 Deals Tax), and Elissa Romanin – corporate tax (internal promotion).

Craig has spent the last 13 years at EY’s International Tax and Transfer Pricing practice.