"TAG Alliances has allowed us to tap into the network’s expertise to provide a holistic and global experience for our High Net-Worth clients. One recent collaboration of note was with Simon Fitzpatrick from Boodle Hatfield LLP (London, England - TAGLaw). His insightfulness and knowledge in his niche field allowed us to be globally connected, locally respected."

––Sim Mong Teck; Sim Mong Teck & Partners (Singapore - TAGLaw)

"AAB received an enquiry to assist a prospective client with an expansion into the U.S. The company is headquartered in the Middle East and has never provided services outside of this area, so it required support from both a corporate structuring perspective and the need to move employees and contractors across international borders.

After an initial call, we established that a collaborative approach would be best for the client, with AAB partnering with a provider in the U.S. who could support the initial corporate setup and ongoing compliance. Our thoughts immediately turned to Weaver (Texas, USA - TIAG), with whom we have a successful history of referrals and working together. With support from Vince Houk and Craig Epstein, in particular, we secured the client and provided them with the services they needed to establish themselves in the U.S. market. With AAB providing global payroll, employment tax and employee compliance services and Weaver advising from an entity perspective, we were able to offer an end-to-end service utilizing the skills and experience of both firms but aligned as part of the TAG Alliances.

Recently, this same client has come back to AAB to ask for a number of additional services relating to contractors and international tax advice now that their business has taken off in the U.S. Once again, a joint proposal for support between AAB and Weaver was deemed the best approach, and with the feedback from the client the first time around being so positive, this has now resulted in terms being agreed and a project to be delivered in the coming months and beyond."

––Douglas Michael; AAB (Scotland - TIAG)

"Boodle Hatfield has a Chambers and Legal 500 ranked arts team. We have been working for some time on a matter which is effectively a title dispute over a Painting by a well-known artist. The Painting was consigned to Christie's in Hong Kong and was spotted by our client who has made a claim in relation to it. The painting is held at Christie's due to this title dispute. Whilst the dispute is ongoing in London, certain key aspects of the case, most notably whether the current owner of the picture is a bona fide purchaser, are governed by South Korean law. We have been working with SEUM Law (Korea (Republic of Korea) - TAGLaw) who have been enormously helpful.”

––Simon Fitzpatrick; Boodle Hatfield LLP (London, England - TAGLaw)

"Concern Dialog actively cooperates with TAG Alliances members. We have reached out to dozens of members to receive legal and accounting services, as well as preliminary advise in their respective jurisdictions. A number of requests have been made to us as well, which have been duly addressed.

The most successful cooperation this year has been with LEADELL Pilv Advokaadibüroo AS (TAGLaw) from Estonia. Since contacting the firm through the TAGLaw alliance, they have provided comprehensive support to our client in an employment law matter, including advice on the risks and implications of terminating an employment agreement, and have assisted through successful negotiations with the employee in question in Estonia. To this day, the client both directly and through Concern Dialog cooperates with LEADELL and seeks services with respect to their activities in Estonia."

––Narine Beglaryan and Lilit Karapetyan; Concern-Dialog Law Firm (Armenia - TAGLaw)

"One of our clients recently purchased an Italian company. This was their first international acquisition, so they needed both local attorneys and accountants. We connected them with TAGLaw firm Studio Legale Sutti (Italy) and TIAG firm Studio Rock S.T.P. Srl (Milan, Italy). Both firms provided valuable services and were instrumental in facilitating a successful closing."

––Ray Polantz; Cohen & Company (Ohio & Michigan, USA - TIAG)

"This year, our firm signed a best friends collaboration agreement with fellow TAGLaw member Studio Legale Sutti (Italy - TAGLaw) to offer advice and service to our clients. The partnership also aims to organize training, promotion and events between both firms, initiate exchanges between our firms' professionals, and improve mutual knowledge of the laws of each of our countries. This agreement strengthens our international projection and the firm's value thanks to the support of our colleagues at Studio Legale Sutti and the possibilities of collaboration; it will also reinforce our Italian Desk service and relations with our Italian clients."

––Elena Escura; Bufete Escura (Barcelona, Spain - TAGLaw & Spain - TIAG)

"We reached out to Lisa Spearman at Mercer & Hole (London, England - TIAG) to assist with a high wealth private client. Lisa replied immediately and we were able to schedule a meeting for the client in London. It was a great experience with the client very impressed."

––Kurt Baker; ESV Business advice and accounting (New South Wales, Australia - TIAG)

"We lost a client after they merged with another company seven years ago. In 2021, they came back to ask if they could interact with our international alliance. We have since had virtual meetings with Barry Nijkamp of KRC Van Elderen (Zwolle, Netherlands - TIAG), Wendy On of Fineman West & Co. LLP (Los Angeles, California, USA - TIAG) and Jaxa Chartered Accountants (United Arab Emirates - TIAG). Last month, after these interactions with our fellow TIAG firms, the company re-signed as a client with a fee of over 50,000 pounds."

––Paul Maberly; Mercer & Hole (London, England - TIAG)

"This is a story about our first TAG Alliances International Conference.

Let's be honest, a conference in Dublin was never going to be one focused only on work. The off-hours were as important as the days, and what happened after hours will be remembered even more than the fantastic keynotes, insightful workshops, and dinner menus. Why? Because of the power of connection between people. Because as the curtains fell on the daily agenda, we all turned from professionals to people wanting to have fun. And it was EPIC - which was, incidentally, the acronym of this year's conference slogan, "Every Person Is Connected."

Being a part of TAG Alliances is a value in itself. Having all those people around you, broadening your circle, and enjoying time with people from all over the world, from all countries and cultures, always uplifts me. When combined with the ability to add significant value to your business and your clients while remaining independent and "your own boss," it gives me goosebumps in the best possible way.

So, big thanks to Richard Attisha, Melisa Attisha, Chris Cervellera, Esq., Samantha Lutz, Fernanda Musi, Haley Bockius, Jennifer Clarke, Marco Hickey, Shane O'Connell, John O Connell and everyone else who made this event happen.

Also, thank you all for making me, the new guy, feel at home. See you in Chicago in May 2023!"

––Marko Porobija; POROBIJA & ŠPOLJARIĆ LLC (Croatia - TAGLaw)

“Just one day before attending the TAG Alliances Spring 2022 International Conference in Vancouver, a client came to me with a question concerning Czech Republic. I sent the question from my laptop in Vancouver to the Czech TAGLaw member Z/C/H Legal v.o.s. and the very next day I got the answer. Wow!”

––Markus Dankl; INTERCURA Treuhand-und Revisionsgesellschaft m.b.H. (Austria - TIAG)

"We successfully collaborated with Piper Alderman in Australia on the trade deal between the UK and Australia. Blake Morgan has a long standing relationship with Piper Alderman having worked together on a variety of projects and meeting regularly. Piper Alderman are a natural extension to our team when needed, with similar values. They are responsive, proactive and have the same pragmatic, commercial approach. Collaboratively, we are able to achieve excellent results for our clients across the two jurisdictions."

––Jill Bainbridge; Blake Morgan LLP (Southampton, England & Cardiff, Wales - TAGLaw)

“While the finer details of the new trade deal between the UK and Australia are still to be seen, we are working with clients who are positioning themselves for the benefits. Australian businesses have focused on the UK consumer market to fill a void lost from tariff hikes imposed by China. Our relationship with Blake Morgan is important to us as we look to offer seamless cross-border legal services for our respective clients."

––Simon Venus; Piper Alderman (Australia - TAGLaw)

"Over a two-week period this year, I had three enquiries from existing or new commercial clients wanting advice on the law and jurisdiction of another country. Did it mean Kuits could not help? Of course not. Our TAG Alliances membership meant I could seamlessly connect the client directly to a trusted international legal advisor with expertise to help the client immediately. Does this mean I have less work available to me? Of course not. I'm currently advising on the enforcement of an international judgment in the U.K. Opening international doors for commercial business and legal advice swings both ways!"

––Manisha Modasia; Kuit Steinart Levy LLP (Manchester, England - TAGLaw)

"We recently collaborated with Studio Legale Sutti (Italy - TAGLaw) to assist our client in acquiring an Italian company. This was our client's first international acquisition, and Studio Legale Sutti was extremely helpful in negotiating a successful closing. They were very responsive and worked as advocates in our client's best interest. Our client came away extremely impressed with their work and was grateful we could make this connection for them. TAG Alliances' global reach is an amazing asset to our firm and clients."

––Raymond Polantz; Cohen & Company (Ohio, USA - TIAG)

"We had the pleasure of assisting Aumento Law Fim (Denmark - TAGLaw) on a challenging project that required bringing sub-suppliers on board for tree maintenance contracts in Scotland. Thanks to our connection with TAGLaw, we were well-equipped to handle this project and could navigate the complexities of immigration, employment, and tax regulations seamlessly in time for their busy Christmas season.

Through our efforts, we fulfilled clients' requirements and strengthened our relationship with Aumento. We hope this has opened up opportunities for future collaboration with them."

––Grace McGill; Burness Paull LLP (Scotland - TAGLaw)

The UK and Australia have signed a trade agreement in principle, with the deal being touted as an important win for both sides.

The agreement in itself is historic in that it is the first major free trade agreement (FTA) negotiated from scratch by the UK Government since Brexit. It recognises the already strong relationship between our two countries and opens doors for businesses to trade without unnecessary red tape.

Significantly, the agreement is viewed as a stepping stone toward UK membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which includes 11 Pacific markets worth £9 trillion GDP.

Blake Morgan LLP (Cardiff & Southampton, England - TAGLaw) works with numerous UK organisations conducting business in Australia, which are now seeing the considerable potential for growth in the Australian market.

IMPORTANT PARTNERSHIPS

UK organisations looking to do business, or expand their existing business interests, in Australia, or Australian organisations/firms/corporations looking to do the same here in the UK, will need to align themselves with partners that can provide effective and seamless advice in both jurisdictions in order to maximise the opportunities for growth and mitigate any potential risks.

Through TAGLaw, Blake Morgan has a long-standing relationship with Piper Alderman (Australia - TAGLaw). The established partnership enables seamless specialist advice in connection with UK/Australian matters.

Blake Morgan Partner Jill Bainbridge, said: "Blake Morgan has a long standing relationship with Piper Alderman having worked together on a variety of projects and meeting regularly. Piper Alderman are a natural extension to our team when needed, with similar values, they are responsive, proactive and have the same pragmatic, commercial approach. Collaboratively we are able to achieve excellent results for our clients across the two jurisdictions."

Piper Alderman Partner Simon Venus, said: “While the finer detail of the FTA is still to be seen, we are working with clients who are positioning themselves for the benefits. Australian businesses (particularly commodity and FMCG producers) have focused on the UK consumer market to fill a void lost from tariff hikes imposed by China.

“On the in-bound front, Australia is welcoming of foreign investment and so we see ourselves uniquely positioned as a familiar place for UK businesses to access our consumers and to base themselves and reach out into Asian markets.  In the reverse, the UK provides an excellent platform to reach European markets.

“Our relationship with Blake Morgan is important to us as we look to offer seamless cross-border legal services for our respective clients.”

Piper Alderman’s longstanding client, Accolade Wines (owners of Hardy’s, Echo Falls, Kumala and most recently, Lambrini) is specifically mentioned in the International Trade summary of key benefits (the full document can be found here). Their products, along with other Australian favourites such as Jacob’s Creek, Tim Tams and Vegemite, will be sold at a cheaper price due to the deal, expected to save households collectively up to £34 million a year.

Caroline Thompson-Hill, Managing Director – Europe, Accolade Wines said: “The UK is Australia’s fifth-largest trading partner and in 2019, UK businesses traded £18.1 billion in goods and services with Australia.

“Securing a mutually beneficial deal between the UK and Australia will offer consumers even greater choice of Australian wines – from full-bodied reds to a range of fruity whites.

“The removal of tariffs on Australian wine, signalled in the recent Agreement in Principle is a central part of freer trade. Accolade Wines looks forward to the final agreement in the coming months and to working with partners to support the work of the UK joining the multilateral CPTPP in the months ahead.”

HOW WE CAN SUPPORT

There are key areas where tailored advice may be needed to facilitate any change in commercial interests between the UK and Australia. These may include:

• Corporate structuring
• Data protection
• Intellectual property
• Investment & Banking
• Financing
• Immigration
• Commercial contracts/agreements

Our experts can support in all key areas as well as advising generally on commercial considerations when operating between the two countries and overseas. Every business is unique and to ensure that all necessarily regulations are followed in expanding your business interests overseas, a highly skilled partner with established international relationships in place is imperative to mitigating risks.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

The important step that the UK is taking, potentially toward membership of the CPTPP alliance in the future, could open up the golden gates, pending the neutralisation of some key issues likely to be sticking points (such as data privacy and the European Patents Convention). As founding members of the TAGLaw alliance, Blake Morgan can provide specialist legal support to international businesses looking to trade in the UK, or local clients hoping to expand in to other markets.