Chris advises on a broad range of tax issues, including tax efficient structuring for investing in and out of Australia, corporate reorganisation strategies and cross-border employment issues. As a qualified lawyer, Chris takes complex tax laws and applies them to a client’s unique circumstances, resulting in a tailored and commercial solution.
Working closely with clients, Chris’ expertise in cross-border issues allows him to quickly understand a client’s needs, providing solutions in a commercial and efficient way.
Chris’ problem-solving skills and practical approach, combined with his tax knowledge, enables him to resolve critical tax issues and broader business strategy issues. His ability to assess risk, advise clients of the pros and cons of a course of action, and help them execute within a risk minimisation framework is valued among clients.
He has considerable experience dealing with disputes with the revenue authorities, including managing reviews and audits, seeking private rulings, objecting to assessments, appealing objection decisions and settling disputes with the revenue authorities.
Chris started at Pitcher Partners in 2005. After becoming a Partner in 2007, he left the firm to become a lawyer, practising tax law first with Schurgott Noolan Ardagna Lawyers and then Brown Wright Stein Lawyers. He re-joined the firm as a Partner in 2018.
Recent engagements
- Structuring of property development projects
- Tax-efficient wind-up strategies
- Structuring of a proposed merger between Australian and US businesses in the IT industry
- Capital gains tax and tax consolidations implications of corporate restructures
- Structuring of property financing arrangements
- Resolution of long-running dispute with the Commissioner of Taxation involving various international tax and administrative law issues
Chris has also been working with high-net-worth families and privately held groups in relation to business succession and estate planning matters for about 15 years. His problem-solving skills and practical approach, together with his tax knowledge, enable him to quickly understand the needs of his clients and provide them with commercially focused and tax efficient solutions.
Having been involved in a number of family disputes arising from both a lack of planning for generational change and poorly drafted estate plans, Chris draws from that experience to ensure the appropriate estate and succession plans are in place for clients.
This experience extends to:
- Structuring and managing inter-generational wealth transfer during the principal’s lifetime
- Structuring new and updating existing estate plans including the use of testamentary trusts
Professional qualifications and memberships
- Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Arts, Macquarie University
- Master of Laws, University of Sydney
- Chartered Tax Advisor, The Tax Institute
- Member of the Law Society of New South Wales
- Admitted to practice as a solicitor of the High Court of Australia and Supreme Court of New South Wales
