Christopher Kientzler

My practice is focused on helping clients prevent tax disputes, and resolving them effectively where they have arisen.

Past clients include corporates in construction, technology, natural resources, food, pharma & healthcare, and charities, as well as HNW and UHNW individuals, and trustees and beneficiaries of trusts.

I regularly advise and represent clients in relation to complex employment tax issues and disputes including IR35, internationally mobile employees, and umbrella companies. I am the tax lead in Fieldfisher's IR35 team.

My practice also comprises customs duty litigation and disputes, tax-related judicial review, domicile enquiries, BIR, film schemes, pension charges and surcharges, and double tax treaty issues.

Helping clients with tax concerns often involves pursuing a number of solutions at different points during the tax-dispute lifecycle. These include:

• specialist dispute-prevention advice, such IR35 tax- and commercial risk management;
• remediation through disclosures where issues have arisen;
• advice and representation during HMRC enquiries, investigations, reclaims or clearance applications;
• tax litigation through the tribunals and courts, from the First-tier Tribunal (Tax Chamber), to the Upper Tribunal, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court;
• a broad range of strategic tax dispute solutions such as group litigation, tax judicial review, restitution claims, other commercial claims, influencing at policy level, advice on confidentiality and privilege including cross-border matters, and strategic advice and coordination of international proceedings and procedures (EU Court of Justice, Mutual Assistance Procedure, foreign litigation etc.).

Lasting and wholistic solutions will often require a broad approach and driving clients' interests through a number of these pathways to a satisfactory conclusion. My practice involves providing realistic advice, guiding them towards selecting a strategy that is right for them, and working for them to achieve a solution.

I am listed as a 'name to note' in the Legal 500 directory for Contentious Tax, and I have written book chapters and articles in the specialist press - e.g. on professional legal privilege, HMRC information powers, and other topical tax issues.

In my spare time I paint, draw, carve, swim, take an interest in cars, and aspire to kayak.