Kassim is a Partner in Mishcon Private. He advises UK and international clients on all aspects of personal as well as business taxation. Kassim is a specialist in both personal and corporate tax. As a result, he is regularly sought out by clients for advice on all of their assets including those owned directly, through trusts or other similar structures.
Kassim has extensive experience with structuring the tax efficient acquisition, ownership and disposal of shares, securities and real estate, the interpretation of double taxation treaties, all taxation aspects relating to M&A transactions, and the application of transfer pricing rules. His client base is predominantly high and ultra-high net worth individuals with assets in multiple jurisdictions but he also advises a number of international, UK, European and Asian based businesses as well as US based multinationals.
A member of the firm's multi-disciplinary Luxury Assets Group, Kassim also advises individuals and businesses on the buying, selling, structuring and protection of luxury assets across the globe. He is a member of the International Fiscal Association, the International Bar Association, and the International Employee Benefits Association.
Kassim is recognised by The Legal 500 where clients describe him as "knowledgeable and commercial".
Key Experiences
- Advising the son of a highly successful businessman in relation to the purchase of one of his father's companies. The case involved transactional tax advice and considering of tax efficiencies regarding debt finance and future disposal.
- Advising the wife of a former President on how best to establish a Trust to ensure financial security of her children. The case was particularly complex given the client's association with her former politically exposed husband and the difficulties this meant in terms of accessing bank a bank account for the Trust.
- Advising a non-UK domiciled client in relation to some offshore income and gains that, in ignorance of the changes to the law, they had remitted to the UK.
- Advising numerous clients on tax efficient investments using different types of structures depending on the financial circumstances of the high net worth individuals and their families – this extended to, amongst others, Russian families, Middle Eastern based families, Chinese families and families of Indo-Pak origins.
- Advising on the possible fund structures for investment into Africa bearing in mind the medium and long terms investment strategies of the high net worth individuals.
- Advising on numerous international relocations undertaken by executive personnel – both to and from Europe, and more specifically to and from the US.
- Advising on insurance products made available or sold to the expatriates who are living in the UK – advice extended to Insurance Premium Tax and VAT.
- Advising on inward finance into the UK as well as the establishment of operations in the UK – advice extended to corporation tax that would apply, PAYE system, as well as VAT and the applicability of the relevant Double Taxation Treaty.
- Advising on the international structuring of intellectual property considering royalty streams and withholding taxes as well as jurisdiction specific exit charges.
- Advising on the UK and international tax issues on cross-border M&A in transactions worth billions of pounds as well as dealing with the tax aspects of the re-alignment of the multi-jurisdictional business steams post acquisition.
- Advising on international tax issues surrounding the investment from one part of Africa to another taking advantage of European Bilateral Investment Treaties entered into with African countries.
- Advising developers of supermarkets and distribution centres in the UK on all aspects of UK real estate related taxation.
- Advising on hotel developments – the advice related to offshore structuring, putting the site together, construction and the tax planning for realisation of value post development.
Career History
Partner, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Partner, Steptoe & Johnson
Solicitor, DLA Piper
Solicitor, Lovells
Trainee Solicitor, Farrer & Co