Skip to content

Nicola Williams

Partner | Corporate Tax and Share Incentives

Nicola is a partner in our corporate team, specialising in providing corporate tax legal advice on mergers & acquisitions and private equity investments, as well as heading up our share plans practice.

Nicola advises a wide range of clients from founder shareholders and management  teams to larger and public companies. Her M&A work is focussed on reducing tax risk for buyers and capturing tax related value for sellers.  In the share incentives space, Nicola assists clients in providing share schemes (especially tax efficient ones such as EMI options) to employees and others.  Nicola also assists on complex real estate transactions, where advice on taxes such as SDLT, VAT and the construction industry scheme are regular features.

Clients note Nicola is approachable and takes the time to explain technical issues and solutions in practical, commercial terms.

Nicola is a ‘ranked individual’ in Chambers & Partners and has been recognised in Legal 500 as a next generation partner.

Nicola is also qualified in Scotland and serves on the Law Society’s tax committee, contributing to HMRC and Revenue Scotland consultations which shape tax law.

Experience

Corporate transactions

  • Advised a private equity backed business on the corporate tax aspects of several acquisitions as part of its buy-and-build strategy, including drafting and negotiating tax covenants and tax warranties on several international transactions
  • Advice on corporate reorganisations, including obtaining tax clearances from HMRC
  • Provided advice on complex employment related securities (ERS) issues arising in the context of a buyer due diligence exercise, and solutions to allow the transaction to proceed

Share incentives

  • Drafting and advising on numerous share incentives, including EMI, CSOP, SIP and “unapproved” schemes
  • Created a bespoke incentive for a senior NED and advised the board on this and related corporate and tax issues
  • Advising on “cashless exercise” procedures available on exit events

Real estate

  • Advice to a major chain on its obligations under the CIS on its construction work
  • Advice on commercial property transactions where “transfer of a going concern” status for VAT was unclear
  • Advised wind farm developers on whether various payments would be caught by property transfer taxes (LBTT/SDLT)

Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS)

  • EIS advice to several SaaS companies in relation to multiple investments from various angel investors, including seeking advance assurance from HMRC
  • EIS advice to angel investment syndicates considering various corporate transactions within portfolio companies and wanting to protect EIS relief