Partner

Jacob Gilkes

Languages

English

Social media

Jacob is a partner in the CMS tax team. He has a broad practice covering a wide range direct and indirect tax issues.

Jacob has extensive experience in relation to real estate transactions, including advising clients on tax efficient structures for property investment and development, joint ventures, acquisitions and disposals and the establishment and operation of REITs and other investment funds. His advice ranges from simple transactions through to complex structures optimising clients' income/corporation tax, capital gains, stamp duty land tax and VAT positions.

Jacob also regularly advises on corporate transactions. He has particular expertise in relation to demergers and restructurings, where he provides UK and multinational groups with bespoke structuring advice to achieve their commercial aims tax efficiently.

Awards & Recognitions

01 –

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"Proactive and thorough advice - Jacob Gilkes and Lauren Alder are particularly effective."

Legal 500, 2025
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"Henry Bolton and Jacob Gilkes are responsive and provide clear advice. They go out of their way to be as helpful as possible."

Legal 500, 2025
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"On indirect tax (VAT and SDLT) we work with Jacob Gilkes. We trust the advice that he provides as he is very thorough and always checks that he has understood the wider commercial position on which he is advising. He is proactive and assists us from the conceptual start of projects through to the detailed stages of completing the transaction and post completion finalisation of matters relating to VAT/SDLT to ensure that throughout the process we have followed the steps required to achieve the intended tax result. He provides very clear written tax steps and advice which set out complex tax matters in a clear, concise manner which can be understood by different levels in the organisation."

Legal 500 UK

Relevant experience

Capital & Regional Plc on the redevelopment of its Walthamstow shopping centre, including the structure for the acquisition of further land interests and the agreement to sell part of the site to a residential developer.
Life Science REIT Plc on its initial acquisitions, including three corporate acquisitions and one property acquisition, for an aggregate consideration of over £200m, together with the subsequent restructuring of the property ownership structure.
On the establishing of a £700m real estate fund, including in relation to the arrangements with the sovereign wealth fund with became the cornerstone investor
Leading the tax aspects of the acquisition by a sovereign wealth fund of a €750m pan-European property portfolio by way of the acquisition of SPV companies in Poland and Germany and properties in the UK, together with the related financing.
Galliford Try Plc, the listed UK construction and house building group, on the structuring of the demerger and subsequent sale for £1.1bn of its homes and partnerships divisions to Bovis plc (now Vistry plc).
Gamesys (now Anzo), a multinational online gambling and games content group, and its shareholders, on the structuring of the demerger and sale for £490m of its online gaming business to JPJ Group Plc (now Gamesys Group Plc).

Publications

2021 - Tax issues on financing an inbound investment - LexisPSL.
2015 - Getting the Deal Through: Tax on Inbound Investment - Lexology
2014 - Inserting a holding company: EIS and stamp duty considerations - Tax Journal.

Memberships & Roles

Stamp taxes practitioners group

Education

2012 – LLM in Tax Law, Kings College, London
2007 – LPC, Nottingham Law School, Nottingham
2006 – LLB Hons Law with American Law, University of Nottingham, Nottingham

Practice Areas

Tax

Insights

Global Reach

UK Pay Gap Report 2024