Partner

Philip Reid

Languages

English

Social media

Philip is a partner in the tax team in London and joined CMS in 2013. He primarily advises on corporate tax matters including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, investments and tax structuring. He has been named as a Rising Star in MergerLinks’s list of top tax lawyers most active on transactions in the EMEA region.

Philip works across a variety of sectors but has a particular focus on energy and infrastructure, frequently advising clients on transactions and investments as part of CMS’s market-leading practice in this sector. He is widely recognised in the oil and gas industry and has acted on a substantial number of upstream deals in the UK and internationally in recent years, including many with innovative features. He also advises clients in the sector on various ad hoc tax matters, including in relation to energy transition projects.

Philip often works on cross-border transactions and advisory matters, including with CMS colleagues in other jurisdictions, and holds an Advanced Diploma in International Taxation from the Chartered Institute of Taxation.

Relevant experience

bp on the formation of Azule Energy, a USD 14bn joint venture with Eni combining all of their upstream and midstream assets in Angola to create Africa’s largest independent energy company.
Octopus Energy Group, the British renewable energy group specialising in sustainable energy, on its takeover of Bulb Energy’s 1.5m customers. This ground-breaking transaction included the use of an energy transfer scheme for the first time in the United Kingdom.
HitecVision/NEO Energy on various transactions, including the acquisition of JX Nippon Exploration and Production UK and of over 15 oil and gas fields from Exxon.
DIF Capital Partners on its acquisition of the largest co-location portfolio of solar and battery storage in the UK.
Equinor on the sale of interest in its Corrib gas field in the Republic of Ireland via a sale of Equinor Energy Ireland to Vermilion.
SSE on the sale of its entire offshore UK gas business through the sale of SSE E&P UK Limited to RockRose.
bp on its acquisition of Chargemaster plc, the UK-based electric vehicle charge point business.
A consortium comprised of GLIL Infrastructure and Octopus Energy Group on the acquisition of a 12.5% interest in the Hornsea One Offshore Wind Farm from Global Infrastructure Partners.
Deloitte on the sale of its pensions advisory division to Isio.
EDF on the UK aspects of its acquisition of GE Steam Power's global nuclear activities, together with CMS France.
NeuConnect on the development of its 1400MW electricity interconnector running between England and Germany, the first project-financed electricity interconnector.

Publications

Tax chapter in Hewitt on Joint Ventures (Sweet & Maxwell, 7th Edition)
Simon’s Taxes, Division on Oil Extraction and Related Activities
Finance Act Handbook 2023: commentary on the Electricity Generator Levy (Tolley, 2023)

Education

2021 - Advanced Diploma in International Taxation, Chartered Institute of Taxation
2012 - LPC, University of Law, London
2011 - GDL, BPP, London
2008 - BA in English Literature, Durham University

Practice Areas

Tax

Insights

Global Reach

UK Pay Gap Report 2024