Stephen Hignett

Demergers and restructurings

• Galliford Try Plc on the demerger and sale of its Linden Homes and Partnerships & Regeneration businesses for GBP 1.075bn to Vistry Plc.
• The Gamesys Group on the demerger and sale of its online gaming business for c.£490m sale to JPJ Group plc and, previously, the demerger and sale of its Jackpotjoy gaming business to Intertain for circa GBP 425m.
• Ministry of Sound Group on the demerger and sale of Ministry of Sound Recordings to Sony Music UK Limited.

Media

• The founders and UK management team of Moonbug on the UK tax aspects of its acquisition by Candle Media.
• Warner Music Group on numerous projects including the acquisition of Parlophone Label Group from Universal Music Group for GBP 487m and the creation of a royalty distribution model enabling music royalties from digital sales to be accounted for to repertoire owners worldwide.
• WarnerMedia group members on acquisitions including TT Games, Playdemic, Big Pixel Studios and Eyeworks Group.
• Annabel Jones and Charlie Brooker, the creators of Black Mirror, on setting up their production entity Broke and Bones and the subsequent investment by Netflix.
• Andy Harries on the creation of Left Bank Productions, subsequent investment by Sony and the creation of Left Bank Media
• Jeremy Clarkson on the creation of a joint venture rights holding company with BBC Worldwide to hold and exploit the “Top Gear” rights, the subsequent sale of his holding to BBCW and on the arrangements with Amazon in connection with the "The Grand Tour".

Gambling

• A large online gambling group on its exposure to income tax from offshore receipts in respect of intangible property (“ORIP”).
• Sportech Plc (owner of The Football Pools) on its successful VAT litigation in connection with Spot The Ball.
• Assisting numerous gambling clients with remote gambling duty issues (general betting duty, pool betting duty and remote gaming duty) and VAT including product design and HMRC enquiries.

Other 

• Assisting clients with diverted profits tax (“DPT”) disputes with HMRC and making transfer pricing disclosures pursuant to HMRC’s Profit Diversion Compliance Facility (“PDCF”).
• A client on a material VAT dispute which was settled favourably following two mediations, the first before an independent mediator with HMRC and the second before an HMRC mediator.
• High net worth non-UK domiciled families on their relocation to London, buying residential property, UK business interests, importing and exporting artworks, general remittance planning and establishing trusts.