McDermott Will & Emery has hired a partner from Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom in London as its new UK head of tax.

Alex Jupp has joined the firm as a partner after nearly 19 years at Skadden. A transactional tax specialist, he brings experience in UK and cross-border tax matters ranging from high-value M&A and JV work to tax planning and audit interactions.

McDermott said Jupp’s hire was a strategic move to bolster its growth in London, where the firm has made 11 lateral hires in the past year including tax partner Candice Nichol from KPMG and veteran dealmaker Graham White, who spearheaded Kirkland & Ellis’s London growth in the 2000s. It has also seen exits, including former London managing partner Hamid Yunis’s move to Pillsbury earlier this month. 

For his part Jupp made partner at Skadden in 2016. During his time at the firm he worked on matters including advising the billionaire Issa brothers and TDR Capital on their £6.8bn acquisition of a majority stake in Asda from Walmart in 2020. He also advised on the tax aspects of Asda’s later £2.3bn acquisition of EG Group’s UK and Ireland business. 

“Alex is a top transactional tax lawyer known for his exceptional client service and ability to deliver tailored solutions,” said Timothy Shuman, McDermott’s global head of tax.

“He will be a tremendous asset to our UK tax team and will significantly elevate our capabilities in this key market,” he added. 

Outside Skadden, Jupp previously served as chair of the British branch of the International Fiscal Association. He is also a member of the Law Society’s respected tax law committee and chair of its income tax subcommittee and was a member of Working Group 2 within the HM Revenue and Customs’ modernisation project on the taxation of corporate debt.

Aymen Mahmoud, McDermott’s London office managing partner, said Jupp’s prominence in the tax space would be a magnet for future talent as the firm pursued further growth.

“Alex is extremely highly regarded in London and beyond,” Mahmoud said. “He strengthens our tax practice and substantially reinforces our burgeoning transactional practice.”

Jupp said he anticipated helping to shape “a truly cross-border tax offering in transactional and non-transactional matters” at McDermott. 

His move follows Skadden hiring Patrick O’Gara as a partner and UK head of tax controversy in January from Baker McKenzie’s London office, where he had spent two decades.

A spokesperson for Skadden said: “We can confirm that Alex Jupp has left the firm. We thank Alex for his contribution and wish him all the best for the future.” 

Jupp’s move follows well-known City M&A partner Bruce Embley leaving Skadden in January to join Clifford Chance, as the firm continued its private capital growth push.