Spear’s Review 

‘I’m not someone who’s got my head in the tax law book the whole time,’ says Saffery partner James Sykes. ‘For me it’s more about going out and meeting people, helping them achieve their aims ... Rich people are rich people; they broadly have the same issues.’ 

Clients are increasingly worried about the Common Reporting Standard, but whether or not they should be is a different matter, he says. He adds that Saffery has never participated in ‘racy’ tax schemes; legal tax avoidance is not as acceptable as it once was, and reputation matters more than ever. ‘I’ve probably got clients who did legal but “schemey” things 10 years ago. They wouldn’t now.’ 

Sykes served as the firm’s chair from 2016 until 2024.