Spear’s Review

There are few tax advisers in the UK who are as highly commended for their knowledge of the Middle Eastern landscape as Martin Davies, who has become the go-to tax lawyer for some of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s most prominent families.

Davies heads Mishcon de Reya’s Middle East practice and is a partner in the firm’s international wealth planning and tax team, advising his clients on corporate and real estate investments, succession planning, asset protection and private equity investments, among other matters.

Davies tells Spear’s that communication, understanding and being present are priorities for clients in the region. ‘The most important thing in the Middle East is that you have a relationship,’ he says. ‘I’ve lived out there, worked out there – I’m there every month. You might just meet for a cup of coffee, but the fact that you’re there, you understand the region and the countries, and you’re not just running it from a desk in London [is key].’