Q1 Overview - Tax roles in London

During the first quarter of 2026, hiring for tax lawyers was fairly consistent, with a total of 23 roles advertised across a mix of US, UK international, and City/regional firms. Of these, 12 roles were carried over from Q4 2025 and 11 were newly introduced during Q1.

Whilst nearly all of the roles were for transactional tax there several that involved a mix of non contentious and contentious work, there was one specialist tax disputes role (although this appears to be a standing role on a firm's website) and there were three PSL roles.

Only six roles closed during the quarter, which meant that 17 roles remained open going into Q2.

Below are overviews of roles advertised by firms:

Ashurst

Ashurst launched two tax roles in February, both of which remained open going into Q2. The first was an Associate (2–5 PQE) position focused on delivering high-quality tax advice across multiple practice areas, including drafting, legislative interpretation, and translating technical issues into commercial guidance. The second was a Senior Associate (6+ PQE) role requiring a more experienced lawyer to lead on complex, high-value matters, manage client relationships, and contribute to business development.

Baker McKenzie

Baker McKenzie advertised two roles, one was a Senior Tax Associate role, this role was initially advertised in H1 2024, closed in November 2025 and then reopened in December 2025. It is still open going into Q2 and focuses on domestic and international transactional and advisory work, including M&A tax and disputes (this looks like a standing role on their careers pages). In contrast, a Knowledge Lawyer (PSL) role for the EMEA Tax Practice Group, first advertised in Q3 2025, closed in March. This position was a strategic, non-fee-earning role centred on technical tax expertise, training, precedent development, and thought leadership across multiple jurisdictions.

Bristows

Bristows launched an Associate/Senior Associate (5+ PQE) tax role in January, which remained open going into Q2. The position supports corporate tax and employment work with a strong focus on IP- and tech-driven businesses, including life sciences. The role encompasses mid-market M&A, venture capital financings, incentives, and tax aspects of IP/IT transactions, requiring a commercially minded lawyer capable of working autonomously and contributing to business development.

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner advertised a Tax Associate role in Q3 2025, which closed in March. The position involved advising on high-value transactions across real estate, M&A, funds, and structured finance, with an emphasis on cross-border tax planning. The role required broad corporate tax expertise and strong client-facing skills within a market-leading transactional practice.

Burges Salmon

Burges Salmon introduced a Corporate Tax Associate/Senior Associate (4+ PQE) role in January, which remained open into Q2. The role sits within a Tier 1 team and involves advising on complex corporate tax matters, including M&A, private equity, real estate, and cross-border structuring. The firm sought a technically strong and collaborative lawyer with an interest in high-quality transactional work.

Charles Russell Speechlys

Charles Russell Speechlys launched an Associate (NQ–2 PQE) role in March, which remained open going into Q2. This junior position focuses on corporate tax and incentives work, supporting transactional and advisory matters across corporate, real estate, and finance practices. The role offers exposure to management incentives and option schemes, requiring strong drafting and organisational skills.

Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance advertised a Senior/Director-level Tax Associate role in February, which remained open into Q2. The role involves advising on complex, high-value domestic and cross-border tax matters across M&A, finance, funds, and restructuring transactions. The firm is seeking a senior lawyer with strong technical expertise, commercial judgement, and the ability to work across global teams.

DLA Piper

DLA Piper launched a Knowledge Development Lawyer (PSL) role in January, which remained open going into Q2, but closed during April. This position sits within the firm’s International Knowledge team and focuses on UK tax thought leadership, training, and market-facing content. The role blends technical tax expertise with strategic input into client engagement and internal knowledge systems.

Freeths

Freeths continued to recruit for a Corporate/Real Estate Tax Associate/Director role first advertised in H1 2024, which remained open going into Q2 (this looks to be a standing role on their website). The role involves advising on corporate and real estate tax matters, including structuring and compliance for high-value transactions, reflecting ongoing demand for flexible senior tax expertise across multiple offices.

Gibson Dunn

Gibson Dunn’s Tax Associate role (4–8 PQE), first advertised in H1 2025, remained open going into Q2. The position focuses on cross-border transactions, investment funds, and corporate tax advisory for multinational corporations, sovereign wealth funds, and financial institutions, highlighting the firm’s emphasis on high-end international tax work.

Herbert Smith Freehills

Herbert Smith Freehills continued to recruit for a mid-or-senior level Tax Associate (3–7 PQE), first advertised in Q4 2025 (as a mid-senior role at the 3-6 level) it is still open in Q2. The role spans both contentious and non-contentious tax work, including finance, structured products, M&A, and disputes, requiring strong technical ability and commercial awareness.

Hill Dickinson

Hill Dickinson advertised a Senior Associate/Legal Director tax role in Q4 2025, which closed in March. The position involved advising on corporate and real estate tax matters, including M&A, restructurings, and property transactions, and required a lawyer capable of managing complex matters and contributing to the growth of the firm’s tax practice.

Joseph Hage Aaronson

Joseph Hage Aaronson’s Tax Disputes Lawyer roles (3+ and 6+ PQE), first advertised in H1 2024, remained open going into Q2 (these look like standing roles on the firms website). These roles focus on complex tax disputes, including VAT and fraud cases, requiring strong litigation experience and analytical skills within a specialist disputes boutique.

Macfarlanes

Macfarlanes continued to recruit for a Tax & Reward Knowledge Lawyer (5+ PQE), first advertised in Q4 2025 and still open going into Q2. The role involves supporting fee earners through know-how development, training, and thought leadership within a top-tier tax advisory practice.

Osborne Clarke

Osborne Clarke’s Corporate Tax Associate/Senior Associate role, first advertised in Q4 2025, closed in March. The position involved advising on UK and cross-border tax matters, including transactional structuring for private equity, real estate, and corporate clients.

Penningtons Manches Cooper

Penningtons Manches launched an Associate (2–5 PQE) tax role in March, which remained open going into Q2. The role supports a broad corporate tax practice, covering transactional tax, VAT, international tax, disputes, and venture capital incentives, with a strong emphasis on client-facing work and technical drafting.

RPC

RPC advertised a Senior Associate (6+ PQE) role in January, which remained open into Q2 (but closed during April). The position focuses on corporate and transactional tax work, including M&A, restructurings, and investment structures, with expectations of strong technical expertise and involvement in mentoring and business development.

Ropes & Gray

Ropes & Gray launched a mid-level Associate – Tax and Treasury role in January, which remained open going into Q2. The role supports private equity, asset management, and finance teams on complex UK and international tax matters, advising high-profile institutional clients.

Taylor Wessing

Taylor Wessing’s Corporate Tax Senior Associate role, first advertised in H1 2025, closed in March. The role involved advising on M&A, private equity structuring, cross-border tax, and real estate transactions, with strong integration across the firm’s corporate and finance practices.

Travers Smith

Travers Smith advertised a Tax Associate (Asset Management) role (3–4 PQE) in January, which closed in February. The position focused on advising asset managers on fund structuring, partnership tax, and carried interest, offering exposure to high-profile clients within a specialist team.

Withers Worldwide

Withers continued to recruit for a Corporate Tax Associate (1–3 PQE), first advertised in Q4 2025 and still open going into Q2. The role focuses on advising founders, entrepreneurs, and private capital clients on UK and cross-border tax structuring, offering significant client contact and involvement in complex advisory work.