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UK

Paul McCourt

Partner

England & Wales

020 3319 3700

paul.mccourt@keystonelaw.co.uk

Paul is a solicitor and Chartered Tax Adviser specialising in corporate transactions, property transactions and share schemes. He advises on a wide range of projects, from tax-efficient structures, mergers and acquisitions and tax covenants through to suitable vehicles for property investments and developments using UK and international structures.

Paul has extensive experience of the tax issues involved in the interaction between companies and their shareholders, including advising on restructuring, demergers, shareholder exits and the introduction of new shareholders (including use of share schemes and EIS/SEIS).

Paul also advises on Stamp Duty Land Tax and VAT on the acquisition of UK property and other Stamp Duty-related matters.

Expertise

Paul advises on domestic and cross-border corporate transactions across a wide range of sectors, including technology, manufacturing, and life sciences, ensuring tax-efficient structuring and smooth execution of acquisitions and disposals.

Experience

  • Advised on tax law matters, including corporate acquisitions, transactions, and tax-efficient structures for the acquisition of the technology of Sequeestor Limited, a cross-border acquisition by a NASDAQ company of the intellectual property rights of a UK-based global provider of video analytics technology.
  • Advised on tax law matters, including corporate acquisitions, transactions and tax-efficient structures for a global provider of AI-based edge video analytics, IoT technologies, and cybersecurity, in an acquisition of a global provider of video analytics technology, and supported the notification of the deal under the NSI Act.
  • Advised on the tax matters for life sciences compliance software company Ennov on the UK aspects of its strategic acquisition of CALYX’s Enterprise Technology division.
  • Advised on tax matters for one of the leading providers of turnkey productivity solutions, on its acquisition of multiple assets in a liquidation asset sale.
  • Advised on tax matters for one of the world’s largest systems suppliers in the proposed share sale of the company, and its subsidiary environmental consultancy company to a strategic buyer.
  • Advised on tax matters for the owners of a flooring company, in the sale of its entire issued share capital to a private equity consortium.
  • Advised on tax matters for the shareholders of Integrum Power Engineering Ltd on its sale to the utility and energy resources company, OCU Group Limited (OCU). OCU is backed by Triton Partners.
  • Provided advice on various tax aspects to certain shareholders of a specialist data, analysis and advisory firm on the sale of their shares.

Paul helps clients achieve commercial objectives through tax-efficient structuring, particularly in the context of incorporations, group reorganisations, and cross-border operations.

Experience

  • Internal restructuring of large demolition and construction group.
  • Advised on cross-border refinancing of significant tourism sector enterprise.
  • Provided assistance on various corporate property and tax aspects to the UK partners of a US private equity business on the best structure through which to trade and remunerate themselves in the UK.

Paul provides strategic SDLT and VAT advice on complex real estate transactions including acquisitions of offshore SPVs and structuring of site development arrangements.

Experience

  • Advising property developers on SDLT implications of site fine arrangements.
  • Acquisition of a Luxembourg company holding UK commercial property, including advising on right-sizing of target debt at completion and use of brought-forward tax losses.
  • Acquisition of a Jersey SPV holding recently developed residential property in Belgravia, addressing corporation tax, VAT and SDLT issues.

Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.

Recognition

Recognised by The Legal 500 for Corporate M&A 2026

“Andrew Bretherton and Paul McCourt of Keystone Law gave clear and practical legal advice on the sale of our shares to an Employee Ownership Trust.”

The Legal 500 2026

Paul qualified as a solicitor in 2003. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2021, he worked at the following firms:

  • BDO (Northern Ireland)
  • Herbert Smith Freehills