CMS has appointed a Big Four tax specialist as a partner in the firm's London corporate practice. 

Phil Nicklin joins CMS from Deloitte, where he was a senior partner in the real estate tax group for nearly eighteen years, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Nicklin, a chartered tax adviser, will lead CMS' real estate investment trusts (REITs) and structured transactions team, a tax advisory arm of CMS. 

Prior to Deloitte, Nicklin also worked at major auditor legacy Arthur Andersen & Co. until 2002.  

According to CMS, he was one of the main architects of the U.K. tax regime for REITs and one of the U.K. Government's key advisers on property tax legislation. 

He has previously been lead tax adviser on transactions involving landmark London properties in London including the Cheesegrater and Walkie Talkie buildings, and Battersea Power Station.

In a statement, CMS head of real estate Ciaran Carvalho said: "Businesses in the real estate sector have been looking at a myriad of ways to become more innovative and agile, and even more so in these challenging times brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Phil's extensive experience advising large real estate companies and funds will be instrumental as we continue assisting clients in navigating the complexities of real estate tax regimes."

Several CMS partners have left the firm in the first half of 2020, however, including corporate partner Stuart Blythe to Baker Botts and private equity partner James Grimwood to Goodwin.

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