Tax law star to helm Dentons Kensington Swan's new practice

Dentons Kensington Swan has brought in Bruce Bernacchi to head up its newly established tax practice.

The tax law expert, whose services have regularly been courted by leading media outlets in New Zealand like the NZ Herald, has nearly three decades of experience in the field. He has handled domestic and international corporate tax matters, indirect taxes and employee tax issues.

In particular, he has concentrated on issues brought by private equity clients, the financial sector and tech. He is also a specialist in iwi tax matters.

“I am acutely aware of the challenges facing our clients and what they need from a professional services relationship. With the economic landscape facing uncertainty, it’s more important than ever to be in tune with what clients need and Dentons has a great reputation for doing just that”, Bernacchi said.

In addition to his tax work, Bernacchi has been involved in major buy-side and sell-side M&A transactions in New Zealand. He has headed up tax due diligence and the structuring of cross-border deals. His clients include trade vendors and purchasers, as well as sovereign wealth funds.

“In a move that reflects the firm’s evolution in recent years and celebrates the expansion of our areas of practice, the launch of our new tax practice means we can provide a full service offering to our clients”, Dentons Kensington Swan chair Hayden Wilson said. “There’s no doubt that Bruce will help us build a market leading tax practice. We couldn’t be more excited to bring on board someone of Bruce’s calibre to meet the tax needs of our clients”.