TAG Alliances Annual Review 2024

"...25 Years of Membership with TAG Alliances..."

"Burness Paull proudly celebrated 25 years of membership with TAG Alliances this year, reflecting our enduring commitment and strong ties with this invaluable network. As part of this milestone, we had the privilege of hosting a Whisky Tasting during the 2024 European, Middle East, and Africa regional meeting in Glasgow. This special event offered attendees a taste of Scottish culture while providing a warm introduction to our newly refurbished Glasgow office. Our TAG Alliances membership has been instrumental in fostering meaningful connections, facilitating knowledge sharing, and enhancing collaborative opportunities across the globe. We would like to mention our recent collaboration with YARDS (Paris, France - TAGLaw). We were impressed with the outstanding level of service provided by the YARDS team, particularly Julia Novak. Julia and her team's support in assisting our client with the Family Investment Company (FIC) — which included a significant asset, a chalet in France intended for both rental and private use by the shareholding family — was invaluable. We sincerely appreciate the dedication of the YARDS team and highly recommend their services to anyone seeking similar assistance. This collaboration serves as a prime example of successful referral exchanges and work opportunities between Scotland and France."

––Nick Naddell (pictured), Grace McGill, Claire Scott; Burness Paull LLP (Scotland - TAGLaw)

“We Have Had a Great Experience During Our First Year of TAGLaw Membership.”

 "We have had a great experience during our first year of TAGLaw membership. Soon after we joined, our firm had a new matter regarding specific questions in healthcare law in more than ten jurisdictions around the world. Using our TAGLaw connections, we reached out to multiple firms, and every firm's response was so quick. The client ultimately decided to proceed with DaHui Lawyers (Beijing, China - TAGLaw), Adnan Sundra & Low (Malaysia - TAGLaw), and Silk Legal Company Ltd. (Thailand - TAGLaw). The responses were all very fast and the advice was helpful to our client in Japan. Specifically, we were able to meet Jonathan Pfister of Dahui Lawyers and Rodney Gerard D’Cruz of Adnan Sundra & Low in person while attending our first TAG Alliances International Conference in Prague.

We were also able to make several other valuable connections during the conference. For example, on the first day in Prague, my colleague Masahiro Nakatsukasa met Amit Maheshwari of Ashok Maheshwary & Associates LLP (Gurgaon, India - TIAG). Based on their conversation, they subsequently had initial discussions about a possible new matter for due diligence in Japan.

My colleague Koji Kanazawa and I also met Alexia Kountouri Papaefstathiou of Tassos Papadopoulos & Associates LLC (Cyprus - TAGLaw), and discussed GDPR and the APPI in Japan. We are now considering cooperating on joint firm seminars aimed at professionals and current clients and for new client development."

––Ronald Kaloostian; Chuo Sogo LPC (Japan - TAGLaw)

“...Our Ability To Work Together Seamlessly...”

"In early December 2024, our client, a U.S.-based venture studio, decided it would be beneficial to form a German entity by the end of 2024 as part of their capital-raising efforts. With the help of one of our TAGLaw colleagues in Germany, RWP Rechtsanwälte (Düsseldorf, Germany - TAGLaw), they were able to successfully set up the German entity before the end of 2024. This project could not have happened so quickly without the deft assistance of our German colleagues and our ability to work together seamlessly due to our long-standing relationship through the TAGLaw alliance. Looking ahead to this year, this same client is interested in creating a joint venture in Japan with a potential business partner. Chuo Sogo LPC (Japan - TAGLaw) is assisting our client in the formation of this Japanese joint venture, which is anticipated to occur in 2025. We anticipate this being another seamless and productive collaboration facilitated by TAGLaw. Interestingly, the partner handling the matter for Chuo Sogo, Koji Kanazawa, previously served as an intern at BFKN in Chicago while pursuing his LLM at Northwestern."

––Matthew Jackson; Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP (BFKN) (Illinois, USA - TAGLaw)

"...TAG Alliances Has Been Immensely Fruitful Over the Last Decade."

"Our journey with TAG Alliances has been immensely fruitful over the last decade. The foremost benefit being the availability of top-quality professional advisors for our Indian clients expanding their global footprints. Over the years, we have worked with multiple TAG Alliances member firms and enjoyed a seamless service delivery experience. Our relationship with TAG members has now evolved to greater heights with accounting/tax in-sourcing engagements that we have been executing from our Global Delivery Center in India. A shout-out to Mr. Joseph and Mr. Richard from Lowe Lippmann (Victoria, Australia - TIAG) for a wonderful growing relationship initiated over the last year."

––Anand Bathiya; Bathiya Advisors LLP (Mumbai, India - TIAG)

"Nothing is More Important than Our People."

"AAB has maintained a longstanding relationship with ESV Business advice and accounting (New South Wales, Australia - TIAG), enabling us to support colleagues in fulfilling their ambitions of working overseas. This partnership has been a valuable recruitment tool, showcasing our ability to offer international opportunities to our team. Over the years, we have been fortunate to send a range of colleagues to Australia, with our most recent returnee arriving back in January 2025.

Additionally, this relationship has played a key role in retention, allowing colleagues to gain experience in different jurisdictions and return with enhanced knowledge and skills that benefit our business. It was particularly rewarding to learn that one of our former team members who moved to ESV in 2022, has since been promoted to Audit Manager in 2025.

We also had a notable collaboration with Mercer & Hole (London, England - TIAG) last year. AAB was approached by a fast-growing tech company to undertake their audit for the year ended 31^st March 2024. During our initial discussions, it became clear that a valuation of investments on their balance sheet was required— an exercise that AAB could not complete without compromising our ability to conduct the audit independently.

To address this, AAB reached out to Mercer & Hole to explore their willingness to support the valuation work. Mercer & Hole went above and beyond, delivering exceptional service well within the client’s deadline. This collaboration highlighted the strength of teamwork between alliance members and demonstrated how such partnerships can drive growth for the firms involved.

This engagement further strengthens an already strong relationship between our two firms. In fact, Mercer & Hole recently reciprocated by providing us with a valuation engagement in early 2025. A special thank you to Paul Maberly and Ross Lane and for their support."

––Neil Dinnes; AAB (Scotland - TIAG)

"...The Highest Quality Legal Representation for Cross-border Matters."

"We have worked with numerous TAG partners either providing advice on local laws or requesting advice on the law in the jurisdictions in which they sit. These close collaborations are great examples of the benefits of TAG Alliances, which allow members to connect with a strong network of firms around the world and provide our clients with the highest quality legal representation for cross-border matters."

––Irwin Kishner; Herrick, Feinstein LLP (New York, USA - TAGLaw)

“...Very Enriching...”

"Our law firm was contacted by Aaron Spencer of Williams Mullen (North Carolina & Virginia, USA - TAGLaw) on behalf of his client who was pursuing the acquisition of a Czech fintech company. We were instructed to lead the Czech side of the legal due diligence process and advise on special European and Czech contract law. Even though we operate in different time zones, the cooperation was full of good energy and a positive mood. Our team really enjoyed the cooperation with Aaron and Williams Mullen and we also appreciated the opportunity to experience how deals are done over the ocean – that was very enriching. "

––Lukas Zacek; NIRRIS s.r.o., advokátní kancelář (Czech Republic - TAGLaw)

“...A Source of Great Knowledge for Our Firm.”

"The Firm benefited immensely from TAG Alliances membership in 2024. The different webinars that TAG Alliances arranged in 2024 were a source of great knowledge for our firm. The webinar on "Beyond Generative AI: Unveiling the Future of AI Implementation in Professional Services Firms" gave us immense insights into the use of generative AI, how intelligent automation can create a positive impact, and advanced analytics.

Also, both inbound and outbound assignments generated from previous years are continuing in collaboration with peer firms."

––Ferdaus Rahman; A.S & Associates (Bangladesh - TAGLaw)

"...A Great Culture Fit..."

"As someone new to TAG Alliances, I was so pleased to see what a great culture fit TAG was for our company when attending the Europe, Middle East, and Africa Regional Meeting in Glasgow last year. We made a number of introductions to various member firms in 2024, and were impressed each time by the speed of response and helpful nature of the TAG members. One introduction we made was to Gecić Law (Montenegro & Serbia - TAGLaw) in Serbia, and we were so grateful for all their time and advice to our potential client, even though neither of us ended up taking on the client. We also held a great networking event on the Isle of Man with our TAGLaw counterparts on the island, DQ Advocates (Isle of Man - TAGLaw), which was a great success and showcased many of the shared values evident throughout the Alliance."

––Lyle Krause; Atla Group (Isle of Man - TIAG & TAG-SP)

“...Competently to the Client’s Satisfaction.”

"We referred one of our clients to Cain Lamarre (Quebec, Canada - TAGLaw) for a legal opinion on a regulatory matter. The service was provided punctually and competently to the client’s satisfaction."

––Christian Farrugia; Fenech Farrugia Fiott Legal (Malta - TAGLaw)

“...Cooperative Spirit of TAG Alliances...”

“Our firm recently tapped into the strength of the TAGLaw alliance by directing a U.S.-based client’s legal issue to TAGLaw Member Blaney McMurtry LLP in Ontario, Canada, while also sending another to Kirton McConkie, PC in Idaho (TAGLaw). The immediate support and local insight offered by our trusted colleagues truly underscores the global reach and cooperative spirit of TAG Alliances—allowing us to provide the best possible service to our clients."

––Bryant Lamer; Spencer Fane LLP (Missouri & Tennessee, USA - TAGLaw)

“...A Smooth Experience for Everyone Involved.”

“Through our TAG Alliances membership, we had the opportunity to refer a prominent client from Istanbul, Turkey, to our colleagues at Group Expert Consulting (Romania - TIAG). Their prompt assistance and local expertise provided a smooth experience for everyone involved.”

––Avtandil Bezhanidze; Financial Experts Corporation LLC (FEC) (Georgia - TIAG)

"..Our Clients See We Are a Well-Connected Firm..."

"Being a member of TAG Alliances greatly benefits our firm. It is not just a financial benefit but also building connections and learning for our firm’s development.
Based on our experience attending TAG Alliances conferences, there is usually a session that provides beneficial insights into successful firm management. For example, takeaways from two sessions I still remember perfectly concerned cybersecurity and effective marketing.

We have also experienced referral benefits. Our firm has received referrals from TAG Alliances members in Thailand, the Netherlands, Singapore, the U.S., and China. On the other hand, we also have referred some firm members to our clients who needed legal assistance in other countries. With this kind of connection, our clients see we are a well-connected firm, which increases our value.”

––Marcia Wibisono; Law Office Yang & Co (Indonesia - TAGLaw)

"...Countless Referrals to Member Firms Around the World."

"Being one of the founding members of TAG Alliances has consistently proven its significant value to Blake Morgan over the last 25 years. Not only do we continue to receive high-quality instructions from our TAG partner firms to support their clients in the UK, but we know we can also rely on a trusted alliance of leading professionals around the globe (in both legal and accounting fields) to support our clients too.

In the last 12 months, we have supported member firms in a variety of legal areas, from employment, litigation, and trademark assistance, to construction, corporate, commercial, and regulatory law matters. Most recently, we have had instructions to support work from Ireland, Canada, Mexico, the U.S. (various states), the Netherlands, Scotland, and Australia. During the same period, we have made countless referrals to member firms around the world.

Members of our firm have felt that building relationships with our TAG friends at the conferences, and follow-up events after them, has been invaluable. All of the lawyers and accountants we have met are like-minded individuals – easy to work with, approachable, and excellent practitioners. This has led to added value to our clients and successful referrals of work for our teams.

We look forward to continuing to strengthen our relationships within this excellent alliance.”

––Rajiv Joshi; Blake Morgan LLP (Southampton, England & Cardiff, Wales - TAGLaw)

"...The Connections Within This Community are Priceless."

"Our TAG Alliances membership has been a valuable asset to our firm, fostering meaningful collaborations and expanding our global reach. Through the alliance, we have successfully partnered with fellow members on cross-border matters, enhancing our ability to serve clients with international needs. The access to expert insights and best practices shared at TAG Alliances events—both in-person and virtual—has also strengthened our strategic approach. Additionally, the outbound referrals received have reinforced our position as a trusted legal advisor within the global business community. Overall, our membership continues to provide significant opportunities for growth, knowledge, and professional synergy.

Our TAG Alliances membership has facilitated several successful cross-border collaborations. These partnerships not only strengthened our client relationships but also showcased the power of TAG Alliances in providing integrated, high-quality services across jurisdictions.

In terms of professional development, the membership has provided great opportunities to learn from industry experts and exchange best practices at various TAG events. The insights gained from these sessions have helped us refine our strategic approach, adopt innovative solutions, and stay ahead of emerging trends. Beyond the professional benefits, one of the most rewarding aspects of our membership has been the chance to connect with like-minded professionals from around the world. In this context, the TAG experience became both professionally enriching and personally fulfilling.

Last but not least, TAG Alliances is more than a professional alliance—it feels like being part of a global family of trusted advisors who genuinely support and uplift one another. The sense of camaraderie, collaboration, and shared commitment to excellence is remarkable. Whether it’s exchanging referrals, brainstorming solutions to complex challenges, or simply catching up at TAG events, the connections within this community are priceless."

––Oana Ijdelea; Ijdelea & Associates (Romania - TAGLaw)

"...Access To International Contacts We Trust..."

"Membership in TIAG has been one of the key features of GMcG Chartered Accountants’ service offering to clients with international interests or ambitions since 2014. Ten years ago, we found that an increasing number of clients had aspirations to broaden their operations to international markets. Having considered the features and benefits of a number of international alliances for accountancy firms, we found TAG Alliances had the reputation, reach and type of membership that particularly suited our needs. Through the Alliance, we have been able to confidently provide clients with access to international contacts we trust and with whom we have developed strong working relationships, helping them gain access to the specific expertise and advice they need.”

––Robbie Milliken; GMcG Chartered Accountants (Northern Ireland - TIAG)

"...We Take Great Pride in Being a Member of TAGLaw..."

"At Gecić Law, we take great pride in being a member of TAGLaw, an exceptional alliance that consistently fosters collaboration, broadens expertise, and enables impactful client solutions on a global scale. A recent example that highlights the benefits of the network is our involvement in a significant cross-border M&A transaction, where we successfully partnered with Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass LLP (San Francisco, California, USA - TAGLaw). Our American colleagues advised on the primary transaction in the United States, which involved the sale of a U.S. company with a Serbian subsidiary. Our role encompassed conducting legal due diligence on the Serbian company and preparing it for sale, focusing primarily on employment, corporate, real estate, and intellectual property matters. By working alongside world-class professionals, we adeptly navigated the transaction’s complexities and delivered exceptional results for the client. This experience was especially valuable for our team, as it provided the rare opportunity to manage a transaction from the sell side. It further demonstrated the strength of TAG Alliances in facilitating seamless cross-border collaboration and delivering superior client outcomes.

TAG Alliances continues to elevate our firm’s capacity to serve clients with an international perspective while maintaining the highest professional standards. The collaboration and insights gained through our engagement with the alliance empower us to address multi-jurisdictional challenges confidently, enhancing our ability to provide seamless, integrated services both within our region and across the globe. We are deeply grateful for the platform TAG Alliances provides and remain committed to contributing to this remarkable alliance.””

––Miloš Petaković; Gecić Law (Montenegro & Serbia - TAGLaw)

"...This Important Referral."

"Several years ago, our friends Diego Herrera and Salomón Behar of Galindo, Arias & López (GALA) (Panama - TAGLaw) referred a free zone company to us which at the time contemplated expanding operations in Latin America. The joint venture was timely concluded. But after a while, strong discrepancies arose between the partners. The case was brought to court where, after several instances, the parties reached a settlement. A single referral of a relatively concrete M&A transaction ended up evolving into a pugnacious litigation that finally concluded after  almost a decade. Our recognition to Galindo Arias y López for this important referral.”

––Jonás Bergstein; Bergstein Abogados (Uruguay - TAGLaw)

"...Advisors Who Share Our Commitment to Client Service..."

"The benefits of being part of TAG Alliances are invaluable for our firm and clients. Through TIAG and TAG Alliances, I have been able to connect my clients with top-tier advisors known well to me across multiple jurisdictions. Clients value and depend on that relationship for quality of advisor and client approach. I am currently working with Lisa Goldman at Sax LLP (New York & New Jersey, USA - TIAG) on a U.S. tax matter and Ray Polantz of Cohen & Company (Ohio, USA - TIAG) is looking after one of my longstanding clients who moved to the U.S. and is supported there with excellent U.S. advice and compliance. I am again collaborating with LPA-GGV (Frankfurt am Main, Germany - TAGLaw & TIAG) to assist with a German client, and have successfully introduced another client who is working in Italy under a fellowship to Studio Rock S.T.P. Srl (Milan, Italy - TIAG). Studio Rock provided clear, concise advice and also provided a helpful summary of the Italian flat tax regime. Adept application of local knowledge from advisors who share our commitment to client service is invaluable."

––Liz Cuthbertson; Mercer & Hole (London, England - TIAG)

"TAG Alliances Has Proven to be an Indispensable Resource..."

"Our membership with TAG Alliances has provided invaluable opportunities for cross-border collaboration and enhanced our firm’s ability to manage complex international matters. Particularly, our collaboration with Hunte & Co. (British Virgin Islands - TAGLaw) significantly contributed to resolving a complex cross-border tax issue exceeding $8,000,000. Both of our firms worked together to ascertain the liquidators of a company, investigated tax payments to BVI authorities, and provided legal insights on double taxation laws that supported our client’s challenge against additional Kuwaiti tax requirements.

Additionally, our ongoing partnership with Boodle Hatfield LLP (London, England - TAGLaw) has been instrumental in two key areas: firstly, securing attestations for BVI certificates to meet international compliance standards, and facilitating estate administration for a high-profile client whose accounts were frozen after their passing. This collaboration helped navigate the legal complications in obtaining the necessary probate documents, securing a smooth release of funds held by the UK branch of United National Bank in favor of our client.
Last but not least, our connection with Kuit Steinart Levy LLP (Manchester, England - TAGLaw) has been essential in successfully resolving a real estate matter, further demonstrating the effectiveness of our TAG Alliances network in furthering practical, efficient, and impactful solutions.

Overall, TAG Alliances has proven to be an indispensable resource, connecting us with trusted legal partners across the Globe and providing the collaborative expertise necessary to steer complex international issues."

––Dr. Fawaz Al Khateeb; Taher Group Law Firm (Kuwait - TAGLaw)

"...Membership Has Enabled Our Firm to Expand Our Boundaries at a Multinational Level."

"Our alliance membership has enabled our firm to expand our boundaries at a multinational level. We have collaborated with numerous accounting and law firms regarding audit and tax matters, including relationships in the UK, Germany, Latin America, the Netherlands, etc. It is not one particular referral that is the key; it is the overall collaborative efforts that helped to define the firm. We are happy to share our individual experiences with our fellow members."

––Steven Klein; Gerson, Preston, Klein, Lips, Eisenberg & Gelber, P.A. (South Florida, USA - TIAG)

"TAG Alliances Signals a New Chapter for Cox Yeats..."

"Cox Yeats attended the TAG Alliances Fall International Conference in Prague, held from 23 to 25 October 2024. This momentous event marked the first anniversary of our membership with TAG Alliances. Firn partners, Gary Pritchard and Gareth Cremen represented Cox Yeats, connecting with esteemed professionals from around the world. Membership in TAG Alliances signals a new chapter for Cox Yeats, empowering our firm to provide clients with even more comprehensive, global legal solutions. We are thrilled about the new opportunities this alliance brings for our clients and look forward to leveraging TAG Alliances' expertise and network to elevate our practice."

––Gary Pritchard (pictured) and Gareth Cremen; Cox Yeats (South Africa - TAGLaw)