research information2013

World Transfer Pricing

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World Transfer Pricing has:• In-depthcoverageoftheworld'sleadingtransferpricing

markets• AspartofInternationalTaxReview,morethan23yearsof

experienceinthetaxsector• Auniqueteamoffull-time,specialistlegaljournalists• Unrivalledglobalreach,withofficesinNewYork,London

andHongKong• Distributionamongmanyoftheworld’smostimportant

multinationalsandprivate-practicelawand accountingfirms

• Afree-to-accesswebsitewiththeguide’sfullrankings,editorialandlistings

• AccesstotheresourcesandmarketpenetrationofallLegalMediaGroup’sleadingpublications,including InternationalTaxReview,ManagingIntellectualPropertyandTPWeek

What is World Transfer Pricing?This year, International Tax Review and TPWeek are launching World Transfer Pricing, a guide to the world’s leading transfer pricing firms, which will rank the top transfer pricing firms by jurisdiction and profile their top partners with exam-ples of their transactions over the past year.

World Transfer Pricing allows taxpayers to see what firms are offering which transfer pricing services. It allows smaller boutique transfer pricing firms to rise above larger tax firms if their transfer pricing services are exemplary in a particular jurisdiction.

Firms that boast a leading reputation in their jurisdiction, a range of transfer pric-ing services (for instance, APA negotiation, litigation, documentation and restruc-turing), have a strong and varied portfolio of work over the past year and have a range of clients (from various different industries) will find themselves in the top tier, allowing potential clients an insight into their practice through the ac-companying profile.

Researchers will contact the firms that have submitted forms to be considered for entry into World Transfer Pricing this year to discuss, in more detail, the transactions listed, the structure of the practice and the transfer pricing market as a whole: what trends professionals are noticing; and how work is distributed among other firms in the market. From this information they will be able to de-duce if, and where, to list the firm.

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An authoritative readWorld Transfer Pricing offers in-depth, independent coverage of the international transfer pricing market.

Each chapter contains:

• A discussion of the notable technical changes in the local market provided by a leading practitioner based in that jurisdiction.

• Tier-by-tier rankings of the leading firms. These rankings are based on extensive research, including face-to-face and telephone interviews with leading private practitioners and their clients.

• Editorial coverage of the leading transfer pricing firms, including their most important deals, partner hires, specialisations, and their capacity to advise on transfer pricing law as well as their role in the wider market such as policy representation.

• The names of the leading lawyers, advisers and economists in each market.

• Paid firm listings, containing full contact details, profile and areas of practice.

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World Transfer Pricing is based on extensive consultation with the market. Our research material comes from a combination of sources:

QuestionnairesWe invite all of the firms featured in each edition – and even those which are not – to complete a questionnaire telling us about their activities over the previous year. We ask for descriptions of the firm’s most important deals, as well as in-formation about key contacts, personnel moves and client details.

Partner interviewsNobody knows the transfer pricing market as well as the people who make it. For this reason, we interview a large number of the leading practitioners in each jurisdiction, both by telephone and face-to-face. We ask them their opinions on rankings, their competitors’ strengths, and their jurisdiction’s leading advis-ers. In addition, we discuss recent trends and their effect on their jurisdiction’s legal market. Many partners’ comments are included, with-out attribution, in the editorial.

Client interviewsTo achieve the most objective coverage pos-sible, World Transfer Pricing conducts in-terviews with in-house tax directors who buy

tax services. These tax directors are made up of those who subscribe to International Tax Review and TP Week, those who respond to our polls and surveys and our own contacts.

We ask clients about their experiences with each firm they use, as well as their opinion of specific lawyers. The information given by cli-ents is a key factor in deciding the rankings, and we often include their comments, without at-tribution, in the editorial.

We also aim to interview the most senior mem-ber of the in-house tax team.

In addition, we interview a range of smaller companies not included on these lists that broadly reflects International Tax Review’s and TP Week’s readership. We publish a list of all the companies (although not the individuals) inter-viewed at the end of the research process (on condition that those companies have not spe-cifically requested confidentiality).

Independent researchAll members of our research team, in London, New York and Hong Kong, have received training in journalism and the tax market, and are adept at reading around their subject. Us-ing the unique resources of International Tax Review, a year-round supply of press releases and a well developed database of contacts, each member of the team can understand the nuances of their assigned tax markets.

Qualifying our researchAn editorial board of senior tax executives from multinational companies from around the world examines the tiers and gives their views on whether the research reflects accu-rately the strength of law and accounting firms in the jurisdictions that World Transfer Pric-ing covers. Members of the board are asked to contribute in two phases. Firstly, our researchers interview the editorial board members as part of the standard client research process. Secondly, we send draft versions of our rankings to members of the board. We ask each member to respond to the draft rankings. That will ensure that there is a free debate around the rankings and that we can build consensus on any disputed rankings together with the board.

How we research the guideTiers and methodology

Tier 1Firms have a leading reputation in their jurisdic-tion. They have a varied portfolio of work. They offer a range of transfer pricing services. They boast a variety of different clients.

Tier 2Firms have a leading reputation in their jurisdic-tion. They have a varied portfolio of work. They offer a range of transfer pricing services.

Tier 3Firms have a leading reputation in their jurisdic-tion. They have a varied portfolio of work.

Extra information, based on these client interviews, will also be available separately. Please contact Megan Poundall (mpoundall@euromoneyplc.com) if you would like more details.

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You can help us to give you the best editorial coverage in World Transfer Pricing. Here’s how:

1. Send us deal informationAlthough we know about the most important work in many of the markets, because our full-time journalists write about them in International Tax Review and online for ITR Premium and TP Week, we cannot know about every transaction or case done by every firm in all jurisdictions that World Transfer Pricing covers. So, when you receive the questionnaires from us, make sure you com-plete all sections in full. The most important information about the key deals your firm has advised on over the past year, includes:• the party your firm advised;• the value and date of the deal;• a brief description of the deal;• anything of interest about the deal (for example, it was first of its kind in your jurisdiction); and• the names of the partners that worked on the deal.

2. Make sure deal information is relevantHowever many deals your firm has done, we cannot write about every single one. To make sure we write about the most important matters, it helps us if, when sending us deal information, you only send us the matters of note – the ones that you consider to be your best achievements of the past year. When sending information, please make sure you explain a little about why each deal was important. It might be particularly large (which is a valid reason in some circumstances) – but itmight also be an issue of complexity, or the creation of a ground-breaking structure. All of this infor-mation helps determine who the leading firms really are.

3. Tell us about personnel changesFrom our experience it is very difficult to keep track of partner moves in every firm in every country. Therefore, for example, if the head of your firm’s tax practice has changed – tell us! It avoids embar-rassing mistakes that might only get discovered once the directory is published.

4. Be available for face-to-face or telephone interviewsQuestionnaires are useful, but they cannot tell us everything. Interviews are extremely important when working out the rankings. The more people we are able to interview about each market, the more accurate a picture we get of the leading firms in that jurisdiction. During interviews with your partners, we can also double check the accuracy of your firm’s written submission – this avoids mis-takes such as misspellings of partner names and wrong deal amounts.

5. Keep us updatedThe research process itself is time-consuming both for us and for all the firms taking part. It is much easier for us, and for you, to manage the process if we already have information that you have sent us throughout the year, in the form of press releases. If you’ve been sending us details of key work during the year, it makes our job of having to collect relevant deal information a lot easier, and means that work doesn’t get forgotten in the sudden rush to send everything to us in time for the World Transfer Pricing deadline. It also means we are sometimes able to include work that closes after the official deadline.

So – add us to your press release list: press releases should be sent to the editor, Salman Shaheen, at sshaheen@euromoneyplc.com.

Maximise your presence

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Our research scheduleBelow is the timetable for the World Transfer Pricing research programme.

2013For the best coverage, start preparing your deal and personnel information early. You can also let your firm’s partners know they should be ready for an interview if requested.

March 26 – April 2Distribution of questionnaires. If you have not received your questionnaire by April 10, please contact Salman Shaheen (+44 20 7779 8307; sshaheen@euromoneyplc.com; for World Tax), or Sophie Ashley (+44 20 7779 8339; sashley@euromoneyplc.com; for World Transfer Pricing).

May 24Deadline for questionnaires. All questionnaires are to be returned by this date, in all jurisdictions. Should you have difficulty meeting this deadline, please let the research team know as soon as possible – we can be very flexible as long as you let us know well in advance.

May – JulyInterviews. During this time we will interview tax executives at multinationals around the world and partners from the leading law and accounting firms. We will be in contact with you to arrange these, but please feel free to take the initiative if you wish to do so.

July 15Deadline for submission of any information not already included in questionnaire. We will not be sending reminders leading up to this deadline. Please note there is no guarantee that we will consider any information submitted after this date.

October 1Publication of World Transfer Pricing 2014. Please note that the guide’s rankings and editorial are finalised well before this date. Information provided to us in August and September will not be included in this year’s guide.

Contacts - editorialEditor: Salman ShaheenTel: +44 20 7779 8307

Email: sshaheen@euromoneyplc.com