Tax expert Simon Hart joins S&W as partner

S&W has appointed Simon Hart as a partner in the business tax practice. He joins with a focus on financial services, bringing two decades of experience to the firm.

Mark Webb, head of business tax at S&W, noted, “We are delighted to welcome Simon to the team. Simon’s appointment further strengthens our business tax capability, particularly in the asset management and alternative investment space. His depth of experience advising asset managers, combined with his involvement in key industry developments, will be invaluable to our clients as they respond to regulatory change and evolving market conditions.”

Hart is an asset management tax specialist with nearly 20 years’ knowhow advising clients on a wide range of structures, transactions, investments and business tax matters. His client base has included traditional and alternative investment funds, asset managers, institutional investors and wealth managers.

He arrives from KPMG, where he spent the last 15 years – most recently serving as a partner in the Big Four’s alternative funds tax team. There, he focused on private credit. Prior to KPMG, he was a senior auditor at Shipleys.

Hart has also played an active role in shaping industry thinking, having participated in working groups relating to the reform of the carried interest tax regime and the introduction of the qualifying asset holding company regime. He has previously served on the tax committees of the Association of Real Estate Funds, the Investment Association and the Alternative Credit Council.

Reflecting on his new role, Hart said, “I’m delighted to be joining S&W and look forward to working with colleagues to drive the continued growth of its business tax practice, particularly within financial services. S&W has strong momentum and a clear growth agenda, making this an exciting time to join. Asset managers and investors are facing increasingly complex tax challenges, requiring commercially focused solutions, and I look forward to working with clients to help them navigate these challenges and support their investment strategies and broader businesses.”