Gallagher Taps Hughes From EY as Tax Specialist in Private Equity and M&A Practice
Gallagher announced the UK appointment of specialist corporate M&A tax adviser Tom Hughes as dir
ector of Tax Insurance to its EMEA-wide Private Equity and M&A (PEMA) practice.
Hughes will join Gallagher on January 5, 2026 in the UK, building on recent tax specialist hires across Europe as G
allagher deepens its investment in specialist risk expertise to further ex
pand its range of client-focused solutions for businesses engaged in acquisitions, mergers and other transact
ional corporate activities.
Hughes joins from EY where he has spent the past five years a
s part of its Corporate M&A tax team, most recently as a sen
ior manager in the International Tax & Transaction Services team specializing in M&A.
A chartered accountant by profession and specialist tax advisor for the last 10 years, Hughes will r
eport to Giles Hambly, head of Tax Insurance in the UK. He brings a
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comprehensive understanding of the end-to-end deal process related to due diligence, acquisitions and disposals, a
nd tax structuring, combined with extensive experience in the provision of tax advisory services to private e
quity-backed portfolios, mid-market and fast-growth groups, and multinational corporates.
Over the past year, Gallagher said it has made a series of hires across Europe to build a team capable of supporting clients undertaking M&A activities, t
hose operating across the private capital sector, and those executing a broader range of corporate transactions and activities.
In addition to a number of hires in the warranty & indemnity class, in September this year Gallagher announc
ed the appointment of tax specialist Cristina Montserrat Chaparro Vaquero as a senior broker, and Pau Lopez F
ornons as associate broker, to support clients across Iberia. Prior to that, Joyce Koch and Vera Dembski were appoi
supporting clients across Benelux and Germany, all of whom have extensive experience in “Big Four” firms.
“The UK tax insurance market has grown significantly over the past five years, driven by high levels of
M&A activity, company restructuring, portfolio recapitalization and increasing complexity and risk in the broader tax
environment,” commented Steve Jones, CEO of Private Equity & Transactional Risks in the UK.