FTI Consulting announced the appointment of Nilesh Ashar as a Senior Managing Director and Sameep Uchil as a Managing Director in the Dubai International Financial Centre office in Dubai, UAE.
The two senior appointments will form a new tax offering within the Corporate Finance & Restructuring segment in the Middle East, strengthening the firm’s ability to service Middle Eastern clients and large, multinational companies in the region on M&A tax and restructuring, corporate tax, transfer pricing and VAT. Mr. Ashar will lead the Middle East tax practice for FTI Consulting, and Mr. Uchil will focus on M&A tax and restructuring-related matters.
“As a new era of tax dawns in the Middle East, it is important that our clients have full transparency and are informed of the impact of new and impending tax regulations that are on the horizon, as well as their implications,” said Vikas Papriwal, Head of the Corporate Finance & Restructuring segment in the Middle East at FTI Consulting. “Our clients will increasingly require assistance in fulfilling their tax commitments, ranging from tax transparency to ensuring they are compliant when making their key strategic business decisions. Nilesh and Sameep’s arrival will ensure that our clients have the best possible advice to operate at optimum efficiency when it comes to their Middle East tax requirements.”
Mr. Ashar brings more than 25 years of international and M&A tax experience in the Big Four to FTI Consulting, having advised clients in sectors such as real estate, financial services, private equity, oil and gas, retail and family offices across the Middle East, India, UK and Europe. Based in Dubai since 2012 following stints in India and London, Mr. Ashar brings an extensive range of tax experience to FTI Consulting’s clients, including advisory services focused on corporate and international tax matters, cross-border tax structuring, M&A tax, economic substance, tax governance, transfer pricing and VAT. Mr. Ashar also brings a wealth of experience in helping organisations and regulatory authorities identify and manage tax risks and improve their tax processes.
Mr. Uchil brings more than 12 years of experience, working in multiple locations including India, New York and the UAE, predominantly in the private equity, consumer, food and retail, technology, media and financial services industries. Mr. Uchil’s experience, largely gained in the Big Four, has seen him at the forefront of advising large corporates in their M&A activity, primarily related to acquisition structuring, tax due diligence, deal negotiations on tax aspects and preparation of tax models. He was also part of the team that set up an M&A tax desk for a Big Four firm in New York from 2016-2019. Mr. Uchil has advised corporates in the region and U.S. and European businesses on their inbound acquisitions and tax restructuring matters in the Middle East.
“The expansion of our tax capabilities is a reflection of the changing business landscape and the dynamic inbound and outbound investment transactions and M&A activities of our clients,” said Euan Sutherland, Head of the EMEA Tax Advisory practice at FTI Consulting. “Together with our tax teams in the UK, United States and other key financial markets, the arrival of Nilesh and Sameep adds further firepower to our cross-border capabilities, which will help us better support the investment and transaction strategies of local, regional and international businesses.”
Commenting on their appointments, Mr. Ashar said, “I am pleased to join FTI Consulting to lead the Middle East tax practice at a time when tax regulations are becoming increasingly complex and new legislations are being issued, both globally and in the region. With Sameep also joining to lead our efforts in tax matters relating to M&A and restructuring, we are pleased to be part of a team that is growing in stature and to help add a service line to a segment that already has significant presence in the Middle East. We look forward helping clients navigate the complexities of the tax landscape in the region.”