David Pett is a tax barrister at Temple Tax Chambers in London. Originally qualifying as a solicitor in 1980, David trained as a specialist tax lawyer at Clifford-Turner (as it then was) before moving to Birmingham and joining Pinsents (now Pinsent Masons) where he was appointed to be a full equity partner in 1985. After 26 years at that firm, including six years as Head of Tax and Pensions, David and his team left to establish the eponymous law firm in Birmingham. In 2017, and wanting a fresh challenge, David transferred to the Bar and has since enjoyed a busy general direct tax advisory practice, based in London, focusing on, but not limited to, employment-related taxes, employee trusts, employee-owned companies and related company law, trust law and tax disputes. David has successfully appeared before tax tribunals and accepts instructions as expert witness. He was a member of the government-appointed working group which put together the now long-standing legislation on EMI share options and Share Incentive Plans. His broader experience as a senior law firm partner and in the wider commercial world (David was for nine years a public member of NetworkRail) allows him to secure more favourable resolutions of commercial and tax disputes.

David is author of “Employee Share Schemes” (a 2-volume looseleaf published by Thomson Reuters) and a number of earlier works on employees’ share schemes and employee trusts as well as many articles in periodicals on taxation.

He is a trustee of charities supporting the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and is himself an orchestral timpanist who has performed in many prestigious concert halls around the UK and in Europe.

David may be contacted by email at david.pett@templetax.com or by telephone on 0207 353 7884 (chambers) or 07836 657658 (mobile).