Keith is a key figure in tax advisory, having been in significant roles within the profession for over 20 years. He was appointed by the Federal Government to the Board of Taxation in March 2004 and was appointed Deputy Chair in May 2011. He has been listed in The Best Lawyers in Australia in Tax Law since 2014 and is a recommended tax lawyer in the 2015 Doyle's Guide to the Australian Legal Profession.
Keith’s involvement with the tax profession has extended to Chairman of the Public Accountants Committee, Victorian President, National Councillor and Chairman of the Taxation Centre of Excellence and the National Tax Advisory Committee for CPA Australia.
Keith was the accounting profession representative on the Commissioner of Taxation’s Advisory Panel, his National Liaison Committee and the Advisory Committee on the Taxpayers Charter. He was joint Chairman of the working party on the National Review of Standards of the Tax Profession, and a member of the steering committee of the Pappas Carter Report that reviewed the Australian Taxation Office’s large case audit program. Keith was also a member of the Victorian Auditor General’s Audit Committee for many years.
Keith has extensive legal and tax experience. His clients are substantive corporate groups in property and construction, energy and resources, investment and funds management, and tourism. Keith also advises high-net-worth families and receives referrals from many accountants and lawyers.
Experience
- Reviewing and advising on the income tax issues associated with the financing strategies of a large multinational retailer and its associates.
- Advising on the buyout of a major shareholder of a large private investment group, which included preservation of the group’s tax losses.
- Advising a large multinational fund manager on the income tax implications for the fund manager and investors of investing in capital protected products.
- Structuring the sale of numerous businesses to permit the vendors’ access to available CGT concessions while giving the purchaser a new, clean acquisition vehicle.
- Advising on the use of selective share buy-backs, as an alternative to a share sale, when retiring shareholders from corporate groups.
- Advising on the roll-up of numerous financial planning businesses to a large ‘consolidator’ of such businesses.
Awards and Recognition
Best Lawyers in Australia 2014-2025
Tax Law
Doyle's Guide to the Australian Legal Profession 2022
Tax Law (Victoria)