Gallagher has appointed Sarah Dezes (pictured) as head of tax Insurance, France, within its private equity and M&A practice. The hire extends a sustained PEMA build-out across Europe, with appointments now spanning France, the UK, Iberia, Benelux, and Germany over the past 12 months.
Dezes joins on August 17 and will be based in Paris. She will lead Gallagher's tax insurance offering in France across transactional and non-transactional contexts. She brings more than 15 years of experience advising on tax risk in M&A transactions.
Dezes joins from PwC Société d'Avocats, where she was senior director in the M&A tax team. She holds qualifications in both law and finance and is fluent in French, Spanish, and English.
The appointment arrives as demand for tax insurance products strengthens across the region. Europe's tax insurance policy count grew over 50% in 2025. Insured limits more than doubled year-on-year, according to Marsh's Global Transactional Risk Insurance report published in March.
Proskauer's April 2026 global M&A insurance report, meanwhile, described tax insurance as "one of the strongest growth stories across all regions," noting it now extends beyond transaction-linked risks to include restructurings, fund wind-ups, and cross-border exposures.
Dezes' appointment follows that of Charles Amblard, who joined Gallagher France as senior adviser. Amblard holds a pan-European remit covering client relationship development across the private equity and M&A communities.
Gallagher's PEMA tax insurance team has been expanding across several European markets. In the UK, Adriana Carvalho Assuncao joined as Director from KPMG in February and Tom Hughes joined from Deloitte in January. Both work alongside Giles Hambly, who leads the UK Tax Practice, and Abi Hams, who joined from Deloitte in 2025.
In Iberia, Cristina Montserrat Chaparro Vaquero and Pau Lopez Fornons were appointed in September 2025, both previously with PwC. Joyce Koch and Vera Dembski, both formerly with Deloitte, cover clients across Benelux and Germany.
Alistair Lester, Gallagher's CEO for private equity and M&A, UK & EMEA, said Dezes' background in tax solutions and strategic counsel makes her well suited to support clients in France.
Alex Nagler, CEO of Gallagher in Europe, said the hire aligns with the firm's strategy of expanding across Europe's core markets. He added the firm is also broadening its in-country advisory capabilities.
Gallagher's PEMA practice covers warranty and indemnity, structured credit, tax liability, and contingent liability solutions. It also includes risk and insurance due diligence and pension and benefit due diligence for corporate and private capital transactions.
