Ajra Kovač

Took a planned sabbatical to focus on academic advancement by pursuing an LLM in International and European Tax Law at Maastricht University, further developing expertise in tax law and international regulations.

As a junior tax consultant in the International Tax & Transaction Service line, my role consisted of the following:

• Structuring acquisition and disposal for private equity houses and real estate funds through Luxembourg-based structures:
• Advising on group reorganization, including cross-border investment, merger, liquidation, assets, and share deals. repatriation scheme and share buy-backs for Private Equity houses and Real Estate funds:
• Structuring of intermediate holding arrangements between European, UK, US and/or Asian based Private Equity Funds, Management, Co-Investors and mainly continental European, Asian and South American targets.
• Reconciled bank statements and financial documents to ensure accurate tax reporting.
• Performing tax due-diligence services (both from buyer and seller's perspective):
• Maintained up-to-date knowledge of all current developments in taxation law, regulation, policy or practice.
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I concluded an internship at Dentons Luxembourg in the Tax department, Based in their Luxembourg office I was part od the Tax practice working on different Tax related matters. Due to the polycentric character of the firm, I got the opportunity to work closely with colleagues from other offices, and with clients located around the world.

During my internship, as a member of the Tax practice:

• Providing tax advice to a large portfolio of international and local clients:
• Collaborating with the team in the implementation of tax-efficient structurures:
• Contributing actively to drafting, reviewing and negotiating documentation:
• Liaising with their foreign offices, tax authorities and clients:
• Developing Denton's tax practice and being involved in knowledge sharing.
• Led research efforts into emerging tax topics at international, European, and local levels (i.e., the development of the Pillar 2OECD/G20 Base Erosion and Profit Shifting Project) ensuring the practice remains at the forefront of industry trends.
• Supported various projects by synthesizing feedback from clients and advising on tax implications related to insurance, pension markets, and cross-border transactions, particularly in light of EU regulatory frameworks like Solvency II and IORP

Moreover, I additionally had the opportunity to assist in their Investment Funds practice which included:

• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to implement tax-efficient fund structures and strategies, enhancing the overall value proposition for clients.
• Actively contributed to the drafting, review, and negotiation of fund documentation (i.e., Private Placement Memorandums, Articles of Association), ensuring alignment with client objectives and regulatory requirements.

• Company Overview: A registered non-profit organisation that provides a platform for internationally oriented students to exchange on international politics and engage in a variety of voluntary programmes
• The Permanent Delegation (PD) is part of the Delegations Committee of UNSA
• The Delegations Committees main focus is preparing delegations for Model United Nations Conferences in Europe and beyond
• The Permanent Delegation is a select group of students and the core body of this committee
• Representing UNSA at these conferences, they are trained weekly with simulations and specialized workshops on public speaking and diplomacy
• I have been an active member of the Permanent Delegation and have successfully participated in 3 Model UN conferences: TLVMUN (representing Norway in the UN Women) in 2019, PragueMUN (representing Poland in the Security Council) in 2019 and IsarMUN (representing Saudi Arabia in the Human Rights Council) in 2020, where I was awarded with the Honorable Delegate award
• A registered non-profit organisation that provides a platform for internationally oriented students to exchange on international politics and engage in a variety of voluntary programmes

• Company Overview: A firm that provides management and advisory services for international cooperation projects, policy development, and technical assistance for sustainable rural, social, and economic development
• I was given the opportunity to work at a firm that provides management and advisory services for international cooperation projects, policy development and technical assistance for sustainable rural, social and economic development
• I also became familiarised with the Procurement and Grant Regulation [ PRAG 2018] where I organised a workshop for the employees to explain the method of the procurement procedure and the application of the legal formalities and standards
• I created a powerpoint presentation and a written tutorial explaining complicated legal texts in a plain language which was then disseminated to all of the employees to help them with ongoing tenders
• A firm that provides management and advisory services for international cooperation projects, policy development, and technical assistance for sustainable rural, social, and economic development

• My work experience was two-fold
• On one hand, I worked as a fundraiser to raise over 10,000 euros with 15 other teammates in order to build a hospital in Zambia
• On the other hand, I also worked as an English teacher and taught 5 different groups of children aged from 4 to 18 for 8 hours a day in 2 weeks
• Overall an eye-opening experience whereby I was confronted with an unfamiliar society and environment where teamwork and communication skills were crucial to safely and successfully carry out the work

• Company Overview: An international development consulting firm that provides management and advisory services for international cooperation projects, policy development, and technical assistance for sustainable rural, social, and economic development
• As a high-school student, I got the opportunity to work in the company's human resources (HR) department under the direct supervision of a manager which consisted of reviewing material for building the expert teams for international bids to the tenders of the Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development [ DG DEVCO]
• I learnt a great deal on how an international development consulting firm functions and was able to work in English, French and Spanish
• An international development consulting firm that provides management and advisory services for international cooperation projects, policy development, and technical assistance for sustainable rural, social, and economic development