It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Maryanna Sharrock.
For those who knew Maryanna, it's impossible to remember her without a smile. She was formidably clever and a hugely knowledgeable lawyer, renowned for tackling the knottiest of tax problems with unfailing enthusiasm. She was energetic and always cheerful, with an infectious generosity of spirit.
Maryanna studied law at Oxford University and entered private practice after training as a barrister. She spent time at Slaughter and May and Deloitte before joining Stephenson Harwood as a partner in the firm's tax practice, in London, in 2005.
She loved helping people to solve problems. She dispensed the extremely commercial and concise advice that clients crave and, when necessary, would often encourage peers – gently – to think about a problem from a different angle, so as to find a mutually beneficial resolution for clients. Her way of thinking was truly inspirational.
As well as being a technically brilliant lawyer, able to deal with individual, corporate and trust tax issues almost interchangeably, she was a friend to so many colleagues, always willing to provide support and generous with her time.
Maryanna also had an eccentric side which could be difficult to resist. This would exhibit itself in unusual marketing ideas, or internal training on esoteric subjects beyond anyone's understanding except her own. But she had a particular knack for explaining complex tax concepts in an accessible way, that left the recipient feeling as if she were telling them something they already knew. She had limitless patience and calmness.
She had a deep interest in music and was a core member of the firm's choir. Her unstinting support extended to include her children, who were enlisted on more than one occasion to help fill the gaps when numbers were short.
Maryanna died on 4 February 2022 from cancer. The thoughts and best wishes of everyone at Stephenson Harwood are with Maryanna's family: her husband Paul and children Eleanor, Anne, Katie and Edward.