EX-8.1 7 d124024dex81.htm EX-8.1 EX-8.1

Exhibit 8.1

 

LOGO       One Bunhill Row
      London EC1Y 8YY
      T +44 (0)20 7600 1200
      F +44 (0)20 7090 5000

 

      11 March 2021
      Your reference
The Directors      
Royal Dutch Shell plc       Our reference

Shell Centre

London

SE1 7NA

     

WNCW/AMAL

 

Direct line

020 7090 5052

Dear Sirs,

Registration Statement on Form F-3 of Royal Dutch Shell plc dated 11 March 2021 (the “Registration Statement”): U.K. Tax Section

We have acted as legal advisers to Royal Dutch Shell plc (“RDS”) as to certain matters of U.K. tax law relevant to the preparation of the section of the Registration Statement entitled “Taxation - U.K. Taxation” (the “U.K. Tax Section”).

In that connection, we have examined the Registration Statement and such other documents as we believe to be necessary or appropriate for the purposes of this opinion.

Based upon the Registration Statement and those other documents and subject to the qualifications set out below and in the Registration Statement, we are of the opinion that the statements contained in the U.K. Tax Section, summarising the material U.K. tax consequences for a U.S. holder of the ownership and disposal of securities that may be offered by RDS or Shell International Finance B.V. (“Shell Finance”) pursuant to the Registration Statement, fairly summarise the matters therein described.

Our opinion is based upon existing statutory, regulatory and judicial authority, all of which may be changed at any time with retroactive effect. Any change in applicable laws or the current practice of HM Revenue and Customs, or any inaccuracy in the documents upon which we have relied, may affect the continuing validity of our opinion. We assume no responsibility to inform you of any such change or inaccuracy that may occur or come to our attention. Finally, our opinion is limited to the tax matters specifically covered in the U.K. Tax Section. We have not been asked to address, nor have we addressed, any other tax consequences for U.S. holders (or, generally, tax consequences for RDS or Shell Finance).

 

SJ Cooke

SM Edge

PP Chappatte

 

JC Twentyman

DJO Schaffer

AC Cleaver

 

RA Sumroy

JC Cotton

RJ Turnill

 

JS Nevin

JA Papanichola

RA Byk

 

PIR Dickson

IS Johnson

RM Jones

 

CL Phillips

SVK Wokes

NSA Bonsall

 

SNL Hughes

PR Linnard

KA O’Connell

 

OR Moir

S Shah

 

Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors

Regulation Authority

PH Stacey   DR Johnson   WNC Watson   GA Miles   EJ Fife   MJM Cox   N Yeung     Firm SRA number 55388
DL Finkler   RA Swallow   CNR Jeffs   GE O’Keefe   JP Stacey   RCT Jeens   CJCN Choi    
SP Hall   CS Cameron   SR Nicholls   MD Zerdin   LJ Wright   V MacDuff   NM Pacheco    
JD Boyce   CA Connolly   MJ Tobin   RL Cousin   JP Clark   PL Mudie   CL Sanger    
N von Bismarck   PJ Cronin   DG Watkins   BJ Kingsley   WHJ Ellison   DM Taylor   HE Ware    
PWH Brien   BJ-PF Louveaux   BKP Yu   IAM Taylor   AM Lyle-Smythe   RJ Todd   HJ Bacon    
SR Galbraith   E Michael   EC Brown   DA Ives   A Nassiri   WJ Turtle   TR Blanchard    
AG Ryde   RR Ogle   RA Chaplin   MC Lane   DE Robertson   OJ Wicker   NL Cook    
JAD Marks   PC Snell   J Edwarde   LMC Chung   TA Vickers   DJO Blaikie   AJ Dustan    
DA Wittmann   HL Davies   AD Jolly   RJ Smith   RA Innes   CVK Boney   HEB Hecht    
TS Boxell   JC Putnis   S Maudgil   MD’AS Corbett   CP McGaffin   F de Falco   CL Jackson    


LOGO

We consent to the filing of this opinion with the Securities and Exchange Commission as Exhibit 8.1 to the Form F-3 Registration Statement and to the references to this opinion in the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are experts under the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission issued thereunder with respect to any part of the Registration Statement, including this opinion.

This opinion is delivered to you in connection with the Registration Statement to be filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on 11 March 2021. Other than in connection with the Registration Statement and the issuance of any securities registered thereby, this opinion is not to be transmitted to anyone else nor is it to be reproduced, quoted, summarised or relied upon by anyone else or for any other purpose or quoted or referred to in any public document or filed with anyone without our express written consent.

To the extent permitted by applicable law and regulation, you may rely on this letter only on condition that your recourse to us in respect of the matters addressed in this letter is against the firm’s assets only and not against the personal assets of any individual partner. The firm’s assets for this purpose consists of all assets of the firm’s business, including any right of indemnity of the firm or its partners under the firm’s professional indemnity insurance policies, but excluding any right to seek contribution or indemnity from or against any partner of the firm or person working for the firm or similar right.

 

Yours faithfully,
LOGO
Slaughter and May

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