DLA Piper is lauded by its clients for its ‘fluency, not only in the intricacies of UK and EU VAT rules, but also in the broader commercial context’. The group flexes strengths in a variety of sectors, including digital services, supply chain planning for VAT and customs, financial services, gambling, real estate and cross-border goods and services. At the head of the practice is Richard Woolich, whose VAT and indirect tax expertise sees him regularly instructed on real estate transactions. Stuart Walsh is the name for all things tax controversy. Clara Boyd also brings contentious expertise to the team and is most frequently seen acting for large corporates on VAT and indirect tax disputes with HMRC.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'The DLA team is relatively small but mighty. They run a very tight ship, with each member of the team knowing what others are working on. Richard Woolich is truly outstanding. He is one of the brightest practitioners I know and totally committed to understanding the more subtle aspects of any client issues.'
- 'Clara Boyd has great clarity of thought and is very pragmatic and realistic about client prospects and how much resource to throw at a given case. She expresses her opinions confidently but understands when to value the input of others. She is utterly professional in her approach and a pleasure to work with.’
‘DLA Piper’s VAT and indirect tax practice stands out for its rare combination of deep technical excellence, commercial acumen, and responsiveness to the unique needs of cross-border e-commerce and digitally enabled business models. What distinguishes the team is their fluency not only in the intricacies of UK and EU VAT rules, but also in the broader commercial context in which these rules apply.'
‘Richard Woolich brings a rare blend of technical depth and strategic clarity to indirect tax matters. He has a commanding grasp of VAT principles and case law but excels at applying them to modern commercial contexts—particularly in industries where business models are evolving faster than the tax legislation.'
‘Very strong all-round team. Technical expertise and transactional experience.’
‘Richard Woolich - hugely experienced, brilliant and held in the highest regard by the market. Always a joy to deal with.’
‘The team understands our business intimately and applies technical know-how to practical tailored solutions. The team genuinely cares about our business and the outcome, and we always feel in very safe hands.’
Key clients
- VAT IT Global
- Mid-Ulster District Council
- CCLA Investment Management Limited
- NatWest Markets plc
Work highlights
Advised VAT IT Group on numerous VAT issues, both contentious and non-contentious, in multiple jurisdictions.
Supporting Mid Ulster DC with obtaining significant VAT refunds on sports and leisure services throughout Northern Ireland and exploring other related VAT reclaims.
Supporting CCLA Investment Management Limited in successfully persuading the VAT tribunal that fund management services to charities, the church and local authority funds were exempt from VAT.
Lawyers
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Next Generation Partners
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Practice head
Richard Woolich
Other key lawyers
Jason Collins; Lauren Redhead; Katie Raine; Clara Boyd; Stuart Walsh