Louisa Wu
Clayton Utz
Special Counsel
Sydney
Louisa Wu provide[s] attention to detail and willingness to go above and beyond.
– Legal 500 Asia Pacific
Overview
An Australian and international tax law specialist with over 20 years' experience, Louisa specialises in corporate and banking and finance transactions. She provides clear and practical advice on complex tax principles to a diverse clientele spanning financial services, extractive, and manufacturing sectors. In addition, she has technical expertise in securitisation transactions and actively contributes to the Australian Securitisation Forum. Louisa assists clients with private rulings, tax audits, and dispute resolution, ensuring successful outcomes through effective communication with the Australian Taxation Office.
Notable Work
- Australia Pacific LNG (APLNG): advising on the tax aspects of an $8.5 billion project finance facility for the APLNG coal seam gas project, including a $1.4 billion note issuance.
- Barrick Gold Corporation: assisted on various transactions, including the $1.1 billion sale of joint venture interest in the Kalgoorlie superpit.
- Employee share schemes: providing tax advice on the income tax implications of various employee share and option schemes for both employers and employees.
- High net worth individuals and family groups: advising on their tax affairs, including small business capital gains tax concessions.
- Not for profit sector: advising numerous charities, including obtaining test case funding for The Hunger Project Australia and acting in a precedential case.
- Western Sydney University: advising on campus redevelopment initiatives.
- Reinsurance (various clients): advising on the income tax implications of various reinsurance arrangements.
- Gerbr Knauf KG: advising Gerbr Knauf KG on a series of divestments.
- Macquarie Bank: advising on the income tax implications of Macquarie's acquisition of the Esanda dealer finance portfolio for $8.23 billion.
- Australian Government subsidiary: advising on the income tax treatment of nearly $1 billion of government grants in a dispute with the ATO, successfully resolved in mediation.
Insights
Morrison Government's middle of the road 2022 election year Budget offers some (but not much) relief for Australian businesses
30 Mar 2022 | Article
Read Insights
Syndicated Facility Agreements and the section 128F public offer test exemption: The cornerstone investor
3 Mar 2022 | Article
Read Insights
Media Release: Clayton Utz congratulates SG Fleet Group on its "transformational" acquisition of Leaseplan winning FinanceAsia's Best Debt Finance Deal award
6 Dec 2021 | Media Release
Read Insights
Australia's Federal Budget 2020: solid and unsurprising stimulus measures, and some opportunities for business
7 Oct 2020 | Article
Read Insights
Find other people to support you
Find People