IRS trial attorney describes large-scale litigation work, collegial culture and training programs

David Flassing, a special trial attorney in the Chicago office of the Internal Revenue Service’s Office of Chief Counsel, introduced himself and described more than 20 years with Chief Counsel.

Flassing said his work is “litigation” and that it is “largely large scale litigation, Fortune 500 companies or, or large, private companies,” noting the matters are often complex and involve significant sums. “The work that I do is litigation,” he said. “There are often a lot of dollars at issue.”

Flassing emphasized the office’s internal culture and collaboration. “The culture here at Office of Chief Counsel is that it's very, very collegial,” he said, adding that he has “wonderful relationships” with coworkers and his manager and that collaboration extends between the Chicago office and technical branches in the Washington, D.C., office.

He also described his involvement in professional education within Chief Counsel, highlighting continuing legal education programs offered throughout the year. “I very much enjoy instructing in these schools, seeing young attorneys, meeting young attorneys, helping them develop as litigators,” Flassing said, and noted the programs help meet continuing legal obligations while supporting attorney development.

The remarks in the transcript are a personal account of Flassing’s role and experience; no formal actions, votes or policy decisions are recorded in the provided transcript.