Cayman Islands based offshore firm, Walkers, has had an office in Dublin since 2010. The firm’s international network includes 10 offices across Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East.
Focusses / specialisms
In the decade since the firm launched in Ireland it has diversified its domestic practice and now has individuals specialising in the range of work covered by Ireland’s ranking tables, however fund formation and finance work remain its core strengths.
In the banking and finance area the firm is most notable for its asset finance experience in the aviation section.
In the area of capital markets, the firm has one of the strongest practices in Ireland for securitisation transactions, especially CLOs, and is active on the debt side of the markets.
The firm has an active funds practice experienced in the range of structures commonly used in Ireland.
Key clients
Among its clients are MUFG Bank, Nord LB, Esken, Hertz Global Holdings, Nord Gold, Capital, Prytania Investment Advisors, Bank of America Europe, Wilmington Trust, Edmond de Rothschild, Skyline Umbrella Fund ICAV, Albemarle Asset Management, Optima Asset Management and The Boeing Company.
Research period review: 33rd edition (2023/2024)
During the research period the firm was active in all areas of corporate law.
In asset finance it advised all sides of the table on banking and capital markets transactions in the aviation finance field.
In banking and finance the firm advised mostly lenders on direct financing and refinancing.
In capital markets it advised mostly issues on debt transactions such as notes issues as well as on structured finance transactions such as CLO-notes, securities issue and SME-loans securitisation, and an originator on swap documents.
In corporate and M&A the firm advised target companies and investors on acquisitions in companies from various sectors, including technology, construction, banking and aviation.
In financial services regulatory it advised clients from financial services sectors including CLO and securitization, fin-techs, banks and e-payment services on e-money institutions authorizations, AML-compliance and other funds, banking and payment services regulatory matters.
In investment funds the firm advised fund managers on formation of funds and sub-funds, including ICAVs and UCITS platforms, and on various matters related to them.
In restructuring and insolvency, the firm advised the full range of roles in restructuring and insolvency transactions such as securities restructurings, liquidations, examinerships, Chapter 11 restructuring and financial restructurings.
Recent staffing changes include the recruitment of associates Natalia Kravtsova, Roisin O'Connor, Diana Pacheco, and paralegal Sherry Yu, legal professionals in asset finance, recruited from, respectively, GTLK Europe, McCann FitzGerald, A&L Goodbody and Jia Yuan Law Offices.
Deal highlights: 33rd edition (2022/2023)
Hertz Global Holdings $19 billion debt restructuring
Nord Gold $100 million ESG-linked revolving credit facility
PIMCO/Aercap $450 million leasing programme
Client feedback: 33rd edition (2023/2024)
Asset finance
"Walkers are highly responsive and provide a very professional service."
"Walkers has an attractive network of onshore and offshore offices."
"They are accurate, fast, reliable and always available."
"Walkers have advised on a wide variety of Irish legal, tax and regulatory matters that arose across various transactions and prepared transaction security documents, corporate approvals and legal opinions when required. They provide excellent client service. The team is collaborative and very responsive with clear communication making them great to work with. In particular, I have worked closely with Killian McSharry, who is a very helpful and responsive industry expert."
"Walkers' asset finance team are in my view a top-tier asset finance team in Ireland. They are always responsive, commercial and technically very strong and are one of the largest dedicated asset finance teams in the Irish market advising on all aspects of aviation finance and leasing. They use an innovative approach to deals advising on all structure types, complex cross-border mandates and high-value award-winning deals. The team are highly skilled, coming from other leading Irish law firms as well as in-house, and they are very practical and commercial with excellent awareness of industry trends."
"Matt Hedigan, Killian McSharry and Padhraic Mulpeter (tax partner) came to our office this year along with their colleague Sarah Humpleby from their Cayman office to give our team a presentation on Irish and Cayman law legal, regulatory and tax matters relevant to aviation transactions. This was a very informative presentation and we really appreciated the effort made by the Walkers team to present on these matters. Walkers have advised on a wide variety of Irish legal, tax and regulatory matters that arose across various transactions and prepared transaction security documents, corporate approvals and legal opinions when required. Excellent client service – the team is collaborative and very responsive with clear communication making them great to work with. Walkers' asset finance team are in my view a top-tier asset finance team in Ireland. They are always responsive, commercial and technically very strong. One of the largest dedicated asset finance teams in the Irish market advising on all aspects of aviation finance and leasing. Very practical and commercial with excellent awareness of industry trends. Innovative approach to deals advising on all structure types, complex cross-border mandates and high-value award-winning deals. Team is highly skilled, coming from other leading Irish law firms as well as in-house."
"Excellent client service. The team is collaborative and very responsive with clear communication making them great to work with. Very practical and commercial with excellent awareness of industry trends. Walkers' asset finance team are in my view a top-tier asset finance team in Ireland. They are always responsive, commercial and technically very strong. One of the largest dedicated asset finance teams in the Irish market advising on all aspects of aviation finance and leasing. Innovative approach to deals advising on all structure types, complex cross-border mandates and high-value award-winning deals. Team highly skilled coming from other leading Irish law firms as well as in-house."
"Excellent client service. Walkers are very commercial and client-focused. They provide accurate, clear and timely advice making them a preferred firm of ours. Walkers have excellent commercial awareness and are on top of prevailing industry trends as they have a wide array of clients in the space."
"Responsive, commercial, attention to detail."
"Very responsive, practical and good value."
"The Walkers team are extremely user-friendly from a client perspective and, as a team, we have found them to be responsive, personable and very client-focused. Their advice is always precise and to the point and, more generally, their service is delivered efficiently and with a high degree of commerciality."
"Very practical and commercial with excellent awareness of industry trends. Walkers' asset finance team are in my view a top-tier asset finance team in Ireland. They are responsive, commercial and technically very strong. The team is highly skilled, coming from other leading Irish law firms as well as in-house."
"Walkers provide excellent client service. The team is collaborative and very responsive with clear communication making them great to work with. Walkers' asset finance team are in my view a top-tier asset finance team in Ireland. They are always responsive, commercial and technically very strong."
"Very easy to deal with, responsive and commercial."
"They are a top-tier asset finance team. Extremely experienced, diligent and great to deal with."
Banking and finance
"User-friendly, responsive, reliable, leaders in the CLO space in Ireland."
"They are extremely responsive and have a good understanding of the client's needs."
Capital markets
"They have been generally incredibly responsive, patient and helpful in communicating complex issues to our commercial stakeholders. In particular, I've been impressed with their ability to consider cross-border issues."
"The partner concerned has been responsive, helpful in explaining the nuances of the structure and the parties and generally easy to deal with."
"Proactive, knowledgeable, run a transaction well, helpful."
"Comprehensive, risk-weighted and commercial advice on the structured finance transactions."
"Experts in their field. Advice delivered on time and clearly."
"Very prompt, professional and commercial approach to business."
Financial services regulatory
“Financial services in CLO activity work is a real strength for this firm. Their diversity approach and overall individuals’ specialist knowledge is an attribute for Walkers.”
“Walkers were fully engaged throughout the issue and provided sound guidance at various stages of the matter to move the process forward to a conclusion.”
“Helpful, efficient and really mindful and supportive of the client’s needs, with a view to ensuring those needs are met in the best way for the client. They go above and beyond to ensure their clients are looked after.”
“Super-competitive, diverse talent, innovative and friendly experts in their field who deliver quality legal work without fuss.”
“Walkers are highly professional and provide very competent legal services in both a friendly and accessible manner. The Walkers team of Niall Esler, Shane Martin and Coleen Wegmann have been excellent to collaborate with. They are highly knowledgeable, professional, and very client service-focused. They delivered excellent advice, clarity and opinion for, at times, very difficult and complex issues. As soon as we had a question, query or request for support, they got back to us quickly and made it a seamless operation, especially as we were facing time constraints.”
“They understand the business very well and manage the various stakeholders well.”
“Timely and cost-effective.”
“They are very knowledgeable on the legislation and governing laws. Excellent with feedback on policy and procedure presentation.”
“Responsive, informative, and keeps us up to date on the evolving regulatory environment so that we may remain in compliance and ahead of any developments.”
Investment funds
"Walkers served as primary adviser and project manager for the effort. They were exceptionally efficient from both a time and cost perspective."
"Timely, accurate and effective."
"Responsive and commercial approach. Willing to move quickly and meet client demands."
"There were a lot of moving parts and Tim was so knowledgeable, efficient, very commercial and fantastic in bringing it all together to progress and finalise the documents. He has a lovely manner and was a pleasure to work with. Aongus [McCarthy] was fantastic in advising on all matters pertaining to us as an EU-domiciled manager being appointed to act in respect of a Cayman vehicle and expertly advised on Irish and EU laws and the extent to which they applied in respect of respect of the structure."
"Always very helpful."
"Very responsive, collaborative and commercially competitive."
"Super well researched and knowledgeable on the subject area. Offered perspectives and context in addition to just answering the question asked. Well connected to both the evolving nature of the regulation, the sense of industry direction and what we needed as a firm."
"Meticulous, well-organised and proactive in providing legal and regulatory guidance and support."
"I find the team at Walkers to be proactive, highly responsive and extremely personable. They work to understand the client's requirements and do their homework to thoroughly understand the issue to enable them to provide insightful responses."
"The team at Walkers are very knowledgeable and informed and very proactive in their engagement. The members of the team have been quite consistent and the same partner has continued to support us since the beginning."
"All available, quick to respond, you're dealing with a team who are all aligned."
"Walkers have displayed competence and expertise in advising on the oversight and risk management responsibilities of the organisation in respect of alternative fund structures. The team work closely and effectively with EU and international counsel in support of new product establishment."
"Large team; knowledgeable; engaged; positive attitude and quick turnaround."
"They are very responsive and helpful and instead of just providing the law, they help apply and explain the law in a manner that is helpful for clients."
"Managed the project from start to finish in an efficient manner communicating at all times where we were regarding our project timeline, and we achieved the specified target date of amalgamation."
"The partner on the account, Eimear Keane, is very accessible. She has in-depth knowledge of regulations coupled with strong business acumen."
"The Walkers team are always thorough and conscientious in their approach ensuring timely and efficient advice."
"They are responsive, knowledgeable and give us good insight."
"Understanding the brief. Comprehensive analysis of issue."
"Overall Walkers did a great job in guiding us through the process. Key positive attributes include: timely communication and very good at flagging regulatory developments; thorough understanding of the subject matter; able to provide guidance on best approach given regulatory requirements while also incorporating understanding of ARGA's approach and how requirements may translate to our investment process; and provide a summary of regulatory requirements making it much easier to digest regulator documentation."
"Walkers, Ireland has a deep understanding and expertise in private funds, which is reflected in their high-quality work. They are knowledgeable about the latest developments in the field and are able to provide relevant and practical advice to their clients."
M&A
"Clear, concise, commercially-focused advice."
"Walkers are responsive, commercially minded and accessible in the provision of their advice."
"Excellent communication, flexible, expert advice and commercial awareness."
"High level of knowledge, very responsive and very pleasant to work with."
Private equity
"Responsive, practical, on point in terms of advice, very interactive and supportive for the funds and clients."
Damien Barnaville
"Very approachable and provides availability unlike some legal professionals. Excellent problem-solver and delivers on a timely basis. Has broad knowledge. Provides outstanding coverage at board meetings."
Nicholas Blake-Knox
"Very knowledgeable and well informed on Industry trends and focus areas. Is a member of the council for the industry body."
"Responsive and knowledgeable."
"Nick is an expert in Irish regulatory but also in all fund-related matters, with deep knowledge and experience in the area of cross-border fund structures involving Luxembourg. Nick provides high-quality advice and guidance to our common clients. Nick and his team are able to deliver work within the agreed-upon timeframe. They understand the importance of meeting deadlines and work efficiently to ensure that clients' needs are met."
Michael Dyulgerov
"Very responsive, diligent, professional, knowledgeable, helpful."
Niall Esler
"He's flexible in adjusting to clients working in a fast-paced environment and selfless in the service of his client's needs – he works to anticipate what a client will need and ensure they will be able to get that and when they need it by."
"Attentive, measured, considers all aspects of an issue, personable, hard-working, team builder."
"Niall is a great communicator. Niall has project managed the relationship and lead interactions and collaborations to great success. Niall is extremely professional and personable in his approach and shared goals in a project."
Matt Hedigan
"Very friendly, knowledgeable and approachable."
Eimear Keane
"Eimear is approachable and looks to provide pragmatic solutions."
"As Walkers at large - responsive, informative and proactive."
"Ability to explain complex topics in an easy to understand manner. Subject-matter expertise and knowledge is high."
"Knowledgeable, responsive and collaborative."
"Well researched and good at understanding our needs and not just narrating off a rote response."
"Eimear is technically very strong. She gives thoughtful consideration to problems and challenges and provides well-thought-out solutions to the path forward. She is very accessible and highly responsive. Eimear combines technical strength with commercial acumen."
"Very proactive and helpful, and attentive to discerning what a client's underlying objectives are and how the law can be applied in a problem-solving manner."
"Eimear's depth of knowledge and attention to detail is second to none."
"1. Expert knowledge. 2. Commercial acumen. 3. Accessibility."
"Conscientious and client-focused."
"I found Eimear great to work with and would point to several positive attributes: very knowledgeable on the subject matter of SFDR and EU Taxonomy, which was the primary topic of our interactions; was able to clearly articulate implications on ARGA funds and requirements in terms of documentation and reporting; and timely in responses, proactive in raising upcoming issues and timely in follow-ups."
"Very approachable, very reliable, excellent in terms of delivery and advice given. Highly recommend."
"Super-knowledgeable; positive; engaged; brings her team with her to enhance their knowledge/legal expertise; solutions-orientated and quick to respond."
Dilmun Leach
"Very responsive and accessible. Provides practical solutions."
Killian McSharry
"Killian McSharry has worked on many ground-breaking and innovative deals and was recently named in Airline Economics' 40 under 40; he should be considered as highly regarded."
"Killian is an incredibly responsive and reliable lawyer. I would happily recommend his services to counterparties."
"Killian is accessible and very cooperative."
"He is a leading industry experts with excellent technical ability and easy to work with."
"I have worked closely with Killian McSharry. Killian is a leading industry expert with excellent technical ability and easy to work with. Killian McSharry has worked on many ground-breaking and innovative deals and was recently named in 'Airline Economics' 40 under 40'; he should be considered as highly regarded."
"Killian is commercial, very responsive and provides an excellent client-focused service."
"Excellent communicator. Knowledgeable, commercial, good problem-solver."
"Responsive and gets the job done. Good value and understands what is needed from our Irish counsel."
"Killian is an excellent lawyer. He provides clear and cogent advice, is extremely responsive and is very commercial in outlook."
"I have worked closely with Killian McSharry. Killian is a leading industry expert with excellent technical ability and easy to work with. Killian McSharry has worked on many ground-breaking and innovative deals and was recently named in 'Airline Economics' 40 under 40'; he should be considered as highly regarded."
"I have worked closely with Killian McSharry. He is a leading industry expert with excellent technical ability and easy to work with attitude."
"I have worked closely with Matt Hedigan and Killian McSharry on a number of transactions. Both have excellent technical ability and are great to work with."
"Responsive, high skilled, strong technical knowledge, very accessible."
Aongus McCarthy
"Aongus was fantastic in advising on all matters pertaining to us as an EU-domiciled manager being appointed to act in respect of a Cayman vehicle and expertly advised on Irish and EU laws and the extent to which they applied in respect of respect of the structure."
"Solutions-focused, approachable, with meticulous attention to detail and sectoral knowledge."
"Aongus has strong technical ability and an impressive attention to detail. He communicates effectively and clearly and has established a strong rapport with the legal and product teams."
"Responsive and understands the brief."
Ian McNamee
"Ian has been responsive, helpful in explaining the nuances of the structure and the parties and generally easy to deal with."
"Knowledge, communication, responsiveness, proactive."
"Knowledgeable, positive approach, always available, responsive, commercial and very client-focused."
"Approachable, commercial and solution driven."
"Super-competitive, innovative and friendly expert in his field who delivers quality legal work without fuss. His willingness to adapt to market needs and flexibility on fees make him and his firm super client-friendly."
Brendan O'Brien
"First-class communicator."
"Very responsive, good listener, good legal knowledge, very helpful."
Paddy Rath
"Paddy provides commercial and risk-weighted legal advice. He is responsive to clients' needs and has a good understanding of the Irish and European regulatory issues."
"Very personable and organised."
Noeleen Ruddy
"Friendly and knowledgeable."
Eoin Ryan
"Responsive, commercially minded and accessible."
"Excellent communication, customer-focused, expert advice. Eoin has a deep understanding coupled with commercial awareness."
Andrew Traynor
"Hands-on working, very good responsiveness, very good industry and legal knowledge."
"Incredibly well coordinated and able to take complex issues and simplify them efficiently. He simplifies topics and presents a comprehensive, understandable view of a legal issue."
"A good builder of relationships and understands the risk horizon well (from a regulatory perspective)."
Leanne Wallser
"Just a lovely person to deal with."
