A&L Goodbody is a leading Irish firm with a strong reputation across the board. David Widger is the Managing Partner of the
firm which is headquartered in Dublin, but
also has offices in New York, Belfast, London and
San Francisco.
The company boasts is a top player in the Irish legal market.
They have achieved tier 1 status for every practice area they
submitted for and boast a strong legal team.
In asset finance the firm assisted clients linked with the aviation and financial sectors on a range of financing transactions.
In banking and finance the firm worked on a wide range of transactions for clients linked with banking and investment management sectors.
In equity capital markets the firm's work focuses on
assisting with secondary share offerings helping clients connected with the energy,
healthcare and financial services sectors.
In structured finance and securitisation the firm's work focuses on a range of securitisation work for clients linked with banking and financial services.
In financial services regulatory the firm worked on regulatory matters for primarily clients linked with banking and financial services on both domestic and
cross border matters.
In investment funds the firm has a particular focus on fund formation work.
In M&A the firm's work focuses on acquisitions and investment, particularly on the seller side.
In projects the firm worked on a mix of energy and infrastructure projects with a specific focus on technology,
renewables and real estate projects.
In restructuring and insolvency the firm's work focuses on assisting with corporate restructurings and liquidations for clients from a range of sectors.
“They are the best Irish firm for asset financings, particularly aviation finance.
They are
very knowledgeable and excellent problem solvers. They are proactive.”
“A&L Goodbody have the deepest bench in the aviation industry. In addition to asset finance and leasing, they also offer corporate advice which is relevant since many
aircraft leasing companies are incorporated in Ireland. They also
provide regulatory advice relevant to the aviation industry.”
“They are
very knowledgeable, proactive, both helpful and quick to help, and efficient.
Not afraid to
provide a view and to move things along.”
“I know them all well, they are very commercial, understand our business and our needs and always reply
promptly.”
Capital markets:
Structured finance
and
securitisation
“ALG have broad market and regulatory experience. Their team are approachable and pragmatic. They take time to undertand the detail and nuances of their
clients requirements.”
“The level of service and attentiveness from across the team is really outstanding. This, together with their ability to deliver technically and on time, has built up
a strong trust from
our team. They make us feel like we can reach out to them for their support as easily we do to our own internal colleagues.
They are also excellent been very good at
seeking to understand the commercial and legal drivers of our requests to them, which avoids any wasted time or cost. They understand what we are trying to achieve and are right there beside us pushing in the same direction.
Their ALG solutions team should also be mentioned. Again, they have developed a strong understanding and working relationship from us on the data aspects of transactions; there is a trust that they can deliver. Never any fuss, top quality staff, trust in their output. It just gets done.”
Financial services regulatory
“Extensive knowledge of the regulatory and business environment. Excellent knowledge of our
organisation. Really
top class lawyers with whom it was very easy to deal.”
“Strong teams which work well together across practice areas and provide advice and support which is focused on providing practical solutions as well as legal excellence.
Excellent knowledge of relevant regulators and the best way in which to manage relationships with them.”
“Practical and concrete support, helping the business understanding of
what our
requirements translated into.”
“The team are very responsive and provided in depth materials and were well prepared for the sessions.”
“Responsive, pragmatic, courteous and friendly.”
“Expertise particularly in the cross-border life market, familiarity with our business and our parent company and they provided access to network of regulatory experts across Europe.”
“ALG have a deep understanding of the Irish regulatory environment and in particular expectations relevant to our business.
“They are aware of industry practice, developing risks, and are knowledgeable in relation to
a wide variety of requirements.
We appreciate that ALG has a wide team of professionals and in particular that Partners are happy to cross refer to one another quickly.”
Investment funds:
Registered funds
“1) They are able and willing to give practice legal advice, which is not always the case with legal practices;
2) Their legal staff are all competent and professional.
Any change of personnel is handled well by A&L.”
“We like the collaborative approach that A&L Goodbody employ. We are not just a client.”
Investment funds:
Retail funds
“They have expertise and are
easy to work with.”
“Good knowledge and pragmatism.”
“They are very responsive and dedicated. Our weekly call is a standout feature of their service.”
“Chris Bergin and his team are very responsive and knowledgeable. They are technically
very strong and have provided detailed and measured advice in both day-to-day operations and in periods of difficulty. Chris has an excellent understanding of regulator
expectations which is key to navigating through new regulations. He is very highly regarded by all stakeholders.”
“A&L Goodbody have an extensive knowledge of the Irish legal and regulatory
environment, and local market. They are available, helpful, provide outstanding
quality of work and advice. Their team is very responsive, have great client service and we have built a strong relationship over the years.
“
“The team lead by
Richard
Grey is knowledgeable
and extremely competent.
On top
of that know
the market inside
and out
and
are very hard working.”
Restructuring and insolvency
“Super team and great skills set.
Experienced and
well established team and new and up and coming team members.
“On-tap
expertise across all spheres of the law, unstintingly client focused people.”
“Really good lawyer building his experience and
very good client skills.”
“Long-term
relationship. Reliable, accessible, good team.”
“Technically excellent and very client reactive.”
“Very knowledgeable about Irish & EU Funds regulation.
He is also very pleasant to work with and is good at keeping in touch.
Takes a practical approach to problems.
It also helps that he has been on our
account for almost 15 years, so he has an excellent understanding of our business and needs.”
“Chris
is extremely good. He is
very knowledgeable,
responsive and reliable. He is technically strong,
supportive and
clear communicator. He
have proven to be pragmatic and provides incredible client service and support.”
“Responsive and pragmatic.”
“Patrick is very responsive and is also diligent in seeking to understand the specific nature of the issue affecting us. Patrick is clear in his fee quotes and is very approachable. Patrick is knowledgeable in financial regulation and
provides
authoritative advice.”
Stephen
Carson
“He has great industry knowledge and intel.”
“He knows our business, and the ETF space generally, very
very well. He is responsive and attentive and very detail oriented.”
“Stephen is extremely personable and takes the time to explain the matter at hand and how he came to a particular decision.”
“Advises with a depth of knowledge and law to the utmost.”
“Very commercial, based on thorough analysis of the legal rules.”
“Dario is a very experienced practitioner and has an in-depth and current understanding of all regulatory issues in market and the inner workings of the
organisation.”
“Michelle is extremely accessible and responsive, technically excellent, and understands our business
really well. Her ability to look around corners at risk that we may face and problem solve for them in real time is outstanding.”
“Kenan is a partner in the disputes & investigations group of A&L Goodbody. He has provided us with EU sanctions advice in relation to
stranded
aircraft. This is
a highly sensitive area of law for which no precedent
exists and Kenan has been exceptionally thoughtful in crafting a path forward.”
“Responsive and pragmatic.”
“His sector and regulatory knowledge are top class. He listens well and is excellent at finding the right solution to a client problem.
It's a pleasure to deal with James.”
“Organized, Knowledgeable, Relatable and Hard Working. Those are some of the many qualities that we have seen Richard
displaying.”
“Adam is an up and coming lawyer
whose is
a great addition to the ALG team. Very sharp, extremely responsive and a huge work rate.”
A very
hard-working lawyer with a depth of knowledge
unparalled.”
“Duncan is our trusted advisor on our most complex employment issues involving a regulatory angle, for example issues concerning senior executives and/or staff covered by the Irish fitness and probity regime.”
“Good access to Emma and she is very responsive to our firm. Strong technical and practical knowledge and ability to provide relevant support beyond her field.
“She listens carefully to establish the brief effectively. Provides advice in a clear and intelligible matter. Refers appropriately to colleagues. Very good communicator and puts client first.”
“Michelle is very reactive, provides great advice and has excellent drafting skills.”
“The best at solving challenging issues.”
“Marie is not only a fantastic technical lawyer, she is also exceptionally knowledgeable about the aviation industry. I have know her for 20+ years when I was in private practice myself and she is one of my go-to lawyers in Ireland.”
“Deep sectoral knowledge, works well with other lawyers, understands the complexity and nuances of T&Cs, is extremely commercial and always looking for angles for his clients and very
very easy to deal with.”
“Very knowledgeable on highly complex Irish law issues.”
“Clever management of difficult to resolve issues.”
“Good and pragmatic advice, easily accessible when needed.”
“Ciarán knows the market inside out and he brings that knowledge to bear in a very calm manner that can smooth the water on the stormiest of transactions. He is extremely commercial and sees a path through
issue that arise, instead of seeing problems.”
“Ciaran
considers all aspects of a transaction and commercial requirements to reach a carefully considered opinion and outcome.”
Key clients
Key clients in finance include High Ridge Aviation,
ASL Aviation Holdings Designated Activity Company,
Macquarie
AirFinance Holdings,
Qatar National Bank, London branch,
Griffin Global Asset Management,
Activate Capital,
Perrigo Company,
Queensgate Generator and
Jazz Pharmaceuticals.
In the realm of capital markets, the firm has
assisted
Aquila European Renewables, Healthbeacon,
Barryroe Offshore Energy,
Corre Energy,
Oneview Healthcare, Bank of America, Bank of Ireland, Ulster Bank Ireland and Dilosk.
In terms of financial services regulatory matters, the firm worked with Zurich Insurance,
Phoenix Group,
RiverStone Management and
NatWest Group.
Key clients in investment funds include
Exponent Private Equity, Investlinx Investment Management, Horizon Kinetics Asset Management,
M&G and
HANetf.
Key clients in M&A
include
Exponent, Liberty Mutual,
La Francaise des Jeux,
EDF Renewables and
InfraRed Capital Partners
The firm's project development clients include Transport Infrastructure Ireland,
Codling Wind Park,
Sustainable Development Capital,
Allied Irish
Banks and La Banque
Postale.
Key clients in restructuring and insolvency include Endo International Public, Cerberus Capital Management and
Teneo Restructuring Ireland.
Arthur Cox is one of Ireland’s largest and oldest law firms and is presently led by managing partner Geoff Moore. Founded more than 100 years ago in Dublin, where it is still based, the firm now employs 530 legal professionals across its headquarters and offices in Belfast, London,
New York and San Francisco.
The firm
has a strong presence across every practice area in Ireland achieving tier 1 for
almost every practice area.
In asset finance the firm
assisted clients linked with the aviation and banking sectors whilst in banking and finance the firm focuses on
assisting clients with a mix of
financings and refinancings.
In debt capital markets the firm worked on a mix of DCM work including green bond deals and high yield deals, meanwhile in
equity capital markets the firm's work focuses on
assisting clients associated with tech,
banking and financial services with secondary share offerings.
In structured finance and
securitisation the firm's work focused on
assisting with a range of transactions for clients in the banking, investment management and financial services sectors.
In financial services regulatory
work the firm is particularly active assisting clients linked with technology or financial services.
In investment funds the firm worked on a mix of domestic and cross border formation and structuring work
In M&A the firm's work focused on
assisting
on acquisitions and sales for clients from a range of sectors including healthcare and technology.
In projects work the firm worked on a range of projects including renewables,
transportation and real estate projects.
In restructuring and
insolvency the firm works on a mix of corporate and financial restructurings as well as some insolvencies for clients from a range of sectors but especially banking and investment management.
“Team- highly
diligent, and professional with a keen ability to deliver on time.”
“Professional,
friendly and responsive.”
“Their
expertise is very satisfactory and appreciate their ability to understand complicated cases and
advise most suitable solution in guidance of governing law and regulations.”
Bank lending: Lender side
“There were
a number of requests made by the borrower which, taken at face value, could easily be rejected from a legal perspective. However, AC team took a commercial approach and explained potential risks. We managed to get comfortable with the level of risk involved and were able to agree a compromise with our borrower.”
“AC are efficient,
pragmatic and
very easy to work with.
They are extremely responsive and have always met our deadlines.”
“They were responsive, provided clear and concise advise, were very personable - despite a very tight timetable and long hours on the deal.”
“Knowledge of legislation and regulations in jurisdiction, understanding of the debt capital market space, commercial awareness.”
“Very approachable,
experienced and provided good legal advice.”
“More than most teams we work with, they are partner led, always a very high level of partner involvement which brings industry knowledge and insight to deals not always seen in other firms.”
“Market leading energy and M&A practice.”
“Highly focused, dedicated, disciplined team.”
Restructuring and insolvency
“Practical and commercial advice.”
“Extremely knowledgeable, responsive, pragmatic and commercial.”
“Understands her client position extremely well and delivers solutions to get deals progressed.”
“Super-responsive, commercial and all over the detail as well as the bigger picture.”
“Phil does everything well from his responsiveness to his solution finding capability.
He is highly technically proficient but combines that with a strong business head and a pragmatic approach to problems.
He is very innovative.
“Ian is hugely focused on what the client is trying to achieve and then getting you there.
Very hands on
on everything
I've ever done with him - very attentive and we know we can trust his judgement.”
“Everything, best in class real estate lawyer in Ireland.”
“Friendly,
approachable and experienced.”
“Darragh has an immense knowledge on a number of different areas I engaged him. He has helped with loan sales, various litigation related to non-performing loan portfolios and loan restructures. Given the number of departure in my firm, he has been instrumental in helping me with background and also helping me figure out the various risks not just legal but also commercial.
He is also very good
in explaining complex legal terms in plain language, clearly laying out the pros and cons, which then allows me to make decisions quickly.”
“Very friendly and helpful person, knows well what he is doing.”
“He has clear understanding of any case and advise solution and/or explain the situation clearly. He is
very good at printing proper wording for any situation.”
“A young lawyer, with loads of ability.”
“Very
organised, highly
diligent and consummate professional.”
“Energy sector
expertise.”
“He's sharp,
collegiate and commercial.”
Among its clients in finance work are
AviLease, Ryanair, Aviator Capital,
Goldman Sachs,
Kennedy Wilson,
Bank of Ireland,
Brookfield and
Ares.
Among its clients in capital markets are
Barclays,
Deutsche Bank,
NTMA,
Bank of Ireland,
Seagate Technology
and Flutter Entertainment.
Among its investment funds clients are
Franklin Templeton,
Invesco,
Blackstone, PIMCO and
Aztec.
Among its clients in M&A are CRH, Flutter Entertainment,
Bank of Ireland,
John Laing and
Chanelle Pharma.
Among its clients in
Projects
are Power Capital,
National Broadband Ireland and
Energia.
Among its clients in restructuring and insolvency are Nordic Aviation Capital, Mallinckrodt,
Bank of Ireland,
Avaya Holdings and
Central Bank of Ireland.
Founded in Dublin in 1992,
Dillon Eustace is focussed on
advising for investment funds and private equity clients and is led by managing partner Donnacha O'Connor. The firm has expanded internationally since the end of the last century, opening offices in Tokyo, New York, and the Cayman Islands.
The firm is a funds specialist and
has achieved
tier 1 for this practice.
In this practice the firm works on both formation and structuring work for clients in investment management or financial services.
The firm also has a
strong tier 2 practice in capital
markets: Structured finance and
securitisation, financial services regulatory and restructuring and insolvency.
In banking and finance the firm's work focuses on
assisting
on loan
facilties transactions for clients connected with investment management and financial services.
In debt capital markets the firm worked on a mix of transactions for clients primarily in banking and investment management.
In structured finance and securitisation the firm worked on a range of work for clients linked with investment management and banking.
In financial services regulatory the firm worked on regulatory matters for clients linked with the technology and banking sectors.
In M&A the firm's work focused on domestic acquisitions for clients linked with technology, manufacturing and healthcare.
In restructuring and
insolvency, the firm worked on a mix of corporate restructurings and
insolvencies for clients linked with real estate, consumer goods and services, and aviation.
Bank lending: Lender side
“They are very knowledgeable and
are able to
identify key issues quickly and express them concisely. They provide solutions to problems rather than simply
identifying the problems.”
“They are competent, competitively priced and customer focused. They take a long term approach to their relationship with the Bank.”
“Full service offering, depth of experience within their team. Strong Dublin connections with other lawyers and admin service providers.”
“John Hugh Colleran and Anna Keohane were responsive, pleasant and easy to work with and they went the extra mile for us to help us hit deadlines.”
Capital markets:
Structured finance and
securitisation
“Their
expertise is outstanding.”
The
team is truly exceptional, quick to respond and quite aware of the constraints and limitations of the innovation we were launching
“DE are thoughtful, knowledgeable and collaborative in their approach and a joy to work with. They deliver an acceptable quantity of materials, are always accessible and transparent in their dealings and good at explaining their thinking & approach to challenges.”
“The level of expertise from our dedicated fund counsel remains simply second to none. She has an unrivalled response rate and
we'd simply be lost without her. The level of service has been and
remains so high.”
“Excellent Real Estate lawyer.”
“He's responsive, great at communication and transparent discussions on fees. Great client management.”
“Brian is very disciplined and well organized when it comes to client engagement. He is
thoughtful and patient and able to clearly articulate his views in an efficient & succinct manner. He has longstanding client relationships and an industry role as a 'thought leader' meaning he is very well respected and a leader in his field.”
“Excellent banking lawyer.”
“He invests in his relationship with
our firm, is a talented lawyer and projects integrity and decency.”
“Conor is very quick at replying and understanding of our business. He is always available and surely communicates any issues and concerns with any solution we try to implement with vast in-depth industry knowledge. It is
very good working with him.”
“Anna is friendly, responsive, great at client management and keeps on top of what's happening in our business. Work was completed on time, on budget with fee transparency and no ask was too much for her or John Hugh.”
“She's simply amazing. She's like an
encyclopaedia - everything is committed to memory -
she's the best safety net. Her level of knowledge is astounding,
she's down-to-earth, relevant, personable,
kind and considerate.
She's just the best.”
“Detailed knowledge of our deals.”
Key clients of the firm in finance work include
Balbec Capital,
Fairfield Real Estate Finance,
Allied Irish Banks,
Bank of Ireland and
RoundShield Partners.
Key clients of the firm in
capital markets include
Goldman Sachs,
FBD Holdings,
Deutsche Bank,
Bond Central and
Balbec Capital.
Key clients of the firm in
financial services regulatory include
Darta Allianz,
Nua Money,
JTC Fund Solutions,
Viceversa and
GP Fund Solutions.
Key clients of the firm in
investment funds include
AXA,
PIMCO, Legal and General,
AON and
Anima.
Key clients of the firm in
M&A include
Vita Actives,
DID Electrical,
DMG Media and
Odyssey Validation Consultants.
Key clients of the firm in restructuring and insolvency include
BOC Aviation,
Deutsche Bank,
MUFG Bank,
Myles Kirby and
New York Life Insurance and Annuity Corporation.
Mason Hayes & Curran is a Dublin-based firm with additional offices in London, San Francisco and New York.
Focusses / specialisms
The firm has a large banking and finance team which advises on high-value, complex transactions. The firm provides Irish legal advice to local and international companies often working alongside large international firms on cross-border deals.
Key clients
Among its clients in banking are AIB Group, Allied Irish Banks, IAG / Aer Lingus, RBC Europe Limited, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and Royal Bank of Canada.
Among its clients in capital markets are Permanent TSB, DSF Equity, CIX Capital International, ETPCAP2 DAC, ETPX DAC, HFMX DAC and IA Capital Structures.
Among its clients in corporate and M&A are LetsGetChecked, Gem Plastics Limited, Norish, Midwest Holding Group, Surmodics and Kitman Labs.
Among its investment funds clients are Conseq Invest, Fineco Asset Management, Vermeer Investment Management Limited, Vermeer UCITS ICAV, MM Capital and JTC Group.
In financial services regulatory it advised BAWAG, Companjon Insurance, AIB Group, Addition Two, Permanent TSB and Allied Irish Banks.
Among its clients in project development are SSE Renewables Ireland, Torc Sustainable Housing, Fortum eNext Ireland, EirGrid and Statkraft Ireland.
Research period review: 32nd edition (2022/2023)
During the research period the firm was active in all areas of corporate law and project development.
In banking and finance it has a prolific record in advising the borrowing and the lending side on direct financing, acquisition financing, refinancing as well as on asset finance in aviation. In its project financing practice it advised on projects in renewable energy.
In capital markets the firm advised all sides of the table, ranging from issuers and originators to security trustees on mostly debt capital markets transactions such as bond and note issues. It also advised a bookrunner on an IPO, trustees and originators on a secured note programme.
In corporate and M&A it advised on buyers and sellers on NPLs acquisitions, and partial and full acquisitions of companies in various industries, including energy, transport, life sciences, technology and telecommunications and healthcare. It also advised joint-venture partners on joint-ventures in mining and social infrastructure.
In investment funds it advised mostly asset and fund managers and also investors on fund formations, restructurings and regulatory matters related to mostly ICAVs, and also UCITs and Article 9 SFDR funds.
In financial services regulatory it provided regulatory advice to clients in financial services, banking and insurance on M&A transactions, payment and banking services provision, and other banking, electronic money solutions and fin-tech matters.
In project development the firm advised mostly project developer and project companies on EPC-contracts, PPPs and projects in various industries, especially in social infrastructure, utilities and energy.
In restructuring and insolvency it advised creditors and also liquidators, received and insolvent entity on corporate restructuring, insolvency issues and financial restructuring.
Recent staffing changes include the recruitments of Liam Flynn, partner and co-head of financial regulation coming from Matheson. Sara O’Reilly, partner in investment funds joined from Sanlam Asset Management, and John Troute, partner in corporate and M&A. Recent departures include Barry Walsh, partner in financing services who went in
SMBC Aviation, David Ormsby, partner in restructuring and insolvency who went in
Qatar Airways, and Frank O’Flynn, partner in M&A who went in Marcol.
Deal highlights: 32nd edition (2022/2023)
Arklow Bank 500MW-800MW wind farm project
CIX Capital International $125 million secured note programme
DCM US Multi-Family Home US $100 million 9.25% fixed rate secured notes issuance
IAG / Aer Lingus $1.8 billion revolving credit facility
LetsGetChecked $150 million Series D Funding round
Minnesota $46.9 million acquisition of Surmodics
Nichirei Corporation £65.7 million acquisition of Norish
Quintain Ireland €85 million financing
Social Housing Bundle 2 PPP in Cork County Council
Willis Lease Finance Corporation $336.7 million securitisation
Client feedback: 32nd edition (2022/2023)
M&A
"Responsive team and enjoyable to work with. "
"Excellent structuring, due diligence, British Financial Conduct Authority and Irish Takeover Panel advice, and drafting of related documents. Liaising with lawyers in Czech Republic and Armenia and other third parties. "
Project finance
"Their expertise as we have a technology startup specialist in Conall Geraghty."
Ron Boucher
"Very strong commercially despite new partner status. "
Conall Geraghty
"Conall is highly experienced in his field and his knowledge of setting up a technology startup is truly amazing. His communication is excellent and he always delivers our asks on time. He is thoughtful and always gives us sound advice that we can action. We would not be where we are today without Conall."
Justin McKenna
"Great communicator, great legal and business knowledge, always available even outside business hours and weekends."
Established in 1825,
Matheson is one of Ireland's oldest law
firms. The firm is led by managing partner Michael Jackson and
has six offices in Dublin, Cork, London, New York, Palo Alto and San Francisco.
The firm
has a
strong practice in
asset finance,
banking and finance, both debt and structured finance capital markets,
Investment funds,
M&A, project development and restructuring and insolvency, achieving tier 1 status in all these areas, including a raise for asset finance where the firm’s ability is exemplified by the depth of referee comments for this area.
In asset finance the firm's work focused on
assisting clients in the aviation sector.
In banking and finance the firm worked on a range of transaction types for clients linked with banking and investment management.
In debt capital markets the firm worked on bond and note issuances for clients linked with banking and investment management.
In structured finance and
securitisation the firm worked on
mainly deals
for clients linked with the banking, financial
services and investment management sectors.
In investment funds the firm's work focused on
mainly domestic fund formation work.
In M&A the firm works on primarily acquisitions for clients linked with the healthcare, technology, consumer goods and services and investment management sectors.
In projects the firm worked on a mix of renewables,
energy and transportation projects.
In restructuring and
insolvency, the firm worked on a wide variety of work for clients associated with the healthcare, technology, real estate,
energy and investment management sectors.
“Quality Service delivered
in a timely manner, good practical advice.”
“Reliable,
commercial and efficient.”
“The Matheson Asset Finance team always provides commercially sound advice in
a timely manner.
Rory Stuart and the team's advice is always on point.”
“They are very prompt in response; always practical; attention to detail is also great.
They are familiar with the Irish market and can give us market updates which are helpful.”
“Expertise, knowledge, availability, responsiveness.”
“They are extremely knowledgeable, approachable and provide responses to queries in a timely manner. They are also lovely people to work with.”
Bank lending: Lender side
“Professional, Commercial,
In-depth
knowledge, practical,
efficient and pro-active.
Would recommend
to use again.”
“Was
very knowledgeable and understood the brief from our bank.
Was very commercial when dealing with the borrower and practical in terms of managing billings. Very patient and represented the bank very well.”-
“Stephen has become our go-to person for asset finance deals whenever there is an Irish law element; he is very pleasant to work with.
Knows how to deliver.
Very client focused.”
“Provides excellent advise on a timely basis, always available to jump on a call at short notice.”
“Very responsive and knowledgeable about his practice area.”
“Stuart always acts professionally and is extremely responsive. His knowledge of the aviation industry has been great to guide us through the beginning of our company and its complex structure.”
“Stuart Kennedy at Matheson stands out with his professionalism, his availability and his understanding of the requests and our structure.”
“Listens to what you are saying, meets tight timelines and is well organized.”
“Manages the team efficiently.”
“Very friendly, responsive and knowledgeable. Reliable pair of hands.”
“Rory is commercially minded, has great industry knowledge and always goes above and beyond for his clients.”
“Again, he listens to the Client, gets the work done, solves the problems and delivers on time.”
Among its clients in
finance work
are Bank of Ireland,
Allied Irish Banks,
NTMA, Barclays,
Smurfit Kappa,
Azorra Aviation,
PK AirFinance,
UK Export Finance,
CDB Aviation and
Avolon.
Among its clients in capital markets are
J.P Morgan, Dell Bank, Nord,
Bracebridge Capital
Steris
and Aon.
Among its investment funds clients are
BlackRock,
J.P. Morgan, Fidelity,
Barings and
Man Group.
Among its clients in M&A are
Smufit Kappa Group,
Waystone (Ireland),
Horizon Therapeutics,
Axa Ireland and
Aon.
Among its clients in project development are
Bord na Móna,
Bank of Ireland,
EirGrid,
Octopus Renewables and
Asterion Industrial.
Among its clients in restructuring and insolvency are
Horizon Therapeutics Public,
Vevan Unlimited Company,
Interpath (Ireland),
Grant Thornton and
Azets Ireland.
The origins of
McCann FitzGerald date back to 1947 in Dublin, but the firm has expanded internationally and now also has branches in Brussels,
London and New York from which it advises on Irish law.
The firm
provides high-quality legal advice across a range of practice areas on the Irish market, with key strengths in asset and structured finance, M&A and projects.
In asset finance the firm worked on transactions for clients linked with the aviation, financial services and investment management sectors.
In banking and finance the firm worked on a range of
financings for clients in the banking, real
estate and investment management sectors.
In debt capital market the firm worked on bond and note issues including green bond issues for clients from a variety of sectors including banking, financial services, energy, aviation and public whilst in equity capital markets the firm
assisted with both IPOs and secondary share offerings for issuers from a wide range of sectors. Meanwhile in structured finance and securitisation the firm worked on transactions for clients linked with investment management and financial services.
In financial services regulatory the firm worked on a range of regulatory matters for clients in the banking and non-bank financial services spaces.
In investment funds the firm's work focuses on fund formation work and in particular work on sub-funds.
In M&A the firm focuses on acquisitions for clients linked with banking, financial
services and
technology among others.
In projects the firm worked for
public sector linked clients on a mix of energy, real
estate and transportation related projects.
In restructuring and
insolvency, the firm worked on a mix of corporate restructurings and liquidations from a mix of sectors.
“Very prompt, proactive and pragmatic.
Willingness to push deal through to ensure completion (and stepping up in a very collaborative manner when other legal players in the transaction were struggling to do so).”
“Richard Gill and Ivan Gendelman provided great support and assistance during the lease negotiation and the delivery of the
aircraft. Their
expertise, calm and patience have been essential and very much appreciated.”
“The team at McCann's are what I would describe as commercially minded lawyers; they provide us with concise advice as to the legal points and help us distill complex legal matters so that we may make risk-informed decisions
regarding commercial matters. Their team is responsive and friendly, which also helps.”
“The Aviation and asset finance team in McCann Fitzgerald is second to none. Their industry-knowledge is
excellent and the level of client service provided is simply fantastic.”
“The team are proactive, quick to respond, efficient and professional. They are solution driven which is incredibly helpful on fast paced transactions.”
“They are industry leaders in their field. You always know you are in good hands when they
represent you. They are always very responsive in terms of turnaround times.”
“McCann FitzGerald will go above and beyond to get a transaction closed on time, whilst preserving a good relationship with all parties. The team can foresee potential issues and get ahead of these before they become pacing items. Our longstanding relationship allows McCanns to integrate closely with our internal processes.”
Bank lending: Lender side
“McCann Fitzgerald take a hands-on approach to transactions, the separation from others in their field is their ability to offer efficient and practical solutions to problems or issues occurring during transactions.”
“Very
organised,
attentive and knowledgeable about all aspects.
Very clear advice and great project management skills
making the loan process very efficient.”
“Highly experienced and accessible partners who are very commercial in their outlook and problem solving.”
“Always available, wide range of expertise,
focused advice.”
“Extensive
in house coverage across various industry sectors and flexibility in approaching each transaction with the appropriate level of staffing.”
“Very responsive team,
very high quality of advice provided, no challenge insurmountable and consistently solutions driven. One of the strongest firms in the Irish market, particularly Stuart McCarron and team.”
“They are highly knowledgeable, very commercial and provide very practical advice.”
“McCann FitzGerald stands out as being extremely practical competent and commercial - providing an unsurpassed level of pragmatic advice to us and most importantly to our clients. Unlike most other Irish
counsel we did not have to intermediate in any communications as we were happy for our credit fund clients to liaise directly with McCann FitzGerald.”
“Knowledgeable about the airline industry, up to date about developments in the area”
“Level of
expertise, depth of team and knowledge”
“Full Legal advice relating to the programme.”
“Clear understanding of the issues and clear and commercial advice.”
Capital markets:
Structured finance and
securitisation
“Expertise,
knowledge and responsiveness.”
Financial services regulatory
“The team is extremely knowledgeable, professional, responsive, commercial, and great to work with.”
“Honesty, transparency, subject matter expertise, deep understanding of the regulatory environment, acting as a partner rather than just a service provider.”
“Very thorough and precise. Also make themselves available at short notice when needed.”
“They are dedicated to our firm, work with our teams collaboratively, outline the best outcome for the
organisation and work with
us to achieve
it.”
“Breadth of
expertise, providing solutions.”
“I have had many years of experience working with Mark White in particular and have always been impressed by the quality and timeliness of his advice/work. In this
particular project, McCanns have been very commercial in their approach.”
“Ability to meet deadlines, quality of legal work, flexibility on fees.”
“Excellent, proactive, approvable, fast to respond, helpful in queries, knowledgeable advice, will seek others input if the team
doesn't know the answer straight up. The team works as a team across
different aspects of McCanns to give us the
appropriate advice. Culturally aligned - the team are not only competent,
they are extremely easy to work with.”
“Technically excellent,
responsive and personable.”
“For this type of
work we find McCanns a very
well rounded firm. They are excellent from a technical
perspective but we have
are appreciative of the market insight they can provide.
Coupled together with the fact that they know us and our business very well, we find that we get very good and practical advice on a broad range of matters. There is always the effort to look beyond the strict legal advice which I think is a unique and strong offering.
When looking at the firm and the team, we like the fact that there are strong partners with long tenure, but a good succession of associates and assistant solicitors who we all
come into contact with. Oftentimes there can be strong preference to push the partner or more senior associates forward from a law firm, but I do like working with the other members of the team
and also seeing them grow and helping them to learn about us as a client.”
“McCann FitzGerald are always responsive, precise and
accurate with their advice and proactive at
identifying issues and proposing solutions.”
“Fast,
precise and high quality.”
“McCann FitzGerald provide quality and clear advice.
The partners providing the service are always available, respond to queries quickly and with the wider McCann FitzGerald team provide
strong support to the client team.
The partners also provide regular updates and cost estimates for the live workstreams.”
“McCann FitzGerald provide a consistently high-quality service across lawyers and partners. They produce right-first-time work, they are very
experienced, and
provide pragmatic solution-oriented advice.”
Restructuring and insolvency
“I meet many lawyers but few who instantly impress where they combine outstanding legal skills in such a highly responsive,
professional and collaborative manner.
I cannot recommend them highly enough.”
“Grace is considered, proactive and provides advice taking into consideration the entirety of the
wider corporate group
structure."
“Strong knowledge of market and gives clear advice and explanation of decision making.”
“We have had to call on Hugh for a number of time
critical and highly technical matters. We have always appreciated his strong technical knowledge and excellent delivery with his team to ensure that the deadlines are met.”
“Excellent client
management - very accessible and hard working. Thorough &
accurate advice.”
“Sean provides detailed and clear advice.
Good working relationship and always returns calls or e-mails when free from other commitments.
Sean considers and provides advice on all potential options/scenarios and also seeks advice from colleagues in McCann FitzGerald as required. Sean also advices if he believes councel advice would be beneficial.”
“Knowledgeable and focused with simple advice and he is available.”
“Kate is a promising and very capable lawyer.
Clear, concise and good at building constructive dialogue on multi team deals.
A good ability to listen and
understand and provide both legal and pragmatic insights.”
“Kate has a great ability to quickly build relationships with counterparties, which often helps to 'grease the wheels' on a transaction where tight timelines are involved. Kate's attention to detail is
very good and her transaction management skills are also impressive.”
“Very responsive,
personable and diligent in ensuring our deadlines are
met.”
“His project
management and communication skills are excellent.”
“Highly experienced partner with encyclopedic knowledge of the market.
Definitely the go-to person for banking and finance work in Ireland.”
“Top quality advice, understanding of issues, knowledge &
expertise.”
“Excellent communicator.
Understands the
in-house position - what is relevant for me to know, what can McC do without my sign-off.
Has the ability to gently inform and teach me things
i
don't know but need to know without making me feel stupid.”
“Very responsive and available.
Goes the extra mile on client management and responsive to concerns re-billing.”
“Technically excellent, pragmatic and personable.”
“He is very smart, solution oriented and delivers always on time.”
“Morgan is extremely knowledgeable and is a particular super star on sustainability matters.
He is very responsive and pragmatic.”
“Extremely responsive
high-quality responses and output to (our mutual) clients.”
“Adrian offers efficient solutions to be complex problems during transactions and has an ability to communicate complex legal terminology back to the client in a crystal clear manner.”
“Iain is an excellent lawyer that has served us very well over many years. He is experienced, knowledgeable and is very good with clients. He is
down-to-earth and is
very good at finding practical solutions in stressful situations.”
“Very good at client management and providing solutions.”
“Clearly outlines the problem statement with multiple options to solve for (where
appropriate).”
“Very responsive and clear, pragmatic advice.”
“Richard is an excellent transactional
lawyer and his depth of industry knowledge is
really impressive. He is an excellent negotiator and
has the ability to
maintain positive relationships whilst being forthright in protecting his
clients best interests.”
“Excellent client service (to our mutual client) and responsiveness, practical and not pedantic but
very accurate.”
“Expertise,
knowledge and responsiveness. Always available to jump on a call at short notice.”
“Clare is extremely knowledgeable, professional, pragmatic, and responsive.”
“Responsive to questions, technically spot on, also will follow up and provide excellent advice. She also listens to understand the problem well.”
“Responsive to requests, comprehensive understanding of our business and requirements, knowledgeable, practical, pragmatic, solution oriented.”
“Extremely proactive and pragmatic. Excellent knowledge of property law and practice.”
“Pragmatic Employment advice.”
“Highly knowledgeable, thorough, safe pair of hands.”
“Very
high quality work, on time and has a fantastic understanding of the
clients business and situation.”
“Kevin provides advice and support as required.
Kevin also provides strategic thinking
regarding legal strategy.
Kevin has strong presentation
skills and has presented to our Board when
required.”
“Quick grasp of relevant issues & concerns in a transaction and providing a recommended, achievable solution.”
“Clear advice and swift action.”
“Always available, clear and simple advice, he has
the ability to focus on the important matters, brings
a great team with him also.”
“Very tuned in to market developments, latest trends in LMA docs and structuring practices.
Very useful for sidebar discussions to give a considered view on
best way forward for us to deliver
best solution for the Bank and our customer outcome."
“Ronan is responsive and works quickly, he is pleasant to deal with and has an excellent knowledge of the transactions we have worked on.”
“Very knowledgeable in his field, explains the legal concepts very well and is always very responsive.”
“I have been working with Áine for over a year now, where we required
someone we trust and who had the ability to get to grips with an incredibly challenging litigation. Áine has proven herself to be incredibly adaptable and has always been our go-to person for the more complex commercial disagreements we have encountered. Áine is relaxed, engaging but also very professional and can lend her breadth of experience to provide considered opinion
to many different areas of law. But
it’s her detailed analysis and instinctive assessment of a commercial scenario and her ability to get to grips with the business requirement, the causes and effects that make her an invaluable sounding board for us.”
“Darragh is extremely knowledgeable, responsive, commercial and professional.”
“Michael and his team are considered, proactive and provide advice with consideration to
our wider
corporate group.”
“Highly commercial, understands our needs and the way we approach things, very focused that we have a client on the other side,
comes up with solutions, very accessible, fosters
a very good client relationship. Would consider him the top banking lawyer we deal with.”
“Eamon is quick to understand the needs our of
business and is quickly able to
come up with practical solutions to our needs. He has
very strong attention to detail and produces very
high-quality work, which is highly appreciated.”
“Éamon Ó Cuív has exceptional attention to detail and in-dept knowledge of the affairs of his clients. His knowledge and understanding of our business
makes him our go-to trusted advisor for finance transactions.”
“An exceptional understanding of his client's needs;
very strong transaction management skills;
an in-depth understanding of his client's past transactions and the implications of such for current transactions;
a great ability to keep discipline on a transaction.”
“Knowledgeable,
available and responsive. Clear advice and a sharp focus.”
“Ian is a commercially minded lawyer who helps us, with great fluency, understand the implications of legal matters. He has
great experience
across
aircraft leasing and asset financing which together makes him a highly valued advisor.”
“Ian is an incredibly knowledgeable lawyer and is a very personable individual. His depth of industry knowledge is
truly impressive for a partner of his experience and has an excellent manner irrespective of the stress levels associated with a given transaction.”
“A rising star with a great future.”
“Responsive. strong board room presence. Accommodating,
knowledgeable and
commercial.”
“Excellent and
well-rounded partner - strong technically, and able to map this across to our business
objectives.
Provides great market insight and also nurtures a strong team. Well respected and very personable. You always feel very assured when Mark is handling a matter or has oversight of the same.”
Among its clients in
finance work
are AerCap Holdings,
Genesis Aviation Services,
Nordic Aviation Capital,
Scandinavian Airlines,
SMBC Aviation Capital,
Allied Irish Bank,
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland,
Deutsche Bank,
Marlet Property Group and
Bain Capital.
Among its clients in capital markets are
Allied Irish Banks,
Electricity Supply Board,
Kingspan Group,
Andorra Banc Agricol Reig,
Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Ireland, Investcorp, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley, Avenue Europe Management,
Greencoat Renewables and
Kenmare Resources.
In financial services regulatory
key clients include
Allied Irish Bank,
MetLife Group,
Irish Life, Great West Life Co,
Close Brothers and
Irish league of Credit Unions.
Among its investment funds clients are
Brookfield Asset Management,
UBS, Julius Baer,
Willis Towers
Watson and
Irish Life (part of WestCo).
Among its clients in M&A are
Allied Irish Banks,
WestRock,
ESB, Vodafone Ireland and
Cordiant Digital Infrastructure.
Among its clients in project development
are Transport Infrastructure Ireland,
National Transport Authority,
Housing Infrastructure Services Designated Activity Company,
Bord na Móna/ESB (Joint Venture) and
FuturEnergy Ireland.
Among its clients in restructuring and insolvency are
Central Bank of Ireland,
Bank of Ireland,
EY, KPMG and
Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen Girozentrale, London Branch.
Cayman Islands based offshore firm,
Walkers, has had an office in Dublin since 2010 and its global managing partner is Ingrid Pierce. The firm’s international network includes 10 offices across Europe, the Americas,
Asia and the Middle East.
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 asset finance the firm worked on deals for clients linked to the aviation and investment management sector.
In banking and finance the firm worked for a mix of financing types including ESG related financing for clients from the banking, financial
servicers and real estate sectors.
In debt capital markets the firm worked on note issues for clients linked with financial services.
In structured finance and securitisation work the firm worked especially on CLOs and securitisations for clients linked with banking and financial services.
In financial services regulatory the firm worked on regulatory matters for clients linked with investment management and financial services.
In investment funds the firm works on
mainly fund establishment work.
In M&A the firm
assisted clients from financial services and aviation among others on a range of transactions including mergers, joint ventures and acquisitions.
In restructuring and
insolvency the firm worked on a variety of types of deals for clients in the aviation, financial services and public sectors.
“Walkers is a one stop shop for our legal as well our company secretarial and regulatory needs. Above all the people stand out for us because they are extremely client focused and attentive and understand our business.”
“The team are very responsive and take responsibility for getting their parts of the deal done without prompting.”
Financial services regulatory
“They are blunt, clear, professional and
very helpful.”
“The team at Walkers are quick to respond; transparent in what they are able to deliver; and clear in the advice that they give.”
“Personal
touch, last minute availability,
professionalism, relationship,
support.”
“The work developed by the Walkers team is not only professional and appropriate allowing an international client to fully understand the requirements of the jurisdiction to adapt to the specific needs of the country, which makes a big difference in the possibility of achieving success in the company's expansion plans.”
“They are highly professional and show a high degree of expertise. Their people are also
very helpful to work with.”
Investment funds:
Hedge funds
“In addition to advisory assistance, Walkers keeps us up to date on industry trends and news. They are very responsive and helpful in the face of changing legislation, and they are always flexible to meet at difficult hours (working with time zones across the world).”
Investment funds: Private equity funds
“Walkers are very approachable and responsive and provide us with a tailored service having regard to the nature of our fund management operations in Ireland. They have very close links with local industry associations and a growing asset management and investment funds client base, which allows them to provide us with more market
colour and views on best practice.”
“Excellent
insights, expertise, professional staff and personal individual contributions were outstanding - Eimear Keane in particular was exceptional to work with.”
“Clear knowledge of our needs and expectations.”
“Walkers
team are exceptionally strong in terms of their service. Each team member are personnel and proactive in their approach to matters. What stands out is the market intel and way of delivering the detail in a straightforward and easy to digest manner.
Also I would say each one of the team members
are personable and a pleasure to deal with. This includes the support
staff which is a testament to the firm.”
“Walkers Ireland is very responsive and provides their work within the requested timeframe. What makes Walkers Ireland stand out is the attention they pay to details since they always deliver detailed explanations and responses to queries.”
Investment funds:
Real estate funds
“Practical solutions,
focused and efficient.”
Investment funds:
Registered funds
“The team is well established and very good, they found a creative solution to our situation and helped to carry along
all of the other parties.”
“I would highlight the quality of the materials
they produced, their excellent engagement with all stakeholders and the
ease of dealings with them.”
Investment funds:
Retail funds
“We thoroughly enjoy working with Nick and his team. Nick's experience enables him and his team to give both a technical and GC/in-house pragmatic view on matters. The team are also very
responsive which is important given the demanding nature of the work we do. In addition, we thoroughly enjoy working with the team. They are a real pleasure to work with.”
“They are very responsive to our requests. No ask is too much for them. They take full ownership and drive the outcomes. Dedicated partners and support that understand our structures and culture
intimately.”
“Accessible. Practical proposals
&
solutions.”
“They took the whole process out of our hands and knew what was
required to obtain regulatory approval.”
“Pragmatic approach to dealing with regulatory requirements. The partner always tries to
assist us with changes in the most efficient and
cost-effective manner while making sure we are in line with industry best practices.”
“The level of knowledge and engagement in the broader industry means that they provide detailed and proactive support on all aspects. They respond to all requests and queries
in a timely manner and are proactive in bring new developments to our attention.”
“Walkers are very responsive, commercially minded and accessible in the provision of advice.”
“We use Walkers because :(i) extensive local and technical expertise in their specific jurisdictions, (ii) top class lawyers, most of whom have magic circle experience - you immediately feel like you are in good hands, (iii) a highly responsive and personal service, (iv) well managed co-ordination between their international offices, which is particularly important in multi-jurisdictional transactions, and (v) we can trust them in front of some of our most prized clients.”
“Very thorough and responsive.”
“Very professional and knowledgeable. They get their head around the commercial rationale for doing the deal very quickly, which makes them very pragmatic in their legal
approach which is
very important.”
“Personal, professional, responsive, provided clear legal advice
in a timely manner.”
“Practical, efficient, comprehensive and
very fast.”
“Strong
all-rounder. Good business
manner. No nonsense/ practical.”
“Proactive, taken responsibility for implementing our workflow.”
“He is very proactive and is actively engaged in the industry body so he can provide very
timely updates on current matters and bring our concerns to industry forums.”
“Nicholas is an excellent lawyer and is at the forefront in the industry in terms of the private asset requirements and development of the regulatory environment in this regard. This is hugely valuable in fund structuring and in market
developing.”
“Nick is able to give from a technical legal view and a pragmatic GC view that helps us cut through the issues.”
“Nick has a practical and commercial outlook, which may emanate from his in-house background, which is valued by clients. He has a positive attitude in the challenges and is very plugged in with industry.”
“We have been particularly impressed by James in relation to his Cayman Islands
expertise. James has been an important source of support at Walkers, and in our view should be on the partnership track and identified as an up and coming star. We have yet to come across a problem James cannot solve, and for more routine work, he is extremely reliable, an excellent communicator and exceptionally easy to work with. We have no hesitation in highly commending him.”
“Listens carefully and knows what is required to get the assignment
done.”
“Quick to respond to questions, clear in responses.”
“Niall is very well regarded by his clients and goes the extra mile for them in all instances.”
“Niall has a strong ability to listen to us as a client before providing clever, bespoke, strategic solutions that enable us to address the concern we might have raised.”
“Always available. Direct and supportive. Honest. Superb communicator and excellent client relationship manager."
“Shane, is always on point, providing regular updates with respect to filings with the Central Bank. In terms of responding to comments, he drives this and provides
appropriate responses and
actively with us engages with us to resolve the comments.”
“She's
very knowledgeable in the areas that I have dealt with her
on and is also a great communicator.”
“She is accessible, commercial and understands the interactions needed to succeed.”
“Eimear is extremely attentive to any concerns we bring up and consistently and thoughtfully considers any proposals we have
regarding fund classification and disclosures. If we bring thoughts
regarding workarounds/creative solutions or changes in projects, Eimear is great about hearing things out and being supportive while considering all options and providing realistic feedback. She makes clients feel heard and supported.”
“Fantastic technical knowledge and insightful industry views. Dedicated, exceptionally
hard-working and fantastic interpersonal skills.”
“Eimear knows exactly our requirements and always delivers.”
“Eimear is very attentive and focused on delivered pragmatic solutions to the UCITS Fund. She is
very knowledgeable and agile in dealing with queries and requests.”
“Great drafting skills, good to collaborate with, reactive to problems and very knowledgeable on Irish Funds law.”
“Emer, is always on point, providing regular updates with respect to filings with the Central Bank. In terms of responding to comments, she drives this and provides
appropriate responses and
actively with us engages with us to resolve the comments.”
“He has an interesting analysis of the problems brought to his attention and gives
a very good insight to propose solutions for the problems that he
observes.”
“Shane is a strong and respected advocate for the regulated financial services industry in Ireland. The depth of his knowledge, and the clarity with which he gives guidance to us as his client, is remarkable and shared readily.”
“Very personable.
Always available. Excellent relationship builder. Trusted advisor.”
“Understands the client's needs, providing advice with clear and honest answers to achieve the company's objectives.”
“He is very responsive to our requests and has an excellent understanding of our structure. He always has our
best
interests at heart.”
“Excellent communicator, solutions oriented and practical.”
“Aongus is technically excellent. He has developed a deep understanding of our business and proactively advises on current and new Irish and EU legislation relevant to our business in a way that is simple and easy to understand, which is a skill that in my experience is very rare. As a result of this, he is a trusted advisor to
the business.
Aongus is also a pleasure to work with and highly responsive. We are delighted to have a partner of this calibre
advising the business. In addition to this,
Aongus is excellent and
managing the full relationship between
our firm
and other teams across Walkers.”
“His responsiveness, management of deadlines and attention to detailed responses are
Aongus' key strengths.”
“Knows our business well and provides strong advices and guidance on key matters.”
“Aongus is very responsive, capably
manages a broad range of matters and workstreams and has developed a substantial amount of experience with private funds.”
“Eoin is an excellent corporate lawyer. He is exceptionally diligent and thorough and has a deep knowledge of Irish corporate law matters. He listens and is attentive to all our concerns and queries and always responsive. Eoin is both professional and personable and has been a pleasure to work with over the years on a wide range of corporate matters.”
“Eoin understands what needs to be done and gets it done without prompting.
He is always available and coordinates his team excellently.”
“Detailed knowledge of corporate law, good communicator, solution focused, very quick to respond.”
“Eoin Ryan has a detailed knowledge of Irish company law, he is solution focused and quick to respond. I would highly recommend Eoin, he is a pleasure to work with.”
“Eoin is very attuned to the needs of our business and our risk tolerance. He steers us on corporate law matters with great assurance and he has a great technical knowledge of Irish corporate law and is very responsive,
accessible and understanding of our commercial drivers.”
“Eoin
exhibits a profound understanding of Irish corporate/company law and the transactional legal
landscape generally. He has a unique ability to distill complex legal concepts into easily understandable
advice, and is
solution-orientated. His attention to detail is impeccable, he is a good communicator, he is always prompt in his responses and ensures that they are clear and comprehensible. I am
very happy to recommend him.”
“Extremely thorough and very responsive.”
“Eoin is very commercially focused and easy to deal with. He always achieves deadlines set and is very responsive to
clients needs. He is also
very good at problem solving.”
“Understood our requests, we never need to doubt his advice for us. represented us very well in dealing with our purchaser. Very attentive to key points and detail
required.”
“Our team thoroughly enjoy working with Maria. Maria is incredibly responsive and able to
give us pragmatic advice and advice around market practice.”
“Very thorough and knowledgeable.”
Key clients of the firm in
finance work include
Air India, CDPQ,
Castlelake,
Citibank, Deutsche Bank,
Teachers Insurance & Annuity Association of America,
Hertz and
Securitas Group.
Key clients of the firm in capital markets include
Securitas Group,
Volkswagen,
M&G Investment Management,
ThinCats and
Banco Santander.
Key clients of the firm in
investment management include
PIMCO Global Advisors Ireland,
Morgan Stanley Investment Management,
W&W Asset Management Ireland,
Marathon Asset Management and
PGIM.
Key clients of the firm in M&A include
Airborne,
CDPQ,
Lease Corporation International,
Lagers and
CKAH.
Key clients of the firm in restructuring and insolvency include
Saltchuk Aviation,
Hertz Global Holdings,
Grant Thornton,
Financial Services Compensation Scheme and
Kirby Healy.
Founded in 1847,
William Fry is a leading Irish firm headquartered in Dublin. The firm opened an office in Cork recently and has an alliance with Northern Ireland firm
Tughans. It also has branches in London, New York, Silicon
Valley and San Francisco through which it advises foreign clients on Irish law.
The firm
has a particularly strong practice in banking and finance, equity capital markets, M&A, project development and restructuring and
insolvency, achieving tier 1 in all these areas. They are also
very active in structured finance and
securitisation capital markets and investment funds practices as well.
In banking and finance the firm primarily worked on project related
financings for clients linked with the public sector, energy, financial
services and infrastructure.
In equity capital markets the firms
has a focus on secondary share offerings for clients linked with financial services,
telecoms and the public sector whilst in
structured finance and
securitisation the firm worked on
mainly deals
for clients linked with the automotive and financial services sectors.
In investment funds the firm had a focus on fund establishment work.
In M&A the firm worked on
mainly acquisitions but also some investment working especially with investment management clients but also some technology linked clients.
In projects the firm worked on
mainly infrastructure deals especially related to technology, real
estate and the maritime sector.
In restructuring and
insolvency, the firm worked on a mix of deals for clients from a range of sectors.
“Very experienced and knowledgeable team, commercial advice.
“They have a very commercial approach.”
“Promptness, quality, customer friendliness.”
Bank lending: Borrower side
“William Fry
understand the existing facilities and
were able to deliver the ARAs within a short timeframe.
This included managing the relationship with the lenders' legal advisers.”
Bank lending: Lender side
“As noted above, the financing was split into several pieces. The initial phase was straightforward, but subject to
significant time pressure. William Fry delivered
expeditious, to-the-point work and advice, allowing the process to
proceed on
the tight timeline without requiring significant involvement from us or the Lenders. The second part of the transaction, which involved the accession of an Irish sponsor acting on behalf of various minority shareholder required more complicated advice from an Irish law perspective, since it also brought about financial regulatory issues. The advice we received here was clear and the team at William Fry were service-minded and flexible, which ensured that the lenders received the comfort
required to
proceed on a complex structure. We also note that the transaction
benefitted from the team's focus on getting the transaction completed, and they also provided direct advice and support to the company to answer any questions or concerns they had.”
“Knowledge of the specifics to the Legals presented between Ireland and the UK and their ability to deal with requests in a very efficient and effective manner.
Very positive engagement and responsive to quick demands and standard of delivery was excellent.”
“What stood out to me about William Fry's services was their exceptional attention to detail and their thorough understanding of the legal intricacies involved in our deal. Their team,
let by
Padraic demonstrated
a high level of
expertise and professionalism throughout the entire process. Additionally, their ability to provide clear and concise communication, coupled with their proactive approach to addressing any concerns, truly set them apart from other firms in the market. Overall, William Fry's dedication to excellence and their commitment to achieving favorable outcomes for their clients make them a standout choice for legal representation.”
Capital markets:
Structured finance and
securitisation
“The tax structuring advice we received was attentive and knowledgeable and on top of latest developments in
very complex VAT questions. The listing
assistance is always impeccable.”
Financial services regulatory
“Throughout the licensing process, I have collaborated closely with Shane Kelleher, John O'Connor, Louise
McNabola, and their extended team. They consistently provided clear and concise interpretations of legislation and offered valuable industry insights. Based on my interactions with William Fry, it is
evident that they
provide exceptional advice, adopting a pragmatic approach and
demonstrating extensive industry
expertise. Their dedication to clients surpasses expectations, going
above and beyond in delivering comprehensive support and guidance.”
“Having dealt with many other law firms, we found William Fry to be extremely experienced in both the regulatory environment and the expectations of the regulator, making it a lot easier to navigate the process of getting approved.
I believe they were a major factor in
our getting approved.”
“Experienced, excellent communication, problem-focused advice.”
“Very willing to stick to the quote provided,
flexible, available, easy to work with.”
“They have
very good Fintech industry knowledge and have huge
track record of experience in EMI authorization hence they were able to support very well our communication with
our firm and this helped to simplify and speed up the license approval process.”
“Their
expertise on the regulatory landscape, their understanding of our business model and the practical application and tailored approach of their advise.”
“William Fry
are super responsive. They are always available when it is
crunch time and their advice is top notch and solution focused. They have plenty of
hands on experience in a wide range of issues and they provide comfort to the regulator due to their long standing relationship with them. Their practical approach really stands out where they go the extra mile to be creative in finding solutions.”
“Practical feedback, always ready to quickly turn documents, and incredibly responsive to queries.”
“They are thorough; they respond quickly and they
are able to grasp complex legal issues.”
“William Fry have a depth experience and breadth of expertise that is unrivalled in the Irish market and provide a full end-to-end regulatory advisory service. Specifically in relation to regulatory authorizations and licences the firm helps client firms to understand the complexity of regulatory and legal requirements as well as regulators expectations. This helps their firms achieve trust with the regulator, speed to market and
long term value.”
“Very responsive and practical.”
“Technically
very strong and depth of capabilities.”
“Highly responsive, attention to detail,
very good legal and regulatory insights.”
“In-dept analysis, concise clear advise, prompt responses and excellent communication.”
“The William Fry team are collegiate and responsive.
They offer sound practical advice in
a timely manner.
They are also extremely commercial.”
“Team
were receptive and accessible, provided both legal and commercial advice in relation to the action and were always professional and responsive.”
Project development:
Infrastructure
“Excellent client focused service. Proactive approach to contract execution.”
“Quality of
expertise of specific sector.”
“A strong team with a pragmatic approach and a finger on the pulse of developments in the industry.”
“The partner and his team in William Fry have a detailed knowledge in this space, delivering key legal and commercial insights which is supported by their ability to
leverage off their considerable experience in project finance and project development. Respond quickly to all queries and ability to assist across the full range of service requirements.”
“Quick response, knowledgeable, good working relationship with other law firm.”
“John has great
expertise, quickly
identifies and the issues and finds solutions to our specific issues, all while communicating this in a clear and
simple way.”
“Excellent problem solving and communication.”
“Provides clear
and concise advice.”
“Excellent client
focused service.”
“Strong focus and understanding of the client's needs together with a keen eye for detail and pragmatic solutions.”
“Deep knowledge of sector and experience, always responsive and provides detailed analysis.”
“Matthew is a fantastic
securitisation transactional lawyer with excellent legal skills and industry knowledge.”
“Paul managed the action professionally and provided sound legal and strategic advice. He was a consumate professional and was always responsive and managed the team well such that they were all well
informed
throughout the process. He has excellent
communication skills and was always assured in the advice he was providing.”
“Technically
very strong on insolvency and related matters."
“Excellent client advice and leadership of the construction contract process.”
“Jarleth is very responsive, seeks to understand our needs and find the best way to implement them.”
“Excellent communicator with a thorough industry knowledge.”
“In depth knowledge of the sector,
always responsive and they provide quality work.”
“Extremely knowledgeable and pro-active. Responsive to requests and committed to deadlines / obligations.”
“Ciarán manages the team incredibly well. He was hands-on for any matters that
required partner attention, but otherwise his team handled all the required work. He communicates well and is a pleasure to work with, making the transaction easy for everyone involved. We also valued his and the team's ability to turn around quickly on very tight timelines.”
“I have worked with Jason for a number years and I would highly recommend him. Jason adopts a very commercial
approach, and
provides expert guidance to all parties throughout a transaction. Jason is very personable, which makes it easy to discuss concerns or issues with him as they arise. I would say his communication skills are unmatched, and his ability to lead out and
monitor a transaction from start to finish is first class.”
“Quick response, good at building relationships, good knowledge of our business.”
“Nessa, as with
all of our team in William Fry, is very personable to deal with and is our main contact for all matters relating to ESG and implementation of SFDR.
Nessa's analytical and technical abilities are invaluable, coupled, as they are, with a strong commercial focus.”
“Nessa is highly responsive and has excellent specialised knowledge.”
“Shane exemplifies excellence as a lawyer, possessing an in-depth comprehension of the regulatory landscape. He consistently provides clear, concise, and practical advice, showcasing a profound understanding of the industry. Furthermore, Shane's approachability and willingness to be readily accessible when legal matters arise underscore his exceptional professional demeanor.”
“Well versed and well connected with all areas related to our firm. Eager to push client along to achieve
optimal results.”
“Highly accessible, he provides a fast delivery of results.”
“Shane is very business focused and is always available at crunch time. He is very solution driven and practical. His knowledge of the sector is second to none.”
“Shane provided me with invaluable preparation and support before a recent interview with the Central Bank of Ireland. Shane provides a first-class client focused service.
This builds trust with clients and results in the development of
long lasting client relationships.
Shane understands our business and our people and addresses our specific needs rather than applying “one size fits all” solutions. The quality of service provided by Shane and his team is excellent value for money. This results in continuity and stability for client firms in terms of future advisory support.”
“Padraic
is extremely responsive, he sees problems before they arise and always keeps a level head. He makes you feel that your transaction is always his number one priority and consistently meets deadlines.”
“Padraic Kinsella excels in providing thorough and insightful legal counsel. His ability to analyze complex legal issues and distill them into clear, actionable advice is particularly impressive. Moreover, Padraic demonstrates exceptional attention to detail, ensuring that all aspects of a deal are meticulously addressed. His dedication to client service is
evident through his proactive communication and willingness to go
above and beyond to meet client needs. Additionally, Padraic's strategic thinking and problem-solving skills contribute significantly to achieving favorable outcomes for his clients. Overall, Padraic Kinsella's
proficiency in providing comprehensive legal guidance and his commitment to client satisfaction make him
a valuable asset to any legal team.”
“Very
proactive , engaging and supportive throughout any
transaction .Key was recent transaction which required quick turnaround and Padraic went over and beyond to deliver.”
“David is
a very knowledgeable and experienced counsel.
He has worked on a very wide range of transaction structures and is able to
provide effective advice on
aircraft financing transactions and structures of all types.”
“Ted is available at all hours to solve the most complex, serious and urgent VAT issues that we have come across in our Irish adventures.”
“Alex's knowledge for the regulatory space is impressive - his retirement will be felt across the sector.”
“Louise is the main contact at William Fry and I have worked with
her on
both on funding and licensing work. Louise is always available and proactive in her willingness to help and provide clarity.”
“Louise has vast experience in EMI licensing process. She was able to
accompany us successfully throughout the licensing journey. She is particularly good in suggesting the right format of information expected by CBI and bringing CBI's firm-specific questions into
broader context of the local regulatory requirements.”
“Louise has vast experience to draw from and a creative approach to deploying this knowledge. She is responsive and goes the extra mile to understand our business and how this applies to the situation.”
“Delivering astute legal advice (payments/regulatory) and coming up with creative solutions.”
“Louise recently provided end-to-end support on a VASP submission to the Central Bank of Ireland. Louise understands the regulatory burden on clients and
help firms understand their compliance obligations and how rules should be applied. Louise is very client focused and provides a personal service where clients feel important. This enables William Fry to build
long lasting relationships with their clients. Louise understands the complexity of
regulation and this enables her to go
above and beyond for her clients in providing solutions to complex issues.”
“She consistently
exhibits adeptness in navigating intricate legal matters and offering pragmatic advice and solutions. She
possesses exceptional legal acumen and a comprehensive understanding of the regulated payments industry. Furthermore, Louise's approachability and readiness to promptly address legal concerns underscore her outstanding professional conduct.”
“Helpful, pragmatic, transparent on costs very pleasant to deal with very good knowledge of relevant topics.”
“Ian is
very knowledgeable and experienced
on the regulatory environment in which our company
operates. He has an in-depth understanding of our business model, and is very practical with his
advices. He is approachable,
responsive and accessible.”
“John consistently
demonstrates
proficiency in navigating complex legal issues and offering pragmatic legal advice and solutions. His excellence as a lawyer is further
evidenced by his profound understanding of the regulated payments
industry.
Additionally, John's accessibility and prompt availability when addressing legal matters underscore his exceptional professionalism.”
“David was our go-to person for this transaction. He is always available when needed and
coordinates complex legal advice seamlessly without requiring significant involvement from us. Any time there were any issues or questions under Irish law, we received prompt feedback with well-reasoned and easy-to-understand advice. He communicates well and is a pleasure to work with, making the transaction easy for everyone involved. We also valued the full team's ability to turn around quickly on very tight timelines.”
“James is highly responsive, has a very pragmatic approach and suggests innovative solutions to problems.”
“James has worked on
our account for longer than
I myself have been with
our business and is the Senior Partner on our file. After many years of dealing with James,
more often than not
on a daily basis, I would consider him to be an invaluable source of support to myself personally as well as to
the business generally. James is always willing to go the extra mile for us and his advice is always sensible and on point. If you are managing a UCITS business in Ireland, James has an exceptional understanding of the regulatory landscape that you are faced with and can be completely relied upon to steer you safely through any engagement with the Central Bank. He has an ability to convey legal knowledge in a genuinely useful way and can make complex projects
seems straightforward. He can also be relied upon to provide you with a view where required and to direct you as to the best course of action to take in any
particular circumstance. James is a personable, friendly guy, as are
all of his team, and this really makes a difference when you are dealing with somebody all the time, often in circumstances that can be stressful where big projects are afoot with tight timelines to be
maintained. I am aware from speaking to some of James' other clients at industry events that he is highly thought of across the board.”
“Excellent insolvency solicitor.”
“Provides quality advice which is also always very pragmatic.”
Key clients of the firm in capital markets include Smurfit Kappa, Amgen,
Davy, Finance Ireland,
auxmoney,,
Towerbrook Capital Partners, the Department of Finance and
Shard.
Key clients of the firm in
investment funds include Mercer,
BlackRock,
Legal & General,
Sands Capital Funds and
Lazard Asset Management.
Key clients of the firm in
M&A include Echelon Data
Centres,
Amgen, Uniphar,
JOLT and the
Department of Finance.
Key clients of the firm in projects include
EirGrid, SIRO Designated Activity Company,
Eiffel Investments,
Diageo and
DNB Bank.
Key clients of the firm in restructuring and insolvency include Hamilton Beach Brands, Attestor Capital,
Interpath, PWC and
Proventus Capital.
