The Legal 500

A&L Goodbody continues to lead the way in a troubled banking market with a team that is praised as being ‘at the very top in every way – service, experience, flexibility, innovation’. Seamus O’Croinin and practice head Catherine Duffy are both highly recommended, and ‘responsive, experienced, and innovative’. Ciaran Rogers is also recognised as a leading player in the market. A heavyweight client list has led the firm to advise most of the major domestic banks, including Bank of Ireland, and Anglo Irish Bank, on issues relating to NAMA. In addition the firm advised Morgan Stanley on Berkshire Partners’ $1.2bn takeover of Skillsoft.

Arthur Cox has been the go-to firm for the Irish Government throughout the banking crisis, having advised on the establishment of NAMA and remaining its first port of call. The firm is one of the ‘first names on the team sheet for the larger-scale, higher-profile deals’. Practice head Grainne Hennessy is ‘without peer in the Irish market’, while Kathleen Garrett is ‘professional’ and has ‘exemplary legal knowledge’. Kevin Lynch is praised for his ‘commercial approach and very good industry knowledge’. Standout mandates included acting for Barclays Bank on the issue of €1bn of notes by Bank of Ireland. Managing partner Padraig O’Riordan is leading all advice to NAMA.

Matheson Ormsby Prentice’s banking team is seen as a ‘market leader in Ireland’, particularly in structured and asset finance, but it did suffer the departure of two key partners to Dublin new entrant Walkers. Headed up by William Prentice, the team has, as a result of the banking crisis, seen the focus of its work shift from traditional leveraged finance to restructuring and regulatory advice. Libby Garvey is applauded as ‘commercial and responsive’, while the ‘excellent’ Marie O’Brien is picked out for her ‘great mixture of legal know-how and people skills’. Patrick Molloy and Chris Quinn also come highly recommended. The firm was appointed to NAMA’s panel, and counts Citigroup and Goldman Sachs as key clients.

Like many of its peers, McCann FitzGerald has been working alongside its largest banking clients to unravel the myriad legal issues thrown up by NAMA, in particular the transfer of loans to the bad bank. The firm’s aviation finance team remains one of ‘the leading lights’ in the industry, and recently advised CDB Leasing on the acquisition of a portfolio of 15 aircraft from GECAS. Catherine Deane is regularly cited by peers as being at the top of her game, and the team as a whole is ‘very knowledgeable and very responsive’. David Lydon and Hilary Marren both get special mention for their ‘class’ and ‘pragmatism’.

William Fry’s practice, led by Elaine Hanly, is praised for its ‘strong market reputation, excellent long-established working relationships and proven track record’. Hanley advised Barclays, as the agent, and Barclays Capital and JP Morgan as joint lead arrangers on the refinancing of around €5bn of debt of the INEOS Group. Orla Brennan and Rachel Stanton are both picked out by clients as ‘highly experienced, quick to respond, commercial in their view and excellent to work with’. Notable clients include Smurfitt Kappa, Bank of Ireland and private equity house Duke Street Capital.

ByrneWallace has continued to make good progress in shifting away from its traditional domestic real estate roots. Eileen Prendergast’s team received a timely boost with the hire of Aiden Small as a consultant from McCann Fitzgerald to head up the financial services team, bringing with him an international focus. The firm has been used by NAMA on the first two tranches of work.

Dillon Eustace’s highly thought of structured finance team has remained busy despite the economic conditions, most notably acting for Citicorp Trustee as the trustee and security agent in relation to Bank of Scotland Ireland’s €3.1bn Woolfhoud Funding 2 RMBS. Conor Houlihan and Conor Keaveny are the partners leading all advice to NAMA.

Eversheds O’Donnell Sweeney’s practice boasts a strong roster of energy and property clients, with key client EirGrid, the leading Irish energy business, particularly active of late; practice head Steve Rodgers led a team on the £39m acquisition loan facilities in relation to its purchase of SONI and €20m working capital facilities from Barclays Bank.

LK Shields Solicitors doubled the size of its banking team this year with the promotion of two associates to partner. The practice, headed up by David Williams and Richard Curran, wins praise for ‘punching above its weight’, and advised on a wide range of banking matters for an impressive breadth of clients including Bank of Ireland and Nomura International.

Maples and Calder continued to make its mark in Dublin with the hire of the highly regarded Liam Carney from Arthur Cox. Nollaig Murphy’s team is described as ‘excellent’, with David Maughan picked out for his ‘solid industry knowledge’. Highlights included acting as Irish counsel on the establishment of Avolon as an aircraft leasing platform.

Christine O’Donovan’s team at Mason Hayes+Curran is praised for its ‘efficient, speedy, commercial and professional approach’. O’Donovan is a recognised leader in aviation financing. Work highlights included advising Anglo Irish Bank on the transfer of sizeable loans to NAMA.

Headed up by Daniel Cashman, Beauchamps Solicitors boasts Ulster Bank among its core banking clients and is applauded as being ‘excellent in every respect’ and having a ‘well-proven team of individuals’.

Eugene F. Collins provides advice in ‘a considered though practical manner’, and has been appointed to the panels for Allied Irish Bank and Zurich in the last year. Team head Laura McDermott ‘looks for practical solutions to difficult matters’.

Brian O’Donnell Solicitors consistently punches above its weight, with its lawyers praised for their ‘industry knowledge’. Managing partner Brian O’Donnell is one of the ‘best-known and commercially astute lawyers in Ireland’.

Holmes O’Malley Sexton built its reputation advising banks, vendors, developers and investors. The team is praised for its ‘knowledge, response time and delivery’, and Joseph O’Meara is acknowledged for his ‘attention to detail’.

Cork-based Ronan Daly Jermyn counts all the major Irish banks among its key clients, including AIB and Bank of Ireland, as well as foreign-owned banks such as KBC Bank.

WhitneyMoore acted on a broad range of banking work for both borrowers and lenders with property finance the standout area; Peter Hayes is recommended.