The Legal 500

A&L Goodbody’s prolific and heavy-hitting practice is acting for Bord Gáis in a strategically important land dispute concerning a €155m wind farm development and representing a global company in matters pertaining to the collapse of Anglo Irish Bank. Liam Kennedy heads this team of ‘highly professional’ lawyers, which includes Kenan Furlong, Peter Law and Eileen Roberts.

Arthur Cox has ‘developed an ethos of meeting and exceeding customer expectations’. Its ‘superb lawyers’ include David O’Donohoe, who is representing the Health Service Executive (HSE) in two sets of judicial review proceedings, as well as ‘great listener’ Conor McDonnell, who is acting for BNY Mellon in a €380m professional negligence claim. Donogh Crowley, Bryan Strahan and ‘outstanding litigator’ Eve Mulconry are also recommended.

Matheson’s formidable litigation practice attracts some of Ireland’s leading cases. The team continued to represent HSBC in the Madoff litigation, and has been providing Irish law advice to Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay regarding UK High Court litigation brought by Irish property developer Patrick McKillen. Practice head Sharon Daly is ‘commercial and articulate’, and Bríd Munnelly and Tom Hayes are also recommended.

Helen Kilroy at McCann FitzGerald is widely recognised as a top litigator, and Rosaleen Byrne is recommended for statutory appeals and judicial review of regulatory decisions. David Hurley, who is ‘technically excellent and has a depth of knowledge of the litigation system’, and Karyn Harty are also recommended. Harty is leading the team’s advice to IBRC, formerly Anglo Irish Bank, regarding banking crisis investigations and litigation, including that against the Quinn family.

William Fry is ‘top class’. The ‘determined and focused’ Garrett Breen is acting for Thema International Fund in $1.1bn proceedings against HSBC, which is the lead case in the Madoff litigation. Barry Cahir led the team in successfully defending NAMA in litigation and judicial review brought by Treasury Holdings. ‘Very bright’ practice head Owen O’Sullivan is ‘an insightful strategic thinker’.

Eugene F. Collins is advising the Irish Medicines Board on the enforcement of its statutory regime, including Supreme Court judicial review, and achieved renown for its success in representing developer Patrick McKillen against NAMA. Practice head Ronan O’Neill is highly rated, and Terry Leggett and David Cantrell provide strong support.

Eversheds’ enviable client roster includes Lloyds Bank/Bank of Scotland, Dunnes Stores, and the Financial Services Ombudsman, and the team acts for the latter as exclusive solicitors in High Court statutory appeals and judicial reviews. This large team includes practice head Norman Fitzgerald, ‘superb’ healthcare specialist Aisling Gannon and Neil O’Mahony.

‘Excellent firm’ Mason Hayes & Curran fields probably the largest team in the market, which acted for non-executive director Paul Connolly against Independent News and Media in a dispute concerning the severance pay of the former chief executive. The team also represented key client Facebook in High Court proceedings concerning pre-screening content. Respected litigator Declan Black heads the practice.

Gary Byrne at ByrneWallace led representation of developer Phillip Lynch during his claim against AIB, Matheson and LK Shields Solicitors, including an appeal to the Supreme Court. Practice head Jon Legorburu is advising a group of investors claiming $180m in the Madoff/Thema litigation. Associate Mona Costelloe is ‘particularly impressive’.

Clients of Hayes Solicitors appreciate the firm’s ‘considered judgement’ and ‘breadth of skill set’. Its dedicated healthcare and professional negligence department, led by Ciaran O’Rorke, defends High Court cases for the Clinical Indemnity Scheme and the Medical Protection Society. Joe O’Malley heads the commercial litigation team, which won the largest ever libel award – €10m – for mining magnate Donal Kinsella, which is currently under appeal in the Supreme Court.

LK Shields Solicitors recently acted for developer David Daly and his family in a challenge against NAMA, and defended Motorola in the High Court against a €107m damages claim brought by IBB Internet Services concerning the provision of a WiMAX telecoms network. Edmund Butler heads the practice, which includes ‘excellent litigator’ Michael Kavanagh and Jill Callanan, who provides ‘a superb level of service’.

Maples and Calder acted for AIB in the David Daly proceedings and is representing Ukraine’s Aerosvit Airlines in a breach of contract claim in the Supreme Court. Dudley Solan, Caroline Preston and Paul Dobbyn are ‘all excellent’.

Beauchamps Solicitors has ‘a proactive approach, finding solutions rather than problems’. It is representing KBC Bank as a lender in High Court proceedings brought by Treasury Holdings against NAMA and the state. Mark Heslin is ‘hands-on’ and ‘focused on results’.

DAC Beachcroft Dublin is building a quality disputes practice beyond its core focus on insurance. Lisa Broderick, who has ‘a lightning ability to adapt to a counterpart’s deflection’, represented Treasury Holdings in its attempt to obtain judicial review and injunctive relief against NAMA.

Kieran Cowhey heads Dillon Eustace’s practice, which has an expanding caseload, and is currently acting for some 50 Thema Fund investors in the Madoff litigation. Other clients include global banks, insurers and public bodies.

Patrick Walshe is cultivating a disputes practice at Philip Lee, expanding beyond the firm’s traditional core sectors of construction, energy and media. Clients include Tesco and Ryanair.

Litigation is a core practice for Ronan Daly Jermyn, which is particularly good for professional negligence and media disputes. The firm is defending ByrneWallace in its Supreme Court appeal against KBC Bank. Darryl Broderick is ‘an excellent lawyer’, and John Buckley and managing partner Richard Martin are also key figures.

WhitneyMoore’s experienced Gerry Carroll and John Lynch head the team, which is acting for Allianz and Novartis in High Court actions and representing Citco Bank Nederland in an appeal in the Supreme Court. Other clients include The Chartered Accountants Regulatory Board and NAMA.

IP boutique DFMG Solicitors has an impressive track record in contentious work, and recently acted for BMW in the High Court in a case relating to the use of the brand on vehicle parts and a website.

Deirdre Courtney and Dympna Murphy head Ivor Fitzpatrick & Company’s general commercial litigation department, and Margaret Scully undertakes a high volume of debt recovery.

Lavelle Coleman’s Michael Lavelle and Ciaran Leavy are ‘particularly good’ and jointly head this five-partner practice, which is representing over 100 investors in Custom House Capital (CHC) in the High Court following a finding of financial irregularities against CHC.

Commercial litigation boutique Simon McAleese Solicitors has an eclectic caseload that includes handling a range of professional negligence actions, and acting for a Dublin City Council member in judicial review proceedings concerning his right to vote.

Duncan Grehan & Partners’ experienced Duncan Grehan and his team of five lawyers are all German speakers, and typically advise German-language embassies, SMEs and various other claimants in a variety of disputes.

Managing partner Harry Fehily at Holmes O’Malley Sexton ‘ensures first-class delivery within the firm’. Donal Creaton, who has ‘a cool head and gives sound advice’, successfully defended Limerick University in a harassment, discrimination and intimidation case.

O’Flynn Exhams provides ‘an excellent service’ to SMEs and some national companies in commercial litigation. Micheál O’Mulláin is recommended for his ‘practical advice and business knowledge’.