The Legal 500

A&L Goodbody is applauded for its all-round strength and depth in the area, and Kevin Feeney and Ross Moore are particularly recommended. The team advised South Eastern Education and Library Board and Lagan College on the first PFI project to be financed by way of a pension product. The team continues to advise CIE as contractor for the DART Underground rail project.

Arthur Cox has one of the largest teams in the market. On the project side, it is advising the National Development Finance Agency on the Third Level PPP Programme, while on the renewables side EcoWindPower has become a major client, which it is advising on its Irish portfolio. Alex McLean heads the practice.

Matheson Ormsby Prentice’s sizeable team has seen a significant increase in energy regulatory work, and also acted on the Eastlink Toll Bridge PPP, one of the few to close in 2011. Other clients include ABB, Triodos Bank, and Macquarie Partnerships for Ireland. Practice head Michael O’Connor is a leading practitioner, and Peter O’Brien is also recommended.

McCann FitzGerald’s ‘excellent’ team is a market leader in PPP and project finance. It is advising the National Roads Authority on all aspects of the second PPP roads programme, and Bord Na Mona on the planning and development of a next-generation power station. Patricia Lawless is ‘excellent, sharp and experienced’, and Valerie Lawlor is ‘very effective’.

Mason Hayes & Curran is advising Bord Gáis Networks on the establishment of a new independently managed subsidiary of the state-owned gas company to own and operate all gas transmission and distribution assets in Ireland. William Carmody heads the team.

There is a heavy public sector bias to Philip Lee’s ‘top-class’ practice. The team won a tender to represent the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, and also acts on the Poolbeg waste-to-energy PPP and the WestWave project. Philip Lee is ‘a genuine expert in energy law’.

William Fry has ‘in-depth knowledge’ in the project space, where recent noteworthy instructions include advising ESB on procurement of its new headquarters buildings including project finance, and IKEA on the procurement of its new store and subsequent redevelopment of its Irish portfolio. Jarleth Heneghan has ‘a good grasp of complex contractual situations’.

Beauchamps Solicitors has expertise in renewable energy, where it acted for Chinese company XEMC Darwind on the development of three Irish wind farms. The ‘excellent’ Ainsley Heffernan heads the team.

ByrneWallace is advising the funders of the BAM/Balfour Beatty consortium on the N17/N18 Gort-Tuam motorway PPP and the N11 Arklow-Rathnew road scheme. Practice head Mary Dunne is highly regarded.

Eversheds advised Oriel Windfarm Limited on its 330MW offshore wind farm. Mark Varian heads the team.

Philip Daly leads the team at LK Shields Solicitors, which has been building a strong reputation in energy regulation. It also acted for the owners on Sorne Wind’s sale of a 38.9MW wind farm to Bord Gáis.

O’Flynn Exhams was appointed as lead adviser to AIM-listed Kedco and recently advised Gaslink. Irene Donovan leads this highly respected team.

Eugene F. Collins continues to grow its reputation in the energy space under the highly rated Margaret Austin. The team has been advising Barnmore Demolition and Civil Engineering on public sector procurement processes.

McDowell Purcell advised Wind Energy Direct and Surfreset on a €20m fundraising. Practice head Feilim O’Caoimh is one of the market’s top energy experts.