The Legal 500

Within Banking and finance, McCann FitzGerald is a first tier firm,

Arguably ‘best in Ireland’, McCann FitzGerald has a large and prominent team led by Ambrose Loughlin, who is supported by numerous excellent individuals including: Niall Powderly, ‘one of the most commercial lawyers in Dublin’ who ‘provides simple solutions to complex restructurings’; and, for aviation finance, the ‘absolutely first class’ Hilary Marren and Catherine Deane, who is ‘one of the most effective transactional lawyers in the industry’. The firm is advising a major retailer on establishing a new, full-service retail bank, and assisting a mobile phone operator with its move into electronic money services.

Within Capital markets, McCann FitzGerald is a first tier firm,

McCann FitzGerald stands out for its ‘high level of service, business acumen and industry knowledge’, and clients also praise its consistently good quality. The capital markets practice acted for Kenmare Resources on its $60m cash placing of 120 million new ordinary shares via accelerated bookbuild and was Irish counsel on Deutsche Bank’s £302m commercial mortgage backed securitisation. Barry Devereux and Roy Parker head the equity and debt capital markets teams, respectively, and are recommended along with Fergus Gillen.

Within Construction, McCann FitzGerald is a first tier firm,

McCann FitzGerald’s breadth and depth of practice makes it a market leader, with its team being distinguished by ‘superb drafting skills, profound understanding of complex construction concepts, and mental agility’. In particular, Tim Bouchier-Hayes ‘gets to the nub of an issue quickly’, Kevin Kelly has ‘guru status for public procurement’, and the ‘outstanding’ Barrett Chapman is noted for his health and safety expertise. Clients include Bord Gáis Éireann, Diageo and the National Roads Authority.

Within Corporate and commercial, McCann FitzGerald is a first tier firm,

McCann FitzGerald shows ‘superb expertise, first-class responsiveness and great commercial acumen’. The team advised Vodafone Ireland on its strategic partnership with 3 Ireland, and acted for RBS on the $7.2bn sale of RBS Aerospace to Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation. This ‘deeply talented team’ includes standout partners David Lydon, David Byers, Barry Devereux, and Ben Gaffikin.

Within Dispute resolution, McCann FitzGerald is a first tier firm,

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.

Within EU and competition, McCann FitzGerald is a first tier firm,

McCann FitzGerald’s Philip Andrews is ‘a delight to work with’ and has ‘great knowledge and a practical approach’, and Brussels-based Damian Collins is an excellent resource and ‘very pragmatic and knowledgeable about EU processes’. The firm is advising Vodafone Ireland on competition and state aid issues pertaining to its joint venture with 3 Ireland, and advising main commercial broadcaster TV3 on its competition complaint against RTÉ.

Within Employment, McCann FitzGerald is a second tier firm,

McCann FitzGerald continues to defend Independent News & Media against the challenge of its €1.9m severance pay award to former chief executive Gavin O’Reilly, and providing employment advice to Vodafone regarding its strategic partnership with 3 Ireland. Practice head Terence McCrann is widely respected, and Mary Brassil is ‘exceptional’ for transaction-related matters.

Within Energy and natural resources, McCann FitzGerald is a first tier firm,

McCann FitzGerald’s practice advises on power projects and regulatory issues. ESB re-appointed it as an adviser following a competitive tender, and Bord Gáis is another key client. In the renewable energy space, the firm is acting for Gaelectric. Clients praise group head Patricia Lawless and London-based Valerie Lawlor for their pragmatism, and ‘decisive’ and ‘tough-minded’ approach.

Within Information technology, McCann FitzGerald is a first tier firm,

McCann FitzGerald advises leading companies such as Bord Gáis, IBRC and Vodafone on their technology and data protection needs. Paul Lavery is recommended for his deep knowledge and ‘appreciation of the need to get the deal done’. Annette Hogan led advice to Adobe on data protection issues associated with its entry to Ireland.

Within Insolvency and corporate restructuring, McCann FitzGerald is a first tier firm,

McCann FitzGerald’s ‘top-class team’ includes ‘exceptional insolvency lawyers’, among them the ‘technically outstanding’ Jane Marshall and Michael Murphy, who is ‘very commercial and personable’. The firm acted for the examiner in eircom’s landmark restructuring, advised the banks and receivers of Superquinn Group, and acted for the joint administrators of Quinn Insurance.

Within Insurance, McCann FitzGerald is a second tier firm,

McCann FitzGerald’s expanding client base includes Allianz, AXA and Chartis, and it continues to act for the Voluntary Health Insurance Board (VHI) on both contentious and non-contentious matters. Roddy Bourke heads the insurance disputes team, which includes Tim Bouchier-Hayes, who is ‘excellent at foreseeing the outcome of claims and managing strategy’.

Within Intellectual property, McCann FitzGerald is a first tier firm,

McCann FitzGerald is acting for Eli Lilly in patent revocation and non-infringement proceedings, and other clients include Pfizer, Bord Gáis and Champion Sports. Fiona O’Beirne succeeded Rosaleen Byrne as head of the group, which also includes Roddy Bourke, who is ‘able to draw the strands together under time pressure’.

Within Investment funds, McCann FitzGerald is a second tier firm,

McCann FitzGerald established the Irish Infrastructure Trust on behalf of Irish Life Investment Managers to invest in new infrastructure projects and sales of state assets. Other clients include Merrion Capital, Prescient Investment Managers and GSO Blackstone. Practice head Mark White has ‘absolute command of the subject matter’.

Within Maritime and shipping, McCann FitzGerald is a first tier firm,

McCann FitzGerald is the firm of choice for a number of London-based shipping law firms needing Irish input, as well as P&I clubs and shipowners. It is acting for Sunderland Marine on a range of incidents, including the sinking of a trawler off Dunmore East. Roddy Bourke is the main contact.

Within Media and telecoms, McCann FitzGerald is a first tier firm,

McCann FitzGerald’s key clients include ComReg, Vodafone and TV3, which is Ireland’s main commercial broadcaster. Recent work for ComReg includes defending it in proceedings brought by O2 concerning the funding of Ireland’s emergency call answering service. Telecoms and regulatory expert Rosaleen Byrne is ‘gold standard among her peers and rival firms’. Karyn Harty leads on the media side.

Within Pensions and employee benefits, McCann FitzGerald is a first tier firm,

McCann FitzGerald advises a number of large pension schemes, such as AIB, Guinness Group, the Electricity Supply Board, and Esso Ireland. Maureen Dolan is a leading practitioner.

Within Planning and environment, McCann FitzGerald is a first tier firm,

Michael O’Reilly and the team at McCann FitzGerald provide ‘comprehensive yet practical advice’ on a broad range of issues, and have a project analysis service led by litigator Michelle Doyle to identify weaknesses at an early stage. Clients include Shell & EP Ireland, Bord na Móna, Dublin City Council and the National Roads Authority.

Within Projects and PPP, McCann FitzGerald is a first tier firm,

McCann FitzGerald is an obvious choice for major projects, with clients finding the service to be ‘totally professional and without fault’. In particular, Claire Lenny stands out for her detailed knowledge of the industry and PPP protocol and procedure, and Eamonn O’Hanrahan and Kevin Kelly are also recommended. The firm acts for the National Roads Authority on numerous projects including the N17/N18 PPP project.

Within Public sector, McCann FitzGerald is a first tier firm,

McCann FitzGerald provides ‘tactically sound advice’, achieving outcomes that are ‘robust and long-lasting, which is essential for a public body’. Seán Barton is an administrative and public law specialist and heads the practice, which also includes Eamonn O’Hanrahan, Michelle Doyle and Rosaleen Byrne. ComReg, the ESB, the Central Bank of Ireland, and various state and local government departments all instruct the firm.

Within Real estate, McCann FitzGerald is a first tier firm,

McCann FitzGerald has ‘strong business acumen and in-depth knowledge of the industry’. It acted for the Central Bank of Ireland on acquiring from NAMA premises previously earmarked as the HQ for the nationalised Anglo Irish Bank. Shane Fahy and Lonan McDowell are ‘both commercial in their approach to transactions’. Julie Quin and practice head James Murphy are also recommended.

Within Tax, McCann FitzGerald is a second tier firm,

McCann FitzGerald advised Azur Pharma on tax aspects of its $1.5bn reverse takeover by Jazz Pharmaceuticals. Eleanor MacDonagh is ‘excellent on Irish tax with a specialist insight for aircraft leasing and fund work’. Justin McGettigan joined Eversheds.