The Legal 500

Within Banking and finance, Mason Hayes & Curran is a second tier firm,

Mason Hayes & Curran provides comprehensive, ‘excellent service’, and is ‘one of the most knowledgeable firms around’, particularly for financial services regulation and asset and project finance. Team head Christine O’Donovan is an aviation finance expert. The firm was instructed by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP as local counsel on the financing aspects of the Odeon Group’s acquisition of the UCI/Storm group of cinemas.

Within Capital markets, Mason Hayes & Curran is a second tier firm,

Mason Hayes & Curran’s equity-focused team is praised for its ‘business acumen’ and strength in depth, and one client describes Justin McKenna as being ‘consistently one of the best lawyers in Dublin’. Paul Egan is also a key figure. The group advised on the pre-IPO private placement for mining and exploration start-up Terra Energy.

Within Construction, Mason Hayes & Curran is a third tier firm,

Mason Hayes & Curran’s team is ‘very knowledgeable, prompt, and approachable’, and widely praised for its overall level of service. Practice head Rory Kirrane has ‘a genuine grasp of the industry he serves’. The team advised the Health Services Executive on issues arising from the Michael McNamara & Co and Cordil Construction insolvencies.

Within Corporate and commercial, Mason Hayes & Curran is a first tier firm,

Mason Hayes & Curran’s ‘formidable team’ has been busy advising international clients on M&A, generally acting for buyers. The highly rated David O’Donnell heads the team, which acted on a string of high-profile deals including Liberty Mutual’s acquisition of Quinn Insurance’s general insurance business from the joint administrators. Other clients include Xilinx and Odeon/UCI cinemas, and the team gave Irish legal advice on the BA/Iberia merger. Paul Egan ‘reflects the exceptionally high standards’ of the firm, and Martin Kelleher is also picked out.

Within Dispute resolution, Mason Hayes & Curran is a second tier firm,

Mason Hayes & Curran’s ‘professional, effective’ group includes Declan Black, who gives ‘extremely practical, professional and proactive advice’; healthcare expert Gemma Coady; and Richard Woulfe, who led a team that successfully defended Matheson Ormsby Prentice in a £25m solicitor’s negligence claim.

Within EU and competition , Mason Hayes & Curran is a second tier firm,

Mason Hayes & Curran advised an Irish barrister, Ciaran Toland, in a landmark case before the EU General Court that the team won. The practice, co-led by the highly recommended Tony Burke and London-based John Kettle, advised Liberty on its acquisition of Quinn Insurance.

Within Employment, Mason Hayes & Curran is a third tier firm,

Mason Hayes & Curran’s ‘practical and business-savvy’ partners advise Facebook and the Irish Hotels Federation in Dublin on all employment matters. Melanie Crowley is able to ‘make the most complex of situations simple’, and Ronnie Neville is simply ‘outstanding’.

Within Insolvency and corporate restructuring, Mason Hayes & Curran is a second tier firm,

Mason Hayes & Curran fields ‘an incisive, commercial and technically good team’, which includes Maurice Phelan, Declan Black and Judith Riordan, who are ‘up there with the best’. The group advised Xtra-vision on its application for examinership.

Within Insurance, Mason Hayes & Curran is a third tier firm,

Mason Hayes & Curran’s team head Lorcan Buckley attracts high praise as ‘user-friendly’ and ‘a high-class litigator’. John Gleeson is also recommended. HCC Underwriting Agency instructed it to defend quarry owner Murphy Concrete in liability actions relating to pyritic heave in the foundations of houses.

Within Intellectual property, Mason Hayes & Curran is a second tier firm,

Mason Hayes & Curran’s ‘commercially sound’ group has ‘good strength in depth’, and practice head Richard Woulfe is ‘of the highest standard’. Peter Bolger is also recommended. The team is able to advise on large and complex patent portfolio issues, and has multijurisdictional experience.

Within Investment funds, tier 4

Mason Hayes & Curran advised Cheyne Capital Management on updating its Irish UCITS fund to comply with UCITS IV. Mark Browne and Fionan Breathnach are recommended.

Within Maritime and shipping, Mason Hayes & Curran is a second tier firm,

Mason Hayes & Curran is widely praised. It advised on the renegotiation of Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company’s contract with Stena Line and acted for the same client in an arbitration dispute with Carillion.

Within Pensions and employee benefits, Mason Hayes & Curran is a second tier firm,

Mason Hayes & Curran provides ‘very intelligent, savvy advice’. The team, which is led by Ian O’Herlihy, advised Valero Energy and Clondalkin on pensions aspects of M&A deals.

Within Planning and environment, Mason Hayes & Curran is a second tier firm,

Mason Hayes & Curran is advising Grangegorman Development Agency on a new university and medical campus development in Dublin, which is one of the country’s largest urban regeneration projects.

Within Projects, energy and natural resources , Mason Hayes & Curran is a second tier firm,

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.

Within Public sector, Mason Hayes & Curran is a second tier firm,

Mason Hayes & Curran’s large, dedicated team ‘gets to the essence of the issue’ for clients such as include ComReg, State Claims Agency and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. Practice head Edward Gleeson, Ian O’Herlihy and Niall Michel are recommended.

Within Real estate, Mason Hayes & Curran is a third tier firm,

Mason Hayes & Curran advises the IDA on property matters and is acting for the Grangegorman Development Agency on the redevelopment of a 30-hectare site in Dublin. Practice head Kevin Hoy is ‘responsive and efficient’.

Within TMT , Mason Hayes & Curran is a second tier firm,

Mason Hayes & Curran has ‘a good, earnest, helpful attitude’, combined with ‘deep subject matter and industry knowledge’, and regulatory expertise. Technology and telecoms expert Philip Nolan is particularly noted for his ‘unfailing professionalism, attention to detail and courtesy’. The firm regularly advises ComReg and Facebook on data privacy and technology law.

Within Tax, Mason Hayes & Curran is a second tier firm,

Mason Hayes & Curran is ‘building clear critical mass’ in the tax space under highly rated practice head John Gulliver. The team acted for Liberty Mutual on its acquisition of Quinn to allow the assets to move across VAT free. BNP Paribas is also a client.