Mr David Fitzgibbon > Matheson LLP > Dublin, Ireland > Lawyer Profile

Matheson LLP
70 SIR JOHN ROGERSON'S QUAY
DUBLIN 2
Ireland

Work Department

Partner and Co-Head of the Corporate Department and Head of the M&A Group

Position

David is a partner and Co-Head of the Firm’s Corporate Department and Head of the M&A Group advising private and public companies on corporate and securities laws, including mergers and acquisitions and equity capital markets transactions. He has extensive experience advising international clients on doing business in and from Ireland including advising on acquisitions/disposals, compliance and governance rules, corporate migrations, cross-border mergers, joint ventures and reorganisations. He has worked extensively with listed companies (Euronext Dublin/LSE, NASDAQ and NYSE) providing ongoing strategic and compliance advice on matters of Irish company law and securities regulation.

He has a broad-based practice reflecting his considerable experience across the agri-food, financial services, healthcare / life sciences and manufacturing sectors.

Prior to joining Matheson, David was a partner at another Irish law firm for over a decade. He has advised on many of Ireland’s headline transactions and regularly acts for well-known Irish and international companies on domestic and cross-border transactions.

Education

Trinity College Dublin (LLB with German)

Law Society of Ireland, admitted as a solicitor

Lawyer Rankings

Ireland > Commercial, corporate and M&A

(Leading individuals)

David FitzgibbonMatheson LLP

Matheson LLP has maintained its significant market share of M&A transactions, which often involve Irish targets and acquirers. It remains at the forefront of transatlantic deals, including advising takeovers of Irish-listed companies. The firm has a sizeable client portfolio of international businesses, including Fortune 100 companies and a high number of top global technology brands. Recent areas of instruction include multi-billion dollar cross-border deals and pharmaceutical transactions; the group also fields expertise in handling M&A in the financial services and food sectors. George Brady, Patrick Spicer and David Fitzgibbon are seasoned practitioners, with established expertise in handling cross-border deals and Irish takeovers. Fergus Bolster is well versed in advising on cross-border transactions, including SPAC matters. Madeline McDonnell and Brian McCloskey are notable names for M&A and private equity. Robert Barrett and Enda Garvey are singled out for their contributions. Susan Carroll Chrysostomou was promoted to partner in January 2024. Eoin Shiel has left the firm.

Ireland > Healthcare and life sciences

Matheson LLP is a major force in life sciences transactions, including M&A and restructurings, along with healthcare litigation and regulatory matters. It has advised clients on some of the largest life sciences deals of recent years, such as representing Horizon Therapeutics in the proposed $28bn acquisition by Pillartree (a wholly owned subsidiary of Amgen), implemented as an Irish High Court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement. It has defended clients in a series of cases linked to the CervicalCheck scandal, along with other headline healthcare cases. Rebecca Ryan is head of healthcare, specialising in medical negligence and clinical malpractice. Kate McKenna is noted for life sciences regulatory matters and David Fitzgibbon is a leader in life sciences M&A. Emma Doherty is key for corporate governance in both life sciences and healthcare. John Coary was recently promoted to partner.

Ireland > Capital markets

Matheson LLP is a leading firm in the DCM, structured finance and securitisation arena, with an excellent track record in advising on several headline matters in the debt capital markets space. Turlough Galvin is a key figure in DCM work; other key names include Richard KellyWilliam Foot and CLO expert Christian Donagh, who also handles structured finance, securitisation and repackaging programmes. Micheál Buckley is also singled out for his expertise in the DCM arena. On the ECM side, the department continues to handle a steady workflow of transactions, and is particularly well known for its expertise in de-SPAC transactions. George BradyDavid Jones, Fergus Bolster, and David Fitzgibbon are key partners in equity matters. Eoin Shiel and Niamh Sheerin have left the firm.