William Fry LLP > Dublin, Ireland > Firm Profile

‘William Fry provided a very good level of support throughout this matter. They were constantly in contact, flagged issues ahead of time and suggested options that minimised disruption / helped progress towards closing smoothly.’

‘Mary Ward was a very responsive, hands-on and practical partner. The firm helped to ensure the deal moved smoothly on the Irish-law phase.’

‘Great team – very strong technically.’

‘Mary Ward is great and very responsive.’

‘Over the years I have worked with a number of partners in the William Fry Dublin office. Their Banking & Finance team has an extremely impressive practice and I wouldn’t hesitate to to recommend their expertise in the banking and finance arena. Their work product is unmatched in Dublin.’

‘I have worked with Ciaran Herlihy’s team and Jason Hollis. Both exceptional practitioners and have their fingers on the pulse of the debt markets in Dublin. Both are extremely well connected and highly skilled negotiators. Both of these attributes help them to get the best outcomes for their clients.’

‘The advice is second to none. The team is commercial, technically excellent and responsive. The team is professional, has market knowledge and demonstrates pragmatism in the context of commercial considerations. The firm is knowledgeable and works well with our other advisors to provide seamless service. William Fry advises on a wide range of transactions and shows consistent high standards for all of them. They have the ability to articulate complex legal points in a way non-legal people can understand.’

‘Laura Houlihan has a great work ethic and is a tough negotiator. She never misses deadlines and can adapt to any timeline.’

‘Strong team, very professional, very thorough in their research and dealings. Extremely proactive and accessible.’

‘Maire O’Neill is a real stand-out. She is particularly known for fintech. Carol Eager has excellent technical knowledge and is very pragmatic to deal with.’

‘Fiachra Cork particularly stands out in terms of knowledge, experience and he is very personable individual. He communicates all legal advice very clearly and has been exceptionally responsive to any queries I have had since working with him over the past year. He is also very proactive. Overall, it has been a very positive experience working with Fiachra and William Fry.’

‘I have found that the team is always available to assist, whether to attend a meeting in person, or hop on a call to discuss matters at short notice. The link up between the Corporate and M&A teams and other teams within William Fry, whether the tax team, company secretarial or employment teams, makes for provision of a seamless service for any transaction that the William Fry Corporate and M&A team have worked with us on.’

‘I always found each member of the team goes above and beyond to provide an efficient and professional service, from trainees, right up to partners. Specific mention for Máire O’Neill, who will always manage matters at an appropriate level.’

‘Responsive is one word that springs to mind when I think of my experience with William Fry and my experience with the firm and consultants there. I worked with one consultant and a number of junior supports. They were always proactive, timely, and professional whilst maintaining personable characters and great communication skills for forging an excellent relationship that will last. ’

‘The team at William Fry are dedicated and willing to go the extra mile to get the result required for clients. Very personable team and easy to deal with. Their legal knowledge and expertise is second to none within the Irish market, Mark Talbot and Fiachra Cork’s knowledge and experience is always very helpful.’

‘Fiachra Cork has a sharp legal mind and is always on hand to provide advice where needed. Gavin White does excellent work and is likely a future partner to watch.’

‘Stephen Keogh is a fantastic transactional lawyer that knows what the client needs and cuts to the chase. Ronan Shanahan is also a star in the making and one to watch.’

‘The team is knowledgeable and sensitive to client needs. There is a wide range of experience within the firm and an exceptional level of engagement on relevant issues.’

‘They are always available, willing and eager to assist in all matters, no matter how straightforward or complex they may be.’

‘Of sufficient scale and ability to manage all construction/infrastructure legal issues.’

‘Bryanna Ryan is knowledgeable in reference to legal matters as would be expected, but agile to absorb, adapt, consider and incorporate sometimes complex commercial, technical and time-related matters that are an inevitable part of an construction process that requires the input of an external legal firm.’

‘Bryanna Ryan understands the needs of businesses and is always contactable.’

‘For such a large practice it maintains a personal element where clients receive a level of care and attention which one would normally attribute to a much smaller or even family practice. The key elements are the people, the personal and professional nature of their engagement, the speed of response and the breadth of expertise available under the one roof.’

‘What differentiates William Fry and their personnel is the proactive nature of the advice offered. They are proactively engaged and give clients confidence.’ 

‘William Fry have a tier 1 litigation team in Dublin. They are involved in many of the main cases, across a huge spectrum of litigation ranging from commercial law to public law. They also have a very interesting mix of private and state/public body clients, which shows how much their litigation skills are in demand.’

‘Laura Scott is one of the leading lights in Irish litigation. She is incredibly calm and measured in her approach and has impeccable judgment. She can turn her hand at any type of litigation and has the “Midas touch” with clients.’

‘Garrett Breen is generally always available or available within a short period of time for a phone call and Michelle Martin has excellent knowledge and provides very clear advice.’

‘Gerard James is a rising star. Attention to detail, enthusiasm and networking skills are outstanding.’

‘Paul Convery is the litigation partner of choice for me at William Fry. He has career-long experience in dispute resolution, and is a calm and collected lawyer with an exceptional client service ethic.’

‘Laura Murdock is very personable to deal with and is a key advisor to us on all matters regarding disputes. She is keen to assist, being responsive where we have tight deadlines. She is a pleasure to work with and remains upbeat at all times.’

‘Hilary Rogers is a standout individual that we worked with. Responsive, tenacious, calm, she quickly became a trusted adviser. She listens well, she understands our values, our risk appetite and gives good advice but is able to tailor our approach. She is very articulate and comes up with really good ideas in terms of strategy and negotiation. We are very glad she is in our corner.’

‘Margaret Muldowney – very experienced litigator, calm, professional and an excellent communicator with clients. Mary Cooney – up and coming star in the firm, passionate about her cases and fights hard for her clients.’

‘The WF employment team has an impressive practice with leading employment lawyers acting for clients from a range of sectors. They have extensive experience in high-end employment disputes and large-scale transactional matters, advising on a vast range of issues.’

‘Louise Harrison brings a very practical and commercial lens to all of the people issues we have managed with her. She takes the time to understand our business, the way we operate and our culture before providing her advice.’

‘The team is unique in their ability to understand the different aspects of each industry and apply such knowledge to their expert practical advice.’

‘Louise Harrison is really on top of her game, and no matter what issue arises, she will provide solid, thorough, but more importantly practical advice.’

‘Jeffrey Greene – a very practical approach to complex matters. Understand there is a business at the end of the advice.’

‘The William Fry employment group has guided us through unique issues about our blockchain company. Their understanding of our unique business is key.’

‘Nuala Clayton is a godsend and is always available. Her astute advice helped us through various tricky litigation matters. Jeffrey Greene also gives sound advice.’

‘The team led by Louise Harrison provide very commercially focused employment law advice. They provide multiple solutions with robust risk assessments.’

‘The team is uniquely positioned to give excellent advice due to their vast experience and outstanding capabilities. The team is looking to achieve the outcome in as efficient a way as possible.’

‘I have worked closely with Fergus Devine in the energy team. He has vast industry knowledge and experience and can apply that to current matters and areas. He is incredibly hardworking, attentive and dedicated. His drafting and advice are first-rate and set the standard in deals amongst respective teams. In negotiations, he can anticipate and deal with issues well before they become visible to others. I cannot recommend Fergus Devine highly enough.’

‘Fergus Devine is approachable, operates as part of the team, explains complex legal issues in plain language and offers expertise relevant to the assignment whilst fully understanding the client requirements.’

‘The William Fry team are very client-responsive and have in-depth knowledge of the evolving energy regulatory landscape in Ireland.’

‘Extremely hard working and detail focused with excellent corporate understanding.’

‘Extremely focused and hard working with an excellent understanding of the corporate aspects of the transaction.’

‘William Fry was very knowledgeable about areas relating to energy and natural resources, to potential wider issues that can impact a transaction. They provided a good explanation as to why specific issues should be considered and how to resolve these if they arose.’

‘We worked with Máire O’Neill, in particular, who was very friendly, knowledgeable and approachable. I felt that Máire had a very good understanding of our business and the transaction and advised on potential issues we had not thought about before meeting with her.’

‘William Fry is the go-to firm in Ireland and has earned this title for many years in all fields of antitrust. They are pragmatic, efficient and solution-oriented.’

‘ I would like to mention Sheila Tormey. who has led major Phase 2 remedies merger control cases in the last year. She is a market leader in merger control.’

‘This is a very good practice, led by the extremely capable Cormac Little SC and the resourceful and focused Claire Waterson amongst others. They have now become statespersons in the competition world.’

‘Cormac Little SC and Claire Waterson would be stand-out in any jurisdiction. They possess huge intellectual capital and client-facing capabilities.’

‘They give user-friendly, timely advice – have been impressed by them’

‘Cormac Little SC is my go-to competition lawyer in Ireland – in my mind the number one in the country. He gives really good advice — both practical and commercial.’

‘The firm stands out for the depth of the team’s expertise on corporate transactions and the accessibility and availability across the team. Also, the William Fry fintech team are very good at ensuring the client is sure-footed during a transaction.’

‘Máire O’Neill is very focused on providing the client with best-in-class legal advice and on-point service.’

‘The William Fry fintech group is superb.’

‘The team at William Fry provides significant depth and a range of expertise to cover the most complex and sophisticated projects in the fintech industry.’

‘Knowledgable, experienced and responsive.’

‘Most experienced team in the Dublin market. Collective cross-sectoral strength of individuals.’

‘John O’Connor is a market leader and standout practitioner. John cuts through the complexities to find the nub of any problem and always delivers a pragmatic solution. He also has encyclopaedic case law knowledge.’

‘Shane Kelleher is always ready to provide us with high-level strategic advice when appropriate.’

‘Laura Scott and Leo Moore are brilliant. Both understand the intricacies, challenges and opportunities in the life sciences. Together their litigation and transactional skills mean they can cover all angles of IP in the life sciences sector.’

‘Global network. Very experienced and knowledgeable. Great with technical detail, hardworking and very professional.’

‘Charleen O’Keeffe (Partner) and Florence Meagher (Senior Associate), a strong team. Very experienced and knowledgeable. They see the big picture and overall strategy, but also show great attention to each detail. Solution driven, great with technical detail, hardworking and very professional.’

‘William Fry is like an extension of our very own team. Available on request, timely and accurate in their advice and most of all understanding of our needs. Personal and commercial in their approach to legal challenges presented by contract negotiation.’

‘Barry Scannell has been influential in the success of our team. Measured and innovative in his approach to legal challenges and generous in his sharing of advice and knowledge transfer.’

‘The technology team at William Fry has a deep knowledge of privacy, commercial, outsourcing and intellectual property issues facing businesses operating domestically and internationally. The team are collaborative and always aim to understand client issues and concerns and provide commercially savvy advice and planning. As well as this, the team are approachable, focused and engaged on client matters from ad hoc queries to larger-scale work.’

‘David Kirton is an exceptional advisor with a rare ability to spot, distil and explain complex legal and commercial issues and provide creative, practical solutions to clients. David’s approach is focused and always responsive.’

‘The William Fry technology group is the foremost in the jurisdiction.’

‘John O’Connor is a leader in data protection and IT. His approach is focused yet flexible. John always provides pragmatic, commercially and legally sound advice on IT law issues.’

‘The IT team are very knowledgeable about the market and very up to speed with tech issues. They give clear commercial advice and have a very good understanding of what the client needs.’

‘David Kirton is excellent, gets stuck in and is enthusiastic about his work, which shows in his commitment to each matter he is instructed on. He is very commercial and in tune with client priorities.’

‘Tier 1 firm with none of the arrogance or ego. Really grounded people operating right at the top of their profession. As a client, the level of service is superior to anyone in the market. They are my go-to firm.’

‘Fergus Doorly – gentleman and hall of fame candidate. Unflappable in the greatest of crises. Incredibly astute and thorough. A pleasure to deal with. Ruairi Rynn – top of his profession. Really strong at getting to the route of the issue. Top class client engagement. Craig Sowman – tremendously calm and incredibly knowledgeable. Great ability at ensuring matters are moved on but also that the detail is considered and planned for.’

‘Really good firm and deep experience in the sector.’

‘Fergus Doorly, Craig Sowman and Ruairi Rynn – excellent and very experienced insolvency solicitors.’

‘Responsive, practical and strong technically. Strong team and not just reliant on one individual.’

‘Affable, professional, strong technically, trustworthy and unquestionable integrity.’

‘Excellent knowledge of the insurance and financial regulatory landscape in Ireland and Europe.’

‘It’s a very personable, collaborative team, with very deep understanding of the Irish insurance market.’

‘Eoin Caulfield is outstanding, a very pragmatic and proactive partner.’

‘Length of time in market, depth of knowledge and proven competencies, especially the senior team’

‘Eoin Caulfield – decades of experience and expertise. Arguably best in market. Have used him for 12 years and never fails to provide good, balanced advice. ’

‘The depth and range of sectoral regulatory and legal knowledge of the entire insurance practice, there are no weak links. Over the past year their ability to provide insightful and practical advice at both a strategic and tactical level on a diverse range of topics has been second to none, along with their willingness to make themselves available.’

‘The depth and range of both their expertise and experience. Their ability to navigate challenging situations and personalities in a calm and supportive manner. Their practical and common sense approach helps to bring all parties on the journey to agreed solutions in an effective manner.’

‘The team are extremely commercial in their approach to intellectual property law and litigation and strategic in their thinking. They understand the client’s approach to matters, not just legally.’

‘Charleen O’Keeffe and Colette Brady are both excellent and very commercial in their advice.’

‘The William Fry IP team is as strong as it gets, not just in Ireland, but in most jurisdictions where I have IP needs. Leo Moore and Laura Scott’s team has the strength in depth to handle the most complex of matters with aplomb. Most importantly, we use this firm because of the trust we have in Leo to deliver high-quality insights and guidance on complex and strategically important matters.’

‘Leo Moore is my go-to lawyer for trade mark and IP matters in Ireland. He is astute, commercially minded and results-focused.’

‘Laura Scott is a great litigator with a sharp, strategic mind. She fights hard for her clients.’

‘Leo Moore is our key contact in William Fry. As well as being a pleasure to work with, we find Leo to be practical, astute and commercial; he will address simple and complex matters with the required level of sophistication to meet client needs – this goes for the wider William Fry team too.’

‘We rate Leo Moore and the team for their commercial awareness and application, and our clients likewise appreciate their input for this reason. Service levels and responsiveness are second to none.’

‘Laura Scott and Leo Moore are brilliant. Together, their litigation and transactional skills mean they can cover all angles of IP, and I would not hesitate to recommend them, including for the most complex and high-value matters.’

‘Clodagh Ruigrok does a fantastic job of proactively bringing relevant matters to our attention. She is also very responsive to ad hoc queries.’

‘James Phelan is a vital resource who can provide a commercial perspective, combined with a deep understanding of the rules.’

‘James Phelan is always willing to go the extra mile and his advice is always sensible and on point. James has an exceptional understanding of the UCITS regulatory landscape and can be completely relied upon to steer you safely through any engagement with the Central Bank.’

‘John Aherne has a wealth of experience that he brings to bear in all advice he provides. Vincent Coyne is an accomplished lawyer and can be relied on for excellent guidance in all situations.’

‘The team at William Fry are fantastic to work with and are excellent at bringing in their best on specific topics to get the right results. They are always exceptionally responsive and friendly to deal with and always get the job done properly and on time. ’

‘John Aherne adds real value by bringing his technical knowledge to bear through his advice and support. John has worked across all types of fund structures and his breadth of experience provides clients with a broader perspective and insight.’

‘Clodagh Ruigrok and Elena Canavan-Young are very responsive and client-focused. Always finding time to allocate and provide effective, rapid solutions. ’

‘Nessa Joyce is an industry leader in ESG and SFDR matters. Felipe De Oliveira is at all times extremely personable to deal with and responsive. The quality of the William Fry associates is impressive.’

‘Very Knowledgeable, approachable and trusted.’

‘Ian Devlin – practical with the ability to explain complexity in simple terms. Excellent response rate and proactive.’

‘Our pensions contact is always able to get support, at the appropriate level,  from their colleagues on other teams as needed.’

‘Ian Devlin is our main contact. Very approachable and available. He gives considered and practical advice and can change course as appropriate if new information comes to light during a project which impacts the initial legal view.’

‘The team went above and beyond to get our matter done in a timely manner, in spite of a number of last-minute hurdles.’

‘Always on the end of an email or phone call. Timely and courteous responses.’

‘WF are very client focussed while being always commercially aware of issues in the construction sector. Commercial awareness and astute advice is their strongest USP.’

‘Always on top of the brief and the issues when providing advice.’

‘The William Fry projects and PPP team display unique industry insights and have consistently delivered a high standard of service.’

‘Jarleth Heneghan is very engaging. Jarleth always provides pragmatic and focused advice and consistently delivers to high standards within tight timeframes. Jarleth’s industry knowledge is particularly valued.’

‘The team always takes an innovative approach to problem-solving.’

‘Jarleth Heneghan has always shown an ability to work effectively with others and foster a collaborative environment. He listens actively, and contributes constructively. He has a strong work ethic and his dedication and perseverance in getting the project across the line is evident.’

‘A full-service team with a lot of capacity to cover big workloads within tight deadlines.’

‘William Fry is very proficient in the area of tenant representation. In terms of strengths the teams are efficient, easy to deal with and are good at providing direct advice and recommendations. Something that differentiates them from others firms is their communication skills and efficiency.’

‘The individuals in the company are very efficient to work with – they provide invaluable advice and are on hand to answer any queries. They are easy to contact and can join calls with limited notice. Aisling O’Gorman is an incredibly efficient and professional lawyer, and Edward Spain and Conor Treacy stand out for their sound and direct advice.’

‘The William Fry tax team has significant experience and applies it in a practical ‘business-aware’ fashion. Key strengths are the strong technical expertise and partner led service.’

‘Strong team led by partner Brian Duffy. Our experience of Brian is that he works with our business to find appropriate solutions. Very accessible, he also is proactive in bringing relevant tax developments to our attention, with an understanding of their potential impact to delivery of our business. ’

‘The team are technically brilliant and also very practical and commercial and very responsive. Particularly Sonya Manzor. ’

‘Sonya Manzor is technically brilliant, she is my ‘go to’ tax adviser for many years. She is also very practical and commercial. She is an excellent negotiator and I’m glad she is on my team when we are doing M&A deals. She and her team are always very responsive.’

‘Very commercially focused and good partner level access.’

‘Anne Tobin – very strong technically with a keen eye for detail on complex transactions.’

‘Ted McGrath – excellent financial services knowledge, wealth of practical experience.’

‘The team are very well prepared, accessible and come up with innovative solutions to issues which arise. They are easy to deal with and provide clear, comprehensive advice pitched at the right level.’

‘Mark Talbot is a pleasure to deal with, with a deep knowledge of the law and its application to our very specific situation. He provides excellent advice with a clear understanding of our requirements, and has an eye to future issues which may arise. Brian Butterwick is a quick and innovative thinker, identifying and resolving unforeseen issues as they arise.’

‘Myra Garrett and Mark Talbot are very capable.’

‘William Fry data privacy is the foremost in Ireland.’

‘John O’Connor is a leader in data protection and IT. He is the go-to guy on GDPR. His approach is focused yet flexible. He always provides pragmatic, commercially and legally sound advice on GDPR.’

‘Provide practical commercially-focussed advice in an efficient and supportive manner. Very collaborative and a huge support to our organisation.’

‘Leo Moore is a very commercially astute and pragmatic lawyer. He is solutions-focused and has a comprehensive understanding of his area, resulting in a strong business-focussed lens applied in the delivery of his legal advice.’

‘The team we work with has years of knowledge and experience behind them, and they stay close to regulatory developments, which means they know the temperature of the environment at all stages.’

‘Practical business advice and knowledge and understanding of our business. John O’Connor is excellent.’

‘The team always introduces innovative approaches to problem-solving. Their track-record and depth of knowledge stand out.’

‘Jarlath Heneghan has always shown an ability to work effectively with others and foster a collaborative environment. He listens actively, and contributes constructively. He has a strong work ethic and his dedication and perseverance in getting the project across the line is evident.’