Arthur Cox

Sector knowledge

Deirdre Barrett

Deirdre has extensive experience in commercial real estate across all asset classes and with a particular focus on data centres, offices, PRS, retail, hospitality and healthcare. Deirdre advises clients across the full spectrum of real estate transactions including forward commitments and forward funding, portfolio and single-asset acquisitions and disposals, financing, landlord and tenant, development and asset management. She has advised our most high profile domestic and international investors on the largest real estate investment, leasing and financing transactions of recent years and has also advised various Irish state and semi-state bodies and, currently, a G7 state. Deirdre has, during the course of her career, headed up one of our real estate teams, has served two terms on our partnership policy committee and holds various other firm roles including pro bono partner, member of our sustainability committee and our conflicts management committee and chair of our data centre sectoral group.

Cian Beecher

Cian is a partner in our Employment Law Group. He is a former in-house counsel, with over 20 years’ experience advising on all aspects of employment and industrial relations law. Cian advises our clients on all issues that arise from the employer-employee/ employer-trade union relationship. Cian’s focus is on practical and effective strategies, providing clear, straightforward and practical advice.

Aaron Boyle

Aaron’s practice is focused on the areas of infrastructure, procurement, PPP and project finance. Aaron heads up the Energy, Planning, Infrastructure and Construction Group in Arthur Cox. He has been centrally involved in key infrastructure projects in Ireland for a number of years, particularly in the areas of telecoms, health, education, transport and energy. Aaron has extensive commercial experience advising on a range of contracts and sectors including PPP, concessions, managed service, framework, logistics and ICT. As part of Aaron’s procurement practice, he advises on the defence to procurement challenges and also promotes the rights of bidders.

Simon Breen

Simon is a partner in the Competition and Regulated Markets Group. His practice covers EU and Irish competition law, foreign investment screening and sectoral regulation. Simon advises clients on a wide range of competition and regulatory matters, including merger control, foreign investment screening, investigations, State aid, competition law aspects of agreements, compliance programmes, and competition litigation. Prior to joining Arthur Cox in 2018, Simon worked in the London and Brussels offices of Slaughter and May. Simon is recognised as a Rising Star in Competition Law in Ireland by Legal 500.

Ciara Buckley

Ciara is a partner in our Debt Finance Group. She trained and qualified as a solicitor with Allen & Overy in London, spending over four years in their Real Estate and Corporate Finance Group. Ciara has extensive experience advising clients across a broad range of domestic and international financings including real estate financing, acquisition financing, fund financing, corporate restructurings, syndicated lending, margin loans and ESG financing. Her particular focus is real estate and development finance, advising lenders (traditional and alternative), private equity funds and other investors in respect of both senior and mezzanine positions for investment, development, commercial, residential, hotel, student housing and forward fund financings.

Robert Cain

Robert is a partner in our Financial Regulation Group, specialising in Irish and European financial services regulation. Robert advises a wide range of domestic and international clients. His practice includes advice on Irish and EU authorisation and perimeter issues, ongoing compliance with conduct of business and other requirements, regulatory capital, market abuse, securities regulations, fintech and payment services, AML, corporate governance and financial institution M&A (including sales and purchases of financial assets). Robert also advises on regulatory enforcement action taken by the Central Bank of Ireland and European Central Bank and on industry investigations and inquiries. Robert previously worked in the Financial Regulation group of Clifford Chance LLP in London for several years.

Fintan Clancy

Fintan specialises in tax. He represents companies on the tax issues arising from transactions such as acquisitions, disposals, reorganisations, migrations, securitisations, IP on-shoring and financings. Fintan advises multinationals, financial institutions and private equity in relation to insurance, financial and structured products in relation to significant tax matters. He navigates a path for clients through tax disputes, tax litigation and investigations, whether domestic or cross-border. He is increasingly advising clients on Irish and international policy matters. Previously, Fintan worked in a City of London law firm and a New York headquartered law firm.

Bridget Clinton

Bridget is a senior associate in the Competition and Regulated Markets Group.

Phil Cody

Phil Cody is a partner in the firm’s Finance Group. Phil advises on a broad range of finance and financial services matters. His practice encompasses structured finance, derivatives, debt capital markets, lending transactions (domestic and cross-border, both lender and borrower), financial regulation, and transactions involving investment funds (including fund finance). Phil is a trusted adviser to many of the leading Irish and international financial institutions on Irish law matters and is a go-to Irish counsel for foreign market participants and law firms. Phil leads the firm’s derivatives and trading practice and regularly advices on derivatives, repos and securities lending matters and related netting, collateral and regulatory issues.

Cormac Commins

Cormac is a partner in the firm’s Asset Management and Investment Funds Group. He specialises in the establishment and operation of all types of regulated investment funds. He also advises on the establishment and ongoing regulatory obligations of providers to funds, including management companies, administrators and depositories. Cormac has over 30 years’ experience in the funds industry, the first five of which were in an in-house position with a global funds provider, with the remainder spent in practice with another Irish law firm where he was a senior partner in the asset management and investment funds unit. Cormac is a former Chair of the Irish Funds Legal and Regulatory Specialist Group, and a member of the European Fund and Asset Management Association Legal Steering Group. He is also a past Chair of the Irish Funds UCITS Regulation and Innovation Working Group, a past Chair of the Irish Funds Marketing Working Group, a past member of the Irish Funds Trustee Working Group and Irish Funds Brexit Working Group.

Danielle Conaghan

Danielle is a partner in the Environment and Planning Group and is a founder member of the firm’s Food and Agribusiness Group. Danielle has a broad-based projects and infrastructure practice. She has more than 19 years’ projects experience in Ireland, advising on the full ‘life cycle’ of largescale project delivery; securing consents, financing, constructing and operating, and on all contentious and on-contentious planning and environmental issues. She is a Board member of Wind Energy Ireland, a Council member of the Marine Renewables Industry Association and a member of the Environmental Policy Committee of IBEC. She is a member of the Net Zero Committee of Wind Energy Ireland. She sits on the Environment and Planning Committee of the Law Society of Ireland. She is also a member of the Energy Law Group of some 500 leading lawyers in the energy sector in Europe and Africa (Arthur Cox is the sole Irish representative law firm in this network). She is ranked as a ‘Leading Individual’ in environmental and planning law and maintains an excellent reputation as one of Ireland’s top lawyers in this space and the leading lawyer in the renewables sector in particular. She has been centrally involved in almost all of the largest, most complex and first-of-a kind infrastructure projects in Ireland for many years, particularly in the areas of energy, renewables, food and agriculture, telecoms, manufacturing, digital infrastructure, health and education.

Jacinta Conway

Jacinta has practised exclusively in the area of Environment and Planning for many years. She has played a key role in advising on some of the most complex and significant transactions and litigation in the country. She has a special focus on the renewable energy, waste and natural resources sectors, and specialises in de-risking projects at the outset of their life cycle. Jacinta has also extensive litigation experience in relation to planning and environmental judicial review challenges, planning injunction proceedings and criminal enforcement prosecutions.

Rob Corbet

Rob Corbet is a partner in our Technology & Innovation Group, a market leading team dedicated to specialist data protection, IT and Intellectual Property law.

Michael Coyle

Michael is a Corporate M&A partner and head of the firm’s Private Equity practice. Michael focuses on advising financial investors, public and private companies and family offices on all types of domestic and cross-border M&A, including buyouts, exits, secondaries, carve-outs and spin-offs, public M&A including public to privates, private investments and joint-venture structures. Michael also advises clients on shareholder activism, takeover defense, restructurings, corporate governance, executive incentivisation and securities law matters.

Maeve Crockett

Maeve works in the Construction and Engineering Group advising on construction and infrastructure projects across a wide range of sectors. Maeve has experience advising clients across a wide range of sectors on both contentious and non-contentious issues, drafting contract documents including principal contracts and ancillary documentation, as well as advising clients on issues arising during delivery of projects, general contract management and financing of projects.

Sinead Crowley

Sinéad is of counsel in our Corporate and M&A Group and advises clients on all area of corporate law, in particular on M&A and corporate finance. Sinead advises international and domestic companies, as well as public sector bodies, on all aspects of corporate law and governance, as well as a wide range of commercial matters. Sinead has considerable experience in mergers and acquisitions (domestic and cross-border), advising on public and private transactions as well as corporate finance and equity capital market transactions. Sinead has advised on corporate transactions in the pharmaceutical, food, energy and building sectors and has particular experience in the due diligence and corporate documents associated with the acquisition of private limited companies.

Deirdre Cummins

Deirdre Cummins is Of Counsel at Arthur Cox and a member of the firm’s Pensions and Employee Benefits team, advising on all aspects of pensions law in Ireland. Deirdre is a former chair of the Association of Pension Lawyers in Ireland and a member of the Pensions Council. Deirdre specialises in pensions law and advises employers and trustees on all aspects of Irish pension arrangements both in the private and public sectors. In particular, Deirdre advises on issues arising from the ongoing management and administration of occupational pension arrangements from establishment to winding up, including regulatory compliance, trusteeship issues, drafting and scheme amendments, GDPR considerations, member communications and restructuring and liability management exercises. Deirdre also advises on all pensions aspects of corporate transactions, including share sales and asset and business transfers. Deirdre has broad experience in pensions litigation and has advised extensively on contentious matters between employers and trustees in the context of restructuring and winding-up pension schemes. Deirdre also has broad experience of advising on cross-border pension transfers and on the regulatory and compliance considerations involved in establishing an IORP in another Member State.

Ian Dillon

Ian is a partner and head of the firm’s Asset Management and Investment Funds Group with experience in all aspects of Irish fund law and regulation. Ian’s particular focus is on alternative investments including all aspects of AIFMD as well as real estate, hedge, private equity, credit, infrastructure and liquid fund formation. Ian has extensive experience in Irish Real Estate Funds having acted for some of the world’s leading real estate managers and investors in the establishment, organisation and ongoing management of Irish fund structures. Ian is also experienced in the establishment and ongoing regulation of ETF fund and management operations in Ireland. Ian has worked in the investment funds industry in Ireland and internationally and both in practice and in-house roles for over 20 years.

John Donald

John is Head of our Restructuring and Insolvency Group and advises clients on all aspects of Irish insolvency and restructuring law and procedures, and related special situations and transactions. John specialises in restructuring and insolvency law, with particular emphasis on corporate restructuring, through both formal and informal procedures. He has represented clients of the firm with respect to many of the highest profile and complex restructuring and insolvency cases in Ireland over the last twenty years, and has extensive experience in all aspects of company law, distressed M&A and the purchase and work-out of distressed debt assets. John represents all classes of creditors, debtors, investors, insolvency practitioners, regulators and other stakeholders in relation to the safeguarding of their interests, the discharge of their duties and the mitigation of risk and potential liabilities.

Ian Duffy

Ian is a partner in the Technology & Innovation Group. Ian specialises in advising a wide range of domestic and international clients on outsourcing, digital transformation, cloud-related projects, commercial contracts, data protection, cyber security and information technology. Ian has significant experience in advising clients on complex and high value outsourcing and digital transformation projects. He is also particularly adept at advising financial institutions and other regulated firms on the convergence between technology, outsourcing and financial regulation. Ian also has extensive data protection experience and worked on some of the largest GDPR implementation projects in Europe. Ian regularly presents and publishes on outsourcing, digital transformation and data protection. Ian previously worked in the TMT Group of Linklaters LLP in London for several years.

Ailish Finnerty

Ailish is a partner in our Tax Group, and is also Chair of the firm. She specialises in corporate tax with a particular focus on tax planning for international clients doing business in and through Ireland. Ailish acts for a broad range of international clients including financial institutions, multi-national corporations, private equity houses and hedge funds as well as growth and emerging companies, particularly in the life sciences and technology sectors. She has advised numerous US clients on establishing operations in Ireland and has extensive experience in intangibles planning in and through Ireland. Ailish advises on the tax aspects of a wide variety of transactions, including leasing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, disposals, reorganisations and corporate restructurings, inward investment projects, securitisations and all forms of structured financing. She also has extensive experience in tax controversy matters including mutual agreement procedures (MAP) and other dispute resolution mechanics in international taxation.

Frances Flynn

Frances is an Of Counsel in our Restructuring and Insolvency Group and advises clients on all aspects of Irish insolvency and restructuring law and procedures and related transactions. Frances specialises in restructuring and insolvency law, through both formal and informal procedures. She has extensive experience in both domestic and cross-border restructurings and insolvencies, and she has acted in a number of high profile examinerships, schemes of arrangement, liquidations, receiverships and debt workouts. Frances advises all stakeholders, including companies, directors, financial institutions, creditors, debtors, investors, insolvency practitioners and regulators, in relation to their rights, obligations and options arising in the context of all forms of insolvency and restructuring proceedings, debt enforcement and related litigation. She also advises on all aspects of personal insolvency and bankruptcy. Frances is a founding member and co-chair of the Irish International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC) in Ireland.

Sophie Frederix

Sophie is a partner in our Corporate and M&A Department and leads our Venture Capital and Growth Equity practice. Sophie has substantial experience advising on a range of venture capital and venture debt transactions, equity investments, shareholders agreements, private equity, limited partnership structures and mergers and acquisitions. Sophie’s M&A experience includes private transactions such as mergers, acquisitions and reorganisations, both domestic and cross border and in various industries.

Darragh Geraghty

Darragh is a partner in the firm’s Finance Group and has broad experience of a diverse range of financing transactions including development, fund, real estate, warehouse, acquisition and deleveraging transactions. Darragh acts for both borrowers and funders, with a particular emphasis on borrower clients and on private equity and investment bank funder clients. He has also advised a wide range of clients on the buy-side and the sell-side of portfolio acquisition transactions (both performing and non-performing).

Séamus Given

Séamus is a partner in our Employment Group. He has more than 30 years’ experience in advising on all aspects of employment law and industrial relations law and crisis management issues. Séamus commenced his career as an in-house employment lawyer in Telecom Éireann (eir) in 1985 and transferred to Arthur Cox in 1992, becoming a partner in 1995. Séamus advises and represents employers in disputes with employees, ex-employees, applicants for employment and trade unions, including in hearings before the WRC, the Labour Court, the Circuit Court, the High Court, the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court and the CJEU. He advises on bullying/harassment, grievances, discrimination, disciplinary matters, investigations and on dismissals/redundancies. A particular area of interest is crisis management issues with an employment or industrial relations dimension and whistleblowing/protected disclosures.

Simon Hannigan

Simon is a partner and head of the Real Estate Group and advises on all aspects of commercial real estate including development, construction, property finance, commercial, landlord and tenant and portfolio acquisition. Simon has a broad practice encompassing all aspects of real estate and commercial property work, including acquisition, disposal and financing of asset portfolios and loan portfolios, negotiation of commercial leases and agreements for lease for both landlords and tenants, property aspects of liquidations, receiverships and examinerships and advising on the acquisition, development and disposal of data centres and multi-family and PRF schemes.

Dara Harrington

Dara is a Partner in the Asset Management and Investment Funds Group and heads the firm’s Finance Group. He provides expert guidance to fund sponsors/GPs, investment managers/advisers, fund service providers and investors on the formation and operation of all types of investment funds and transactions, specialising in both private and public market strategies. He is a member and former Chair of the Irish Funds Private Assets Working Group, a role in which he is leading engagement by industry with the Central Bank of Ireland and the Department of Finance on enhancements to the private asset funds regime in Ireland.

Golda Hession

Golda is Of Counsel in the Corporate and M&A Group, and advises clients on all areas of corporate law, in particular on securities law, corporate governance, and ESG. Golda advises international and domestic companies, as well as State and semi-State bodies, on all aspects of corporate law and governance, and a wide range of commercial and regulatory matters. Golda has extensive experience advising on public and private M&A, equity capital markets transactions and in particular, on corporate governance, ESG and executive remuneration matters for many of Ireland’s largest listed issuers.

Patrick Horan

Patrick is a partner in the Competition and Regulated Markets Group. His practice covers EU and Irish competition law, foreign investment screening and sectoral regulation. Patrick advises clients on a wide range of competition and regulatory matters, including merger control, foreign investment screening, investigations, State aid, competition law aspects of agreements, compliance programmes, and competition litigation. He has significant experience advising clients in regulated industries, in particular in the telecoms, transport and energy sectors. Prior to joining Arthur Cox in 2016, Patrick worked in the London and Brussels offices of Slaughter and May.

Colin Kavanagh

Colin is a Partner in the Corporate and M&A Group. He is head of the firm’s Life Sciences Group, Media, Entertainment and Sports Group, and Communications Group. Colin provides corporate, commercial, regulatory and intellectual property advice across a range of industries but in particular the life sciences, food, beverage, agri-business, media, telecoms, sports, entertainment and technology sectors. Colin advises those and other industries on mergers, acquisitions and investments, cross-border tax and intellectual property re-organisations, post-acquisition integrations and corporate treasury activities. Colin advises on the drafting and negotiation of commercial contracts and arrangements a across a range of sectors, with a particular focus on IP based industries. Colin also advises on the regulation of the life sciences and media industries in Ireland.

Aisling Kelly

Aisling is a partner in the Finance Group at Arthur Cox, specialising in debt capital markets, securitisation and structured finance transactions. Aisling advises on bond issues, RMBS, CMBS, CLO and other securitisation structures, private funds and other structured finance transactions. Aisling regularly acts for clients on the acquisition and financing of Irish loan portfolios and on bridge and warehouse financing arrangements and securitisation take-outs. Aisling also advises on regulatory issues impacting structured finance vehicles, including the Securitisation Regulation, as well as issues relevant to listing (including the Market Abuse Regulation, Transparency Directive, Prospectus Regulation and other securities law obligations).

Fintan Kerins

Fintan is a senior associate with our Aviation & Asset Finance Group who has extensive experience advising international and domestic clients on aircraft leasing and secured financing transactions in Ireland. Fintan acts for a wide range of financial institutions, funds, aircraft lessors and airlines, advising on asset finance, asset-backed finance, subscription finance, debt restructuring and finance leases.

Karen Killoran

Karen Killoran is a market‑leading Partner in our Construction and Engineering Group. Karen advises developers, funders, sponsors and corporates on the full lifecycle of major projects—financing, development and construction—across a wide range of sectors including logistics, residential and PRS/BTR, social housing, commercial and mixed‑use, life sciences and renewable energy (notably wind, solar, battery storage and interconnector projects). She has deep experience structuring and negotiating EPC, employer‑design, construction management and DBO contracting models and equipment supply contracts together with advising on the full suite of ancillary documentation such as bonds, collateral warranties and design‑team appointments. She is very familiar with all the industry standard form contracts including FIDIC, RIAI, NEC, JCT and PWC. Karen’s practice spans both complex transactional mandates and contentious matters, and she regularly advises on dispute avoidance and dispute resolution, including adjudication under the Construction Contracts Act 2013, arbitration, conciliation and mediation. Karen is also a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a practising arbitrator (ICC and domestic) and a member of the ministerial panel of adjudicators.

David Kilty

David is a partner in the Tax Group and provides advice across all tax heads on a broad range of commercial matters. David regularly advises clients including Irish and international PLCs, domestic and international banks, semi-State bodies, private equity houses and private Irish companies. David works with corporate clients on mergers & acquisitions, corporate migrations, restructurings, re-organisations and IP structuring. In addition, David has significant experience advising on transactions in the financial services sector, working with a number of lenders, arrangers and issuers on structured finance transactions such as CLOs, CMBS/RMBS and receivables financings. He also works with clients on resolving tax disputes and on structuring real estate transactions.

Cormac Kissane

Cormac Kissane is a partner in the firm’s Finance Department and the Capital Markets Group.

Kevin Langford

Kevin is Head of our Employment Group. He has over 25 years’ experience advising domestic and international employers on all aspects of employment law, providing solution-focused advice to HR professionals, inhouse counsel and leadership teams. Kevin’s client base includes private and listed companies across all sectors including life sciences, technology, financial services, private equity, manufacturing, food & agri and retail. He also advises public sector organisations including third level institutions, schools, hospitals, statutory bodies, semi-State companies and cultural institutions. His advisory practice includes senior executive appointments and departures, performance and grievance management, workplace investigations, dismissals, crisis management, European works councils and health & safety. He frequently advises clients on strategic workforce initiatives, restructuring and redundancy programmes, TUPE transfers and the employment aspects of corporate transactions. Additionally, he provides guidance to companies in managing complex industrial relations issues. On the contentious side, Kevin represents employers before the Workplace Relations Commission, the Labour Court and the civil courts in claims involving unfair dismissal, discrimination and equality issues, protected disclosures, restraint of trade and urgent injunctive relief. Kevin is also a mediator, accredited by CEDR.

Andrew Lenny

Andy is a consultant in the Litigation, Dispute Resolution and Investigations Group. Andy advises on a wide range of commercial disputes, through conciliation, mediation and arbitration, as well as through traditional litigation. He specialises in advising on disputes relating to competition/anti-trust matters, data and privacy, professional negligence, banking and financial services, company acquisitions/sales and joint ventures, commercial contracts and insurance and reinsurance contracts. He has extensive experience in both international and domestic commercial arbitration, including under the UNCITRAL, ICC, AAA and LCIA Rules. Andy also has extensive experience in acting on behalf of entities who are subject to investigation by regulators including the Central Bank of Ireland and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.

Ruth Lillis

Ruth is a partner in our Debt Finance Group and advises clients on all areas of finance law. Ruth has a broad practice with an emphasis on domestic and cross border finance transactions. She acts for a wide variety of financial institutions, private equity, funds and corporates on finance matters across a wide variety of sectors including real estate, corporate, fund finance and asset finance. Ruth also has a particular focus on aviation finance and clients include credit institutions, private equity investors, aircraft lessors and airlines.

Kevin Lynch

Kevin is a partner in the firm’s Debt Finance Group. Kevin has extensive experience in banking and finance transactions. Kevin acts for a wide range of financial institutions, direct lenders, funds and corporates advising on fund finance, speciality finance, asset/property finance, acquisition finance, structured finance, receivables financing, workouts and debt restructuring.

Connor Manning

Connor practices in the area of corporate law, with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance. Connor’s M&A experience includes both public and private transactions such as mergers, acquisitions, reorganisations and joint ventures, both domestic and cross border and in various industries. Connor’s corporate finance experience includes representation of issuers and underwriters in public and private offerings including IPOs and secondary offerings. He also advises on corporate governance, commercial agreements and inward investments.

John Matson

John is a corporate partner and is Head of International at the firm. He specialises in corporate law and has a broad corporate and commercial practice including advising upon domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, and other complex corporate transactions. John also deals with corporate reorganisations and migrations, loan portfolio acquisitions and sales and has significant experience in corporate governance matters for both regulated and unregulated entities. He also deals extensively with overseas clients and counsel on the establishment of business operations in Ireland and in respect of ongoing legal requirements and issues. He has particular experience and expertise in transactions and advisory work in the technology, energy and insurance and financial services sectors. John has, during the course of his career, headed up both our London and New York offices, headed up one of the firm’s M&A teams and has served on, and participates in, the firm’s Management Committee.

Siobhan McBean

Siobhán is a Partner in the firm’s Asset Management and Investment Funds Group. Siobhán advises on all legal and regulatory issues relating to the establishment, structuring and ongoing regulation of investment funds and fund managers in Ireland. Siobhán has extensive experience advising a variety of fund structures and asset classes, including UCITS, QIAIFs, ICAVs, hedge funds, property and real estate funds, loan origination funds, money market funds, fund of funds and private equity funds, as well as advising on a number of cross-border and domestic fund merger transactions. Siobhán also advises investment managers, management companies, AIFMs and other fund service providers in relation to the establishment, authorisation and regulation of operations in Ireland.

Sarah McCague

Sarah advises on all aspects of pensions law and charity law. She advises trustees and employers on the establishment and day-to-day operation of occupational pension schemes including scheme restructuring; liability management exercises; benefit design; benefit reductions; scheme amendments; administration queries for example those in relation to pension adjustment orders; the winding up of pension schemes; and the application of the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) to pension schemes. She also advises in relation to the application of the Charities Act, 2009 and in particular in relation to applications to the Charities Regulatory Authority; obtaining tax-exempt status from the Revenue Commissioners; the mergers of charities; fundraising queries, and governance matters.

Conor McCarthy

Conor is a partner in the Corporate and M&A Group and Head of the London office. Conor advises public and private industry-leading Irish and international corporates and investors on their complex cross-border M&A transactions, all aspects of Irish company law and equity capital markets transactions. Conor advises clients across a variety of business and industry sectors including construction, aviation, financial services, healthcare and energy. Conor advises clients on a wide range of corporate transactions including M&A transactions, joint ventures, corporate finance transactions, cross border mergers, corporate reorganisations and general corporate/commercial law matters. Conor also advises both issuers and banks in relation to equity capital markets transactions. Conor regularly works with his litigation colleagues in advising parties to complex shareholder and other commercial disputes. Conor has advised on some of the most high profile Irish M&A and equity capital markets transactions in recent years. Conor joined the firm in 2014 from Linklaters LLP in London.

Cian McCourt

Cian specialises in mergers and acquisitions, advising on public and private transactions as well as corporate finance and equity capital markets transactions. Cian has experience advising on domestic and cross border transactions in a number of industries including the pharma/healthcare, financial services, energy and technology sectors as well as advising on corporate migrations, holding company structures, schemes of arrangement and cross border mergers. Cian has extensive experience in public M&A and has advised international clients and boards of directors on investing in Ireland and Irish based acquisitions including advising on some of the largest and most high-profile public transactions in Irish corporate history. Prior to joining Arthur Cox Cian was a partner in another leading Irish law firm and spent a number of years based in London and New York. In this video, Cian reflects on the professional milestones in his career to date. Cian discusses the importance of mentorship, changes in the legal industry and reflects on the advice he would give his younger self.

Amy McDermott

Amy is a partner in our Corporate and M&A Group. Amy advises Irish and multinational public and private companies on all aspects of corporate and commercial law across a range of industries and sectors. Amy’s key areas of expertise are domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, loan portfolio sales, joint ventures, venture capital and private equity transactions. Amy is adept at handling cross-jurisdictional matters and has particular experience in transactions and advisory work in the renewable energy, infrastructure and financial services sectors

Niamh McGovern

Niamh advises a broad range of clients across the energy and infrastructure sectors and leads the firm’s Energy and Renewables Sector Group. She brings a wealth of experience in infrastructure delivery, with particular expertise in the energy sector. In the energy sector, Niamh acts for corporates, developers, sponsors, lenders and new market entrants across the full spectrum of energy technologies, including onshore and offshore wind, solar PV, battery energy storage, energy-from-waste, and conventional generation (including CCGT and OCGT projects). Her work spans the entire project lifecycle, advising on project development, M&A and joint ventures, project finance, regulatory matters, and a wide range of commercial contracts (including power purchase agreements, supply and offtake arrangements, and construction and O&M contracts). Beyond energy, Niamh has extensive experience advising on major infrastructure transactions, including public-private partnerships and complex development projects across sectors such as education, transport, pharmaceuticals, residential, leisure, and telecoms. The breadth of Niamh’s experience across energy and infrastructure means that she is uniquely well placed to advise on major projects to ensure successful delivery and bankability.

Christopher McLaughlin

Chris is a partner in the Corporate and M&A Group. Chris specialises in corporate finance, advising international and domestic listed, public and private companies on all aspects of company law, including on compliance and governance issues. He has extensive experience of advising on corporate migrations to Ireland, public takeovers and schemes of arrangement, ECM transactions and private equity. Prior to joining the firm, Chris trained and worked in London, most recently in the London office of a leading US law firm.

Maura McLaughlin

Maura has been a partner since 2007. Prior to joining Arthur Cox, she worked for Linklaters’ London office. Maura advises international and domestic companies, as well as public sector bodies, on all aspects of corporate law and governance, as well as a wide range of commercial matters. Her clients include Ireland’s largest companies, with a focus on the financial services, industrials, entertainment and technology sectors. Maura has extensive experience of advising on public and private M&A, with cross-border transactions being an area of focus. Maura regularly advises on both recommended and hostile takeovers, including schemes of arrangement and mergers. Maura works with companies at every stage of their growth cycle, from initial funding, to private equity investment and through to their IPO or other liquidity event. Maura’s international experience is invaluable in advising companies and investors seeking to establish and invest in Ireland (FDI). Maura provides strategic advice to the boards and senior management of Ireland’s largest and fastest-growing companies on transactions, compliance and governance matters and ESG risks and reporting.

David Molloy

David is a partner in and Head of the firm’s Debt Finance Group. David specialises in domestic and cross-border finance transactions. David advises lenders, private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies and corporates across a wide range of domestic and cross-border finance transactions and has extensive experience in advising lenders on their restructuring and enforcement options. These transactions include real estate and development finance, leveraged and acquisition finance, investment grade, fund finance and corporate lending.

Geoff Moore

Geoff has served as our Managing Partner since 2019. Prior to his current role, he served as Co-Head of our Corporate/ M&A Group specialising in mergers and acquisitions and strategic advisory work for leading corporates. He has transactional experience across a broad range of industries, with a particular focus in recent years on the healthcare / pharma and financial services sectors. He has advised on many of the largest and most high profile M&A deals in Irish corporate history and is repeatedly recognised as one of the country’s leading corporate lawyers by leading independent publications, including Chambers Global/Europe, The Legal 500, IFLR and Who’s Who Legal. Previously, Geoff practised in the Corporate Finance Group of a leading New York firm. Key highlights include advising: \ton many of the largest/ most significant takeovers of Irish quoted companies including AbbVie/ Allergan, IAG/ Aer Lingus, Medtronic/ Covidien, Sumitomo/ Fyffes and Actavis/ Warner Chilcott \ta wide range of participants in distressed M&A matters, most particularly market-leading work on NPL portfolios for both selling financial institutions and private equity purchasers \tleading Irish corporates and their boards on complex corporate governance and strategic shareholder issues, particularly takeover defence and activist shareholder issues

Maeve Moran

Maeve is partner in the Corporate and M&A Group. Maeve advises on public and private mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity investments, equity capital markets and corporate reorganisations. Maeve advises on both domestic and cross border transactions across various industries. Maeve was previously based in the London and New York offices of Arthur Cox and also advises international clients on inward investment and corporate governance matters.

Eve Mulconry

Eve has over 28 years’ experience practising Litigation in Arthur Cox, specialising in large-scale commercial litigation across a range of areas including banking, financial services, and shareholder disputes. Eve has a very significant recoveries practice and has advised on some of the most high profile debt recovery and enforcement cases in the Commercial Court. Her expertise includes obtaining and defending interlocutory applications, obtaining European Enforcement Orders and Anton Piller Orders. Eve has very considerable experience in rating matters and acted in applications concerning rates before the Valuation Tribunal, High Court, and Supreme Court. Eve’s clients include financial institutions, State bodies, and regulated entities. Eve also has extensive experience in judicial review and in competition and regulatory matters.

Olivia Mullooly

Olivia is a Partner in the Technology and Innovation Group and head of the Intellectual Property Group, advising on domestic and cross border intellectual property transactions and licensing, the protection, development and exploitation of IP rights as well as IP disputes and enforcement. She also advises on data protection compliance and commercial contracts. Olivia has advised clients across a range of sectors, including the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, food and beverage industry, technology and internet companies, third level education and research institutions, energy sector, large retailers and in the advertising, media and entertainment sector on intellectual property matters and data protection compliance. Olivia speaks regularly on intellectual property, data protection and related areas in Ireland, Europe and the US. Olivia is also very experienced in advising on the negotiation of IT and commercial contracts. Olivia is also a member of the Sanctions group in Arthur Cox, advising on export control and sanctions compliance. Olivia has advised a number of exporters on licensing requirements under the Dual Use Regulation as well as several clients on compliance with EU trade sanctions most recently in respect of the sanctions against Russia and Belarus.

Kevin Murphy

Kevin a partner in the firm’s Asset Management and Investment Funds Group. He has extensive experience in advising in the area of financial regulation and asset management. In particular, he has considerable experience in advising on the legal and regulatory issues relating to the establishment in Ireland of investment funds (including UCITS, QIAIFs, ETFs, money market funds and private equity funds) as well as UCITS management companies and AIFMs (including those with MiFID top-up approvals). Kevin also advises on ongoing regulatory compliance issues affecting financial services companies operating in Ireland including inspections and investigations by the Central Bank of Ireland and compliance with other obligations such as ESG/SFDR, GDPR and AML. He also advises financial institutions and asset management firms on various matters arising from market, regulatory or dispute/litigation-driven events. He is a regular speaker at industry conferences. Kevin has also contributed to asset management and investment funds industry publications, such as the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal. He is a past Chair of the Irish Funds and a past member of An Taoiseach’s (the Prime Minister’s) Funds Group. He has also advocated for clients before representatives of the European Commission, European Parliament and the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA).

Kate O'Donohoe

Kate is Of Counsel in our Litigation, Dispute Resolution and Investigations Department Group and specialises in the area of Healthcare law, professional regulation and Litigation. Kate advises on all aspects of healthcare service provision and regulation, including mental health, vulnerable adults and investigations. Kate has significant experience advising in the healthcare sector and has advised in relation to a wide variety of disputes and regulatory issues encountered by clients.

$Louise O\'Byrne$

Louise O\'Byrne

Louise is a partner in our Employment Group and is also Head of the firm’s Commercial Group. She has a broad advisory, litigation and transactional practice covering all aspects of employment law both contentious and non-contentious. Louise specialises in helping her clients navigate the complex and evolving regulatory landscape of employment law. She has particular expertise working with clients on crisis management mandates, advising them on their most challenging and reputationally sensitive issues as they navigate their way through a crisis. Louise also has extensive experience in advising on and litigating employment disputes, as well as supporting corporate transactions and outsourcings. Her typical advisory work includes supporting listed and private companies in relation to executive recruitments and terminations, highly sensitive investigations, grievances and disciplinary matters and executive remuneration and incentives. Louise regularly advises of whistleblowing from creating the right speak up culture through to defending injunctions and penalisation claims. Louise is recognised as a leading individual in employment law by Legal 500 and Chambers as well as the International Employment Lawyer (IEL). She is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association of Ireland, the European Employment Lawyers Association and the Employment and Equality Committee of the Law Society of Ireland. She frequently speaks at conferences and seminars on employment law topics and contributes to publications. Louise is a Board Member for Barretstown, a leading Irish charity that offers free, specially designed camps and programmes for children and their families affected by cancer and other serious illnesses. She also sits on the Rotunda Hospital’s Board Governance Committee. The Rotunda Hospital in Dublin is the oldest continually operating maternity hospital in the world, and one of Europe’s busiest.

$Joanelle O\'Cleirigh$

Joanelle O\'Cleirigh

Joanelle works for a broad range of clients, particularly those in the healthcare, life sciences, and regulated sectors. Joanelle also advises clients in relation to inquiries and investigations. Joanelle’s Corporate Crime experience includes advising in relation to the conduct of investigations and inquiries; some of Ireland’s most significant Tribunals of Inquiry, Commissions of Investigation; and on some of the most complex and sensitive statutory and corporate investigations. Her healthcare/life sciences expertise includes advising on: \tcontractual issues; \tdisputes/closure of services; \tHIQA regulations; \tHPRA and Compliance; \tinvestigations/reviews/look-backs and product recalls; \tmedical negligence \tcross border healthcare; \tconstitutional law; \tprivacy and data issues; \tcapacity and consent; \twardship; \tmaternity services \tchild protection.

$Deirdre O\'Mahony$

Deirdre O\'Mahony

Deirdre is a partner in our Litigation, Dispute Resolution and Investigations Group, specialising in regulatory disputes and investigations and white collar crime. Deirdre has market leading experience advising and supporting clients through interactions with regulatory bodies and enforcement agencies in Ireland and internationally, with a particular focus on contentious financial regulatory investigations and enforcement. Deirdre has advised on complex and significant investigations (internal, regulatory, criminal and cross-border) and enforcement matters for domestic and international corporate bodies, financial institutions and senior executives and on related statutory inquiries and litigation. She is an expert in white collar crime and has over fifteen years’ experience in criminal investigation, enforcement and prosecution of corporate bodies and individuals. Deirdre is an accredited CEDR mediator.

$Shane O\'Neill$

Shane O\'Neill

Shane is a partner in our Construction and Engineering Group Shane specialises in non-contentious construction law, predominantly advising developers, institutional investors, funders, owner occupiers and tenants on major development projects.

$Tara O\'Reilly$

Tara O\'Reilly

Tara is a partner in the firm’s Asset Management and Investment Funds Group. Tara has extensive experience in advising leading asset managers and fund promoters. Tara has extensive experience advising clients both globally and domestically in the structuring, establishment, management and sale of a wide variety of investment funds in the UCITS and alternative space. Tara advises those funds, their management companies, servicing operations and directors of their regulation, compliance and corporate governance requirements. Tara has also advised on a number of large asset management group and platform amalgamations. Tara has a particular expertise in ETFs and is a leadership member of the Irish chapter of Women in ETFs. Tara is a regular contributor to international journals and publications.

$Brian O\'Rourke$

Brian O\'Rourke

Brian is a partner in our Real Estate Group and advises on all aspects of commercial real estate (CRE), with a particular focus on the hospitality, energy, office and residential (including BTR/PRS) sectors. Brian has extensive experience on all manner of transactions, including: investment, development, finance, asset management and corporate (M&A) deals. His clients include private equity firms, corporates, family offices, lenders and state bodies.

Stephen Ranalow

Stephen is Head of our Corporate and M&A Group and specialises in corporate and securities law for both listed and private companies, including M&A and ECM transactions. Stephen has advised on some of the largest corporate transactions in recent years, including takeovers, mergers, acquisitions, cross-border transactions, corporate migrations and inversions, IPOs, rights issues, public offerings, reorganisations and joint ventures and acts as relationship partner to some of Ireland’s leading companies. He has particular expertise in corporate transactions in the industrial, financial, FinTech, telecommunications and pharmaceuticals sectors, as well as corporate inversions, redomiciliations and migrations into Ireland. He has also had a key role in leading some of the highest profile contested and hostile takeover transactions in recent years, with mandates spanning both the defensive and bidder side.

Ben Rayner

Ben is Of Counsel in the Debt Finance Group and advises financial institutions, sponsors, funds and corporates on a range of domestic and cross-border financings. Ben has extensive experience advising lenders, borrowers and sponsors on a variety of financing transactions, including fund financing (subscription, asset backed and hybrid facilities), leveraged and acquisition financing and corporate lending. Prior to joining Arthur Cox, Ben worked for international law firms in London and has experience on secondment to the legal teams of an alternative asset manager and an investment bank.

Tara Roche

Tara is a senior associate in our Litigation, Dispute Resolution and Investigations Group.

Colin Rooney

Colin is Head of our Technology and Innovation Group. He advises on data protection and privacy, information technology, outsourcing, cloud computing, and e-business matters. Colin has extensive experience advising domestic and international clients on information management issues, with his data protection and information technology practice covering all aspects of data processing across all industry sectors. His practice also has a strong emphasis on commercial IT agreements. Colin is a frequent speaker on data protection and freedom of information topics, including at the Data Protection Leadership Forum, which the Group launched in 2019. He is also a frequent contributor to various legal journals on the above-mentioned topics.

Richard Ryan

Richard is a partner in the Competition and Regulated Markets Group. He advises on all aspects of EU and Irish competition / antitrust law, including merger control, investigations and dawn raids, competition litigation, competition aspects of commercial agreements and behaviour, EU State aid law, competition compliance programmes, leniency applications, complaints and sectoral studies. He also advises on foreign direct investment screening, trade law, consumer protection law and regulated markets. He has been practising for over 22 years and has been involved in a many of the leading antitrust, merger control and State aid cases in Ireland over that time.

Yvonne Scannell

Yvonne has been consistently rated as one of the top environmental lawyers in Ireland and has been internationally recognised as an environmental and planning expert. Yvonne has extensive practical experience in natural resources, planning and environmental matters. Until recently, Yvonne Scannell was a Professor in the Law School, Trinity College Dublin where she specialised in Irish and European Environmental Law and Policy. She has served on the Advisory Board of the Environmental Protection Agency. She was a founder member and first chairperson of the Irish Association of Environmental Law. She is Vice-President of the European Nuclear Energy Authority and a former member of the European Council for Environmental Law. Professor Scannell is on the visiting faculties of Bocconi and Bayreuth Universities.

Deirdre Sheehan

Deirdre is a partner in the Real Estate Group and provides comprehensive, targeted advice to public and private sector, domestic and international clients on acquisitions and disposals of commercial property, landlord and tenant matters and property finance arrangements. She regularly provides real estate advices to our corporate, banking, and environmental and planning teams and is particularly experienced in commercial real estate investment transactions, Private Rented Sector (PRS) matters and Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) deals.

Imelda Shiels

Imelda is a partner in the Debt Finance Group. Imelda advises both borrowers and financial institutions on a wide range of domestic and international financing transactions, including secured and unsecured lending, syndicate finance, acquisition finance, real estate finance, development finance, working capital finance and debt restructuring.

Michael Shovlin

Michael Shovlin is Of Counsel at Arthur Cox and a member of the firm’s Pensions and Employee Benefits team, advising on all aspects of pension schemes and equity incentive arrangements. Michael trained at Arthur Cox and acquired a wide range of experience as a corporate lawyer with the firm prior to specialising in pensions and equity incentive work. His work today sees him advise employers and scheme trustees on the establishment, restructuring, and day-to-day operation of pension and equity incentive schemes, including drafting and amending scheme documentation, advising on liability management exercises, advising on IORP II compliance, reviewing and negotiating items such as investment management agreements and other agreements with service providers. He also advises on pension scheme reorganisations and on the pensions and equity incentive elements of corporate transactions.

Aiden Small

Aiden is a partner in the Finance Group and leads the Debt Capital Markets team. He specialises in structured finance, securitisation, credit structures/CLOs, and private funds transactions. Aiden’s clients include arrangers, asset managers, hedge funds, private equity firms, and institutional investors. Prior to joining Arthur Cox, Aiden worked for a number of years in London with Allen & Overy, UBS, and Morgan Stanley.

Keith Smith

Keith specialises in complex commercial litigation, dispute resolution and investigations often with multinational aspects. Keith has over twenty years’ experience of dealing with complex disputes across a range of areas including corporate and shareholder disputes, financial services litigation, as well as disputes in the aviation, energy, intellectual property, real estate and technology sectors. He also advises clients in regulatory investigations many of which involve significant reputational issues and potential precedent-setting impact and often result in follow-on litigation.

Philip Smith

Philip Smith is a partner and specialises in Pensions Law and Charity Law. Philip holds practising certificates in both Ireland and Northern Ireland. Philip advises on all aspects of pension schemes both in advising trustees and employers on day to day administration, restructuring, funding, investment, governance, regulatory compliance, disputes, merger, amendment and in relation to corporate transactions. He is a former Chair of the Association of Pension Layers in Ireland and a Fellow of the Irish Institute of Pensions Management. As coordinating partner of Arthur Cox’s Charity Law Group, he advises on the issues affecting charitable and not-for-profit organisations and their Directors/Trustees including advice on governance, regulatory compliance investigations, Revenue aspects mergers, restructurings, cy-pres, wind-up, trust law and fundraising. He is co-author, with Professor Oonagh Breen of UCD, of the Law of Charities in Ireland.

Sarah Thompson

Sarah Thompson is Head of our Financial Regulation Group, and is also Head of our cross-disciplinary ESG Group. Sarah has experience in advising a broad range of clients on financial regulation matters and is admitted to practice in Northern Ireland, Ireland and England & Wales. Sarah advises on Central Bank of Ireland authorisation processes, perimeter issues, ongoing compliance with conduct of business and other requirements (with a special focus on ESG matters and on the Individual Accountability Framework and the Senior Executive Accountability Regime, IAF/SEAR), and financial services M&A. Prior to joining Arthur Cox, Sarah worked in London as a member of the Financial Regulation Group of Linklaters LLP and a partner in the Financial Services Regulatory team of Kirkland & Ellis International LLP.

Mark Thuillier

Mark is a Partner in our Environment and Planning Group. He has extensive experience in providing environmental and planning law advice for large-scale infrastructure projects, with a particular emphasis on housing and renewable energy projects.

Michael Twomey

Michael is Head of our Litigation, Dispute Resolution and Investigations Group and specialises in commercial and corporate disputes, including financial services litigation, shareholder and contractual disputes, property disputes, landlord and tenant issues, and tax disputes. Michael advises on high-value and complex disputes across all industry sectors. He is highly experienced in relation to risk management, formal litigation (including in the Irish Commercial Court), regulatory investigations, and alternative dispute resolution procedures such as arbitration and mediation. Michael advises Irish and international companies, professional services firms, financial institutions, statutory/government bodies, private equity funds, pension and investment funds. Michael speaks regularly at industry events on all aspects of litigation prevention and resolution and tutors at the Law Society of Ireland’s Diploma in Commercial Litigation course.

David Vos

David is a partner in the Corporate and M&A Group, specialising in public and private M&A, equity capital markets transactions, corporate governance and securities law. David advises international and domestic companies as well as state and semi-state bodies on all aspects of corporate law and governance. He has advised on some of the most high-profile corporate transactions in recent years, including public takeovers, private M&A, rights issues, placings and other public offerings, holding company structures, schemes of arrangement and joint ventures. David also advises on corporate governance and securities law issues for listed companies. David has particular experience in public takeovers, having advised on a number of high-profile recommended and contested/hostile takeovers in recent years, and equity capital markets, where he advises both issuers and banks.

Amelia Walsh

Amelia is Of Counsel in the Litigation, Dispute Resolution and Investigations Group, specialising in financial services litigation and regulatory intervention and investigations, as well as statutory appeals and judicial review. Amelia has particular expertise in advising financial institutions, pensions, and professional service providers in relation to high-profile regulatory investigations, crisis-management, and information governance processes, and related forensic data reviews. She also has extensive experience in advising, and acting for, regulated firms, statutory and government entities, private and public companies in the financial services, energy and retail sectors in respect of all aspects of the litigation process, as well as dispute prevention and alternative dispute resolution processes. Amelia regularly deals with multi-party and multi-jurisdictional disputes before the Commercial List of the High Court and leads large-scale and complex discovery and data review processes. Amelia is a trusted adviser to many of the firm’s key clients including Bank of Ireland, Ulster Bank Ireland DAC, RBS, Veridian/Energia Group, Britvic Ireland Limited, Eirgrid, Gas Networks Ireland, Flutter Entertainment plc, and Further Capital Global Management.

John Walsh

John has wide experience in all aspects of commercial property law including advising on the construction law aspects of commercial transactions. John’s clients include developers, tenants, and purchasers. He has wide experience in relation to property investment and financing of new developments.

Ciara White

Ciara is a senior associate in the Real Estate Group since March 2020, having practised in the UK for a number of years previously. Ciara has significant experience advising on all aspects of commercial real estate transactions across all real estate sectors (office, industrial, PRS/BTR, hospitality and retail) with particular focus on portfolio and single-asset acquisitions & disposals, commercial leasing, forward-fund and forward purchase development agreements, property finance, corporate mergers and acquisitions and landlord & tenant issues/asset management. Ciara has been a key deal team member on several headline property transactions, managing a large number of team members, large volumes of due diligence and contract negotiations. Ciara also regularly collaborates with colleagues across the Firm on a variety of cross-border and domestic deals, including but not limited to, corporate M & A, property finance, loan sales and renewable energy projects

Richard Willis

Richard is a partner in the Litigation, Dispute Resolution and Investigations practice. He advises clients on investigations, commercial disputes and cyber issues in the financial, technology, sports and education sectors. He has over 20 years’ experience in complex disputes, internal and regulatory investigations which often require injunctive relief and crisis management across multiple jurisdictions.