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Nicholas Blake-Knox

Nicholas Blake-Knox

Nicholas is the Managing Partner of Walkers' Ireland office and head of Walkers' Asset Management and Investment Funds Practice Group in Ireland. He has over 20 years’ experience in the area of asset management and investment funds. Nicholas advises funds, promoters and service providers on establishing, authorising and operating all types of investment funds and regulated entities in Ireland. He has experience of a wide range of asset classes and investment strategies including hedge fund, private equity, real estate and liquid investments. He has also advised on establishing investment fund platforms in jurisdictions outside Ireland. Nicholas is widely regarded as a leading figure within the asset management and investment funds industry in Ireland. Nicholas has held various non-executive leadership positions within the industry including serving as Chairperson of the Irish Funds Council in 2025, the association representing the investment funds and asset management industry in Ireland. In 2025, he was appointed to the Joint Committee of the Irish government’s Ireland for Finance initiative, aimed at further growing and developing Ireland’s financial services sector, for a two-year term. In 2026, Nicholas was appointed by the Irish government to sit on its Company Law Review Group (CLRG), the group established to advise the government on enhancements to Ireland's company law offering. Nicholas is a regular contributor to media and a speaker at investment fund and asset management conferences. He is also a member of the advisory board of the Certified Investment Fund Director Institute and lectures on various executive education programmes. Nicholas has participated in ESMA hearings in Paris in relation to asset management matters and frequently authors thought leadership pieces.
Dermot Casserly

Dermot Casserly

Dermot  is a Partner and head of Walkers Employment team in Ireland and advises on all aspects of employment law. He helps clients navigate complex workplace matters, from creating robust employment contracts to resolving sensitive disciplinary issues. Dermot gives strategic advice on all legal issues arising out of the employment relationship including: - employment contracts and audits - staff handbooks - disciplinary and grievance procedures - redundancy consultations - union negotiations Additionally, he represents clients in defending various employee claims, including unfair dismissal and equality claims. Known for his strategic counsel on Transfer of Undertakings (TUPE), immigration and M&A employment matters, Dermot has earned recognition as a trusted advisor to employers and HR professionals
Michael Dyulgerov

Michael Dyulgerov

Michael Dyulgerov is based in Walkers' Ireland office where he is Of Counsel in the Asset Management and Investment Funds Group. Michael works with domestic and international clients on the establishment, authorisation and operation of various investment fund vehicles and structures, including UCITS and AIFS. Michael also has experience in the restructuring of various investment structures embedding Irish vehicles, including the transposition of investment funds and wholly owned subsidiaries into multi-jurisdictional structures containing vehicles of various types. Michael has assisted on a number of financing transactions involving various types of investment funds and wholly owned subsidiaries. He has experience in advising various other service providers (including investment managers, investment advisors, depositaries and sub-custodians) in respect of various discrete legal matters. Michael sits on the Irish Funds' Member Engagement working group and is also a member of the Walkers' Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Michael has been involved in various Walkers' working groups and committees discussing regulatory matters, including PRIIPs KIDs, ESG, individual accountability framework, FinTech and AIFMD II. Michael has assisted on the production of various Walkers advisories, including in respect of liquidity stress testing, performance fees, the Benchmark Regulation and various topics under AIFMD II.
Niall Esler

Niall Esler

Niall Esler heads Walkers' Regulatory & Risk Advisory Practice Group in the Ireland office and specialises in Irish and EU financial services regulation. Niall advises domestic and international credit institutions, investment firms, payment/e-money institutions, asset managers, funds and other institutions on all aspects of Irish and EU financial services regulation. Niall’s experience includes advising on regulatory perimeter, licensing, prudential and conduct of business requirements. He also has significant commodities regulatory experience. He is part of the team that advises global financial services groups on establishing regulated entities in Ireland to manage the impact of Brexit. He is also a member of our FinTech Group. Niall advises on: implementing regulatory change projects and remediation exercises financial institution and utility company mergers and acquisitions regulated asset (e.g. loan book) sale transactions winding down regulated business. He has also helped clients facing Central Bank of Ireland or European Central Bank regulatory authority inspections, themed reviews, risk mitigation programmes and administrative sanctions procedures.
Caitlín Friel

Caitlín Friel

Caitlín is Of Counsel in the Walkers Asset & Aviation Finance Group. Caitlín advises banks, financial institutions, international aircraft operating lessors, aircraft owners, financial arrangers and private equity groups on asset finance transactions. Caitlín has advised on the financing and leasing of both fixed wing and rotary aircraft including government-supported financings, secured lending, cross-border and operating leases, the purchase and sales of single aircraft and multi-aircraft portfolios, workouts and restructurings, debt finance and security matters, domestic and cross-border tax-driven leasing, pre-delivery financing and sale and lease-back financing. Caitlín also has experience on a wide range of cross border banking and finance transactions, including bilateral and syndicated lending, leveraged and acquisition financings and restructurings.
William Greensmyth

William Greensmyth

Will is a Partner and Head of Walkers' Insolvency and Dispute Resolution Practice Group in Ireland. His principal areas of expertise are formal insolvency procedures and contentious litigation. He focuses on advising financial institutions and private equity firms on distressed loan situations and enforcement options and remedies. He also acts for insolvency practitioners once they are appointed as receivers, liquidators or examiners. As well as this, Will has considerable experience in court liquidations and advising liquidators. As a litigator, Will has worked on several high-profile Commercial Court matters, and was lead solicitor on a successful fraudulent disposition action under section 139 of the Companies Act 1990.
Matt Hedigan

Matt Hedigan

Matt specialises in financing and leasing aviation assets and is a member of our Asset and Aviation Finance Practice Group. Matt advises private equity investors, operating lessors, financial institutions and airlines on tax-efficient leasing and financing structures. That includes platform establishments, warehouse financings, joint ventures and transportation business acquisitions disposals. He also specialises in advising clients on derivative and securities-lending transactions for a wide range of Irish entities using industry standard documentation like the International Swaps and Derivatives Association’s master agreements and global master repurchase agreements. Matt has a strong finance background and particular expertise in cross-border debt capital markets transactions. This includes aircraft securitisations and loan portfolio financings, acquisitions and restructurings. He regularly advises on Irish and European Union financial services and securities law including: The Prospectus Directive The European Market Infrastructure Regulation The Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive The Markets in Financial Instruments Directive The Market Abuse Directive The Securitisation Regulation.
Keith Hyland

Keith Hyland

Keith is a Senior Associate in Walkers' Insolvency and Dispute Resolution Group and is based in the Ireland office. Keith's principal practice areas are formal insolvency procedures, debt recovery and commercial litigation. In particular, Keith advises financial institutions, private equity firms and other creditors in relation to security enforcement, strategy and remedies available in distressed loan situations. He advises on all options available under loan facilities and security documentation and is involved in High Court and Commercial Court proceedings against defaulting borrowers including judgment, possession and bankruptcy proceedings.
Aongus McCarthy

Aongus McCarthy

Aongus is a partner in the Walkers' Asset Management and Investment Funds Practice Group and helps clients with the Undertakings for the Collective Investment in Transferable Securities (UCITS) regulatory framework, retail investor alternative investment funds (RIAIFs) and qualifying investor alternative investment funds (QIAlFs). He covers all types of strategies and asset classes, including debt, credit, real estate and private equity. Aongus advises domestic and international asset managers on structuring, establishing and running investment funds under Irish law. Aongus also advises on establishing and running management companies and alternative investment fund managers. He also has experience of various aspects of corporate governance, distribution and regulatory compliance matters.
Killian McSharry

Killian McSharry

Killian specialises in asset-finance transactions and is part of our Asset & Aviation Finance Practice Group. Killian advises banks, financial institutions, international aircraft operating lessors, aircraft owners, financial arrangers and private equity funds on financing and leasing both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft. This includes: Setting up and advising on the establishment of aviation financing and leasing platforms (including funds-backed); Delivery financing PDP financing Purchase and leasing transactions for both commercial and private aircraft Aircraft securitisations Export credit financing Workouts and restructurings Domestic and cross-border tax-driven leasing Sale and lease-back transactions Killian also has experience of a wide range of cross-border banking and finance transactions, including bilateral and syndicated lending, and leveraged and acquisition financings and restructurings. Killian regularly lectures for the Law Society of Ireland’s Aviation law diploma and presents at leading aviation industry conferences.
Tristan Meyer

Tristan Meyer

Tristan Meyer is a senior associate in the Corporate practice group in Walkers’ Irish office where he advises on corporate M&A, private equity and general corporate and commercial law. Tristan has practised in two jurisdictions (South Africa and Ireland) and has demonstrable expertise in cross-border and domestic M&A transactions (assisting as both lead and local counsel), private equity transactions, joint ventures, shareholders’ agreements and corporate governance matters, corporate re-organisations and general commercial negotiations across a range of sectors including technology, aviation, retail and real estate.
Joe Mitchell

Joe Mitchell

Joe Mitchell is a senior associate in the Walkers' Asset Management and Investment Funds practice based in the Ireland office. Joe focuses his practice on financial services with an emphasis on the structuring, establishment, corporate governance and ongoing operation of Irish regulated investment funds in particular alternative investment funds and UCITS for a wide variety of asset managers, investment banks and private equity managers, pursuing a broad range of investment policies and mandates. Joe has extensive experience in advising those funds, their management companies, directors and service providers on their operations in Ireland.
Emmet Quish

Emmet Quish

Emmet is part of Walkers' Asset Management and Investment Funds Practice Group, specialising in the structuring and establishment of all types of investment funds, including alternative funds and UCITS. He also handles ongoing compliance work related to these funds. Emmet advises on legal, regulatory and compliance matters representing asset managers, investment funds, management companies and their service providers. Additionally, his expertise extends to advising on the creation and operation of UCITS management companies and alternative investment fund managers (AIFMs) with a close focus on ESG matters.
Eoin Ryan

Eoin Ryan

Eoin is a partner in Walkers' Irish Corporate Practice Group. He has extensive expertise in M&A, asset acquisitions and disposals, joint ventures, partnerships, commercial contracts and shareholders’ agreements. He has also worked on domestic and multi-jurisdictional transactions, from initial stages to completion. Eoin advises on domestic and cross-border corporate restructuring, Irish corporate governance and general commercial matters. He has been part of a number of high-profile transactions involving Irish, US, UK and global clients, including large multinational corporations. Recent Experience Eoin has acted on a number of high-profile transactions including advising: an Irish mast company in relation to its multi-million euro sale to an infrastructure fund; an Irish wireless networks company on its sale to a US entity; a large US corporation on its multi-million euro acquisition of an Irish media company; a UK asset manager on its entry into various joint-venture agreements with Irish property developers; a European advertising company on its acquisition of an Irish advertising business; a leading European finance company on the multi-million euro sale of its assets to a US bank; an Asian corporation on its multi-million euro acquisition of an Irish semi-conductor company; the lender to a UK bank on the restructuring of its Irish operations; an Irish energy company on various equity-fundraising rounds; and a UK bank on its successful exit from various Irish investments.
Jonathan Sheehan

Jonathan Sheehan

Jonathan is the Managing Partner of our Ireland office and head of the Tax Group. A corporate lawyer by training and qualified chartered tax adviser (CTA), Jonathan advises on various financial, corporate and real estate transactions. Jonathan's primary area of focus is on the tax treatment of capital markets, investment funds and real estate transactions. He also has extensive experience in advising on M&A transactions, corporate migrations, cross-border mergers and loan portfolio sales and acquisitions. Jonathan has acted for a wide range of domestic and international clients, including publicly listed companies, financial institutions, private equity providers, fund managers and administrators, and Irish State bodies. Jonathan sits on the tax committees of various industry associations in Ireland. He is known for his collaborative style, technical ability and commitment to client service.
Claire Winrow

Claire Winrow

Claire is based in Walkers' Ireland office where she is a partner in the Global Asset Management and Investment Funds group in Ireland. Claire advises domestic and international asset managers on the structuring, establishment and operation of alternative investment funds (QIAlFs) under Irish law, covering all types of strategies and asset classes, including private equity, venture capital, credit, real estate and infrastructure strategies. Claire has experience advising sponsors establishing ICAVs, Investment Limited Partnerships, 1907 LPs as well as a number of international fund structures. Claire also advises on various aspects of corporate governance, distribution and regulatory compliance matters. Claire has been a member of the Irish Funds Legal and Regulatory Working Group.