Profile
Work Department
Position
Callaghan is a partner of Maples and Calder's Finance team in the Maples Group's Dublin office.
Callaghan advises arrangers, managers, investors and issuers on a wide range of finance, debt capital markets and structured finance transactions. He focuses particularly on structured products, such as CLOs and other asset backed securitisations, commodities, utilities, marketplace lending and other alternative asset class financings, as well as on repackagings and other programme issuers. Callaghan also advises on fund-linked structures, such as managed account platforms, loan funds and debt funds. He regularly advises on wider financial services and regulatory law, both in relation to regimes that impact structured finance transactions‒such as STS, securities offerings, market abuse, EMIR and risk retention‒ and on issues generally affecting financial services firms, such as like licensing and establishment, change of control and ongoing regulatory compliance.
Career
Callaghan joined the Maples Group as a trainee in 2009, and upon qualification in 2012, joined the Finance team. He was elected as a partner in 2018.
Callaghan has been ranked as a Leading Lawyer - Highly Regarded in IFLR1000 2020 and 2019 in Capital markets: Debt and Capital Markets: Structured Finance and Securitisation. He has been described by clients as "fast, accurate, knowledgeable and detail orientated; collegial and a strong communicator". In IFLR's 2020 guide a client attested that Callaghan "added great value to any transaction he is on" and reported that he is "a very dynamic individual with excellent legal skills which are deployed in a commercial way". Callaghan is also listed as a Next Generation Partner in The Legal 500 2019 EMEA guide, where he is described as "responsive, clear and pragmatic". In the 2020 Chambers Global Guide, Callaghan was ranked as an 'Up & Coming' lawyer where a source stated: "He is incredibly dynamic and really engrossed in the area," and added that he is "someone who brings a lot of value to transactions, is proactive and responsive and goes out of his way to facilitate everything."
Callaghan is a qualified Irish tax advisor.
Memberships
Education
Irish Taxation Institute, Eire, AITI Chartered Tax Advisor (CTA), 2011
Princeton University, USA, BA, History, 2005
Content supplied by Maples Group
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘The team are very responsive and provide very thoughful advice on transactions. In particular, their input is often commercially presented and considered in its approach to the nature of the transaction and client in particular. It is very easy and enjoyable to collaborate with them as a firm, working together on multi jurisidctional trades. ’
‘Callaghan Kennedy and Lynn Cramer (tax partner) are key members of the team. They provide consistently excellent advice and insight into the Irish market. Lynn Cramer in particular helps to distil complex tax structuring issues. ’
‘A strong firm for European CLO Irish advice with great depth at partner and associate level. Highly responsive and always distilling complex matters into workable solutions.’
‘I have worked for a long time with Joe O'Neill, and he is just what one wants for a capital markets/finance partner. He is an expert in his area, responsive, including when contacted for something on short notice, and deals with everything with good humour and on time. He is also very good at getting my coverage in other areas or jurisdictions covered by Maples. I recommend him unreservedly.’
‘The team is of very high quality across the board which makes working with them helpful and straightforward.’
‘Stephen McLoughlin, Joe O’Neill and Andrew Quinn (tax partner) are excellent. They are responsive and practical.’
‘Market leading practice in the structured credit space, with particular expertise in CLOs and ABS. ’
‘Callaghan Kennedy and Joe O'Neill provide excellent assistance on multi-jurisdictional transactions.’
Key clients
- Cabot Financial (UK)
- Waterfall Asset Management
- CVC Credit Partners
- TwentyFour Asset Management
- Palmer Square Capital Management
- Bain Capital Credit
- Serone Capital Management
- Guggenheim Partners
- HPS Investment Partners
- Goldman Sachs International