GRAINNE LOUGHNANE

Managing Partner Hatstone

ACTIVITY This is an incredibly exciting time for the firm and our clients, as we have just established the European hub for Hatstone, the international legal, corporate and trust services and investment fund administration group, welcoming the partners and staff of Tully Rinckey Ireland. The Dublin team joined Hatstone’s 51 staff and completes a vital piece of the firm’s European growth strategy. The firm boasts a first-class team of senior professionals with backgrounds in Magic Circle and other top-tier international firms.

REMOTE WORKING We are proud of the firm’s consistency in service delivery. Our staff have made a huge effort to maintain communication with both colleagues and clients. We have adapted quickly to video conferencing technology and the response to the use of applications such as MS Teams has been positive and is quite convenient for clients based outside Dublin.

LITIGATION The Courts Service has obviously slowed down considerably since the first lockdown, and to a certain degree, this has interrupted the pace of litigation. However, the current landscape has meant there are some very contentious situations arising, and we have received an influx of instructions from clients who need advice.

OUTLOOK Ireland has become an attractive destination for international law firms to establish offices in the aftermath of Brexit. We intend to fully utilise our contact base through our Hatstone colleagues to grow our financial service and corporate practice.

We have identified significant opportunities within the banking and finance sector, particularly in relation to development finance. We offer expertise across the full spectrum of finance and corporate transactions, as well as many years of experience supporting offshore investors, firms and financial institutions. We also have experience advising on real-estate transactions, including inbound investment into social housing. We’re seeing a lot of interest in this sector, from investors seeking to diversify away from more mature markets for these assets in the UK and Europe.

‘We have identified opportunities within the banking and finance sector’