LAW FIRMS WHO’S WHO
A&L GOODBODY Solicitors: 365 Mng. Partner: David Widger
Since March 2023, the firm has had three lateral hires at partner level: Lorena Dunne (Investment Funds & Asset Management), Aideen Burke (Commercial & Technology), and John Palmer in Belfast (Energy, Infrastructure & Natural Resources). On notable deals, David Widger singles out advising Zurich Insurance plc on its crossborder conversion to Zurich Insurance Europe AG. The mandate was a first for any insurance company in Europe, and the first cross-border conversion application to come before the Irish courts.
MATHESON Solicitors: 361 Managing Partner: Michael Jackson
The firm says 2023 was another very strong one for its Corporate M&A, Litigation and Tax teams, including advising Horizon Therapeutics on the completion of its $27.5bn acquisition by Amgen Inc; Smurfit Kappa on its proposed combination with WestRock, valued at c.$20bn; and Aon’s $13.4bn agreement to acquire NFP. Notable lateral hires over the past year include
Alison Bearpark as partner in the Construction and Engineering team, and Lorcan Keenan as Head of Pensions within the firm’s Employment, Pensions and Benefits department. The Corporate M&A practice was boosted with the addition of Rory Mullarkey, a senior partner at Kirkland & Ellis in London, while tax specialist Olivia Long rejoined Matheson from the OECD in Paris.
ARTHUR COX Solicitors: 326 Mng. Partner: Geoff Moore
The firm says it is significantly developing additional consulting
services, and hired Ciaran Flynn at the end of 2023 as Head of Governance, Risk and Compliance Consulting. New partner appointments in January 2024 were Gillian Beechinor (Real Estate), Kylie Dollard (Corporate and M&A), Jack Logan (Litigation, Dispute Resolution and Investigations), Peter Murphy (Capital Markets), and Shane O’Neill (Construction and Engineering). New Of Counsel announced in January 2024 were Maeve Crockett, Sinéad Crowley, Niamh Fennelly, Kate Hogan, and LesleyAnn Perera.
McCANN FITZGERALD Solicitors: 290 Mng. Partner: Stephen Holst
Notable deals during the past 12 months in the ESG arena include acting as lead counsel to ESB on the issue of €500m of green bonds, advising Diageo on the construction of its carbon neutral brewery, and advising Ballymore Group on the development of land at St James’s Gate into Dublin’s first Zero Carbon District. In the Energy arena, the firm advised ESB on its offshore wind JV with Ørsted, and advised the EMPower shareholders on its sale to Statkraft. In Financial Services, McCanns advised Shannon Engine Support on the largest engine financing deal in the market to date. The firm was also involved in the probe into RTÉ voluntary severance schemes.
Notable appointments include Stephen Ryan and Dr Beverley Williamson to the Antitrust and Competition group. The firm secured three awards in the EMEA section at the 2024 Managing IP Awards in London, with partner Fiona O’Beirne winning the award for Practitioner of the Year.
MASON HAYES & CURRAN Solicitors: 279 Mng. Partner: Will Carmody
Kevin Mangan joined from Google in 2023 and is co-head of the firm’s Tax team. He has expertise working with international groups on cross-border tax structuring. Notable
deal involvement cited by the firm include acting for SSE Renewables on its 50/50 joint venture with Bord na Móna, which aims to develop eight onshore wind projects. MH&C also advised Statkraft Ireland’s sale of the country’s largest solar park, and advised Highfield Solar on its Gaskinstown solar PV plant and related €65m project financing. The firm says it invests up to 1% of annual turnover across CSR activities, “to help contribute in a meaningful way to addressing some of the current societal issues”.
WILLIAM FRY Solicitors: 208 Mng. Partner: Owen O’Sullivan
Owen O’Sullivan was reappointed as Managing Partner in November 2023, and recent lateral hires include Colin Bolger (Tax) joining as partner and Derina Bannon joining the Asset Management & Investment Funds department from Deloitte. In May 2023 the firm appointed partners Michelle Martin and Gerard James (Litigation & Investigations) and Fiachra Cork (Corporate/ M&A). On the service front, the firm has created Tech Reg Connect, a bespoke product to help businesses to navigate complexities presented by the EU Digital Reforms package. At the annual Managing IP Awards, the firm was named Irish Trademark Disputes Firm of the Year 2024 for the second year running. A significant new mandate in 2023 was being appointed lead advisor to Coimisiún na Meán, the new regulator for broadcasting and online media.
BYRNEWALLACE Solicitors: 148 Managing Partner: Feargal Brennan
New lateral senior hires have included partners Laura Greene (Corporate and Technology), Donal O’Donovan (Banking and Finance), and Orla Riddell (Tax). The firm won the Irish Pension Law Firm of the Year 2023 award at the Pensions Awards 2023. Six lawyers from across the firm also achieved Who’s Who Legal awards.
MAPLES AND CALDER Solicitors: 123 Mng. Partner: Peter Stapleton
The firm says that its largest client transactions tend to involve hundreds of professionals across the Maples network. In 2023 the firm advised on a number of award-winning deals, including in the music rights and royalty space, in the M&A space for one of the largest technology acquisitions in Ireland, and in financial services for the largest names in the IFSC. In 2024, Blessing Buraimoh joined as
the group’s Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lead, while Aidan Kenny joined as the group’s Head of Innovation.
RDJ Solicitors: 115 Mng. Partner: Jamie Olden
The firm relocated to a new Ireland HQ in Cork city centre in November 2023. Notable hires include partners Shane O’Connor in the Construction practice and Paul McCutcheon as Head of Housing.
EVERSHEDS SUTHERLAND Solicitors: 98 Mng. Partner: Alan Connell
Recent appointments include partner Seán Scally as Head of Energy in the Dublin office. He is a specialist in the areas of electricity and gas market regulation and trading, and has advised on a large number of corporate power purchase agreements. Employment law specialist Marie Claire Scullion also recently joined the firm as a partner. Notable deals cited by
the firm are advising a Coillte/ESB joint venture on an agreement with Greencoat Renewables in respect of its pipeline of onshore wind projects, and advising security distributor Fortus on its first transaction in the Netherlands.
BEAUCHAMPS Solicitors: 97 Mng. Partner: John White
The firm made four lateral partner hires in the past year: Pat McInerney (Head of Public and Regulatory), Shane Costelloe (Employment), John Gaffney (Competition and ESG), and Áine Smith (EU and Procurement). Recent M&A work has included acting on the sale of SoftCo, as well as McCabes Pharmacy, where the CCPC is engaged. The market-leading housing team is currently advising on several large-scale mixed-tenure housing projects for Respond, and advising Dublin City Council on a large cost rental/social housing project.