LK Shields Solicitors LLP

The firm: LK Shields is ranked among the leading law firms in Ireland. With over 125 employees, its dynamic business environment enables delivery of solution-focused legal advice across multiple practice areas. The firm maintains close contacts with leading law firms in Europe, the US and other jurisdictions.

Areas of practice
M&A: The team consistently represents parties in high profile acquisitions and disposals of private enterprises and offers for public companies in Ireland, including MBOs, ‘take private’ transactions and cross-border acquisitions and disposals. With the support of specialists throughout the firm, its lawyers are dedicated to the efficient management of the legal aspects of acquisitions and disposals.

Corporate finance: The team advises on public offerings and private placing of equity and debt securities and is accustomed to working closely with issuers, financial and other advisers in achieving the timetables of debt and equity offerings. Its lawyers guide clients through the often complex legal, regulatory and compliance issues to ensure that client objectives are accomplished speedily, efficiently, and comprehensively.

EU and competition: The team deals with all aspects of EU and Irish competition law including the provisions on restrictive practices, abuse of a dominant position and merger control. It has acted for complainants, defendants and notifying parties in respect of proceedings before the Competition Authority, the Irish courts, the EU Commission and the European courts. The team has also put competition compliance programmes in place for clients, designed to avoid competition law infringements.

Corporate and commercial: The team advises a wide variety of Irish and international clients on all aspects of company and commercial law. It advises on the structuring and implementation of all forms of corporate transactions including telecommunications, project finance, energy and natural resources, healthcare, inward investment, and e-commerce.

Financial services: The team advises domestic and international investment banks, asset managers and multinationals on regulated, domestic, and unregulated funding structures in Ireland, including collective investment schemes, conduit financing structures, cross-border treasury operations, and asset financing and leasing.

Banking: The team offers a full range of domestic banking services including - lending and debt transactions, syndicated credit facilities, project finance transactions, leveraged buyouts and inter-creditor agreements. The firm also represents creditors and debtors in examinership and liquidation proceedings and negotiation of pre-insolvency workout arrangements.

Commercial litigation and dispute resolution: The firm has particular experience in complex and high profile commercial litigation generally and in professional negligence defence, intellectual property, labour disputes, partnership and shareholder disputes. Its mediation and associated skills are adding value and playing an increasingly important role in early resolution of commercial disputes.

Technology and innovation: The firm’s highly regarded technology and innovation team handles all aspects of intellectual property, both contentious and non-contentious.  The firm advises on franchise and distribution arrangements, data privacy, media and all aspects of information technology — both hardware and software — advertising and consumer law issues.

Employment: The firm advises on all aspects of the employer/employee relationship with its employment law team comprising a multidisciplinary team of solicitors from the corporate and commercial and the litigation and dispute resolution departments. The firm represents clients in all employment law fora and has acted in a large number of disputes involving restrictive covenants, unfair/wrongful dismissal claims, redundancy related disputes and employment injunctions. The firm’s lawyers also advise on health and safety law issues.

Pensions and employee benefits: The firm has extensive experience in all aspects of pension schemes, regulatory and transactional issues, product development and pension disputes. It acts for employers, trustees, regulatory and government agencies, product providers and scheme actuaries.

Real estate: The real estate team has extensive expertise in all areas of commercial and investment property transactions. The team advises a wide variety of clients including major Irish and international corporates, financial institutions, large institutional and private investors and public bodies.

Insolvency: The firm’s insolvency and corporate restructuring team has extensive experience with all insolvency and corporate restructuring issues and has acted in many of the country’s high-profile insolvencies over the years. Its lawyers regularly act on behalf of liquidators, directors, shareholders and other corporate stakeholders.

Private equity and venture capital: The firm has extensive experience advising on the structuring, formation and financing of Irish and international private equity funds, as well as advising investors in private equity funds.