McCann FitzGerald LLP

Firm overview:  With almost 600 people, including 450 lawyers and professional staff, McCann FitzGerald LLP is one of Ireland’s premier law firms. We offer expert, forward-thinking legal counsel to clients in Ireland and internationally. The firm is a full service firm, divided broadly into four main groupings of corporate, banking and financial services, disputes and real estate (including construction). We also operate industry sector and specialist practice groups which comprise professionals from the different groupings.

Main areas of practice
Corporate: Partners 19 (+2 consultants); fee-earners 68
The corporate group has extensive experience in advising on corporate and commercial transactions including some of the most complex and innovative M&A transactions and equity offerings, often with a cross-border element.

• Advised Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c. acquisition of a €5.7bn mortgage business from NatWest Group.
• Advised on Project Fastnet - sale of SCB Aviation Finance Leasing Business to AviLease worth US$3.6bn equity value (US$700m cash).
• Advised Cordiant Digital Infrastructure, in connection with its acquisition of, Speed Fibre Group. Circa $205m (Enterprise Value).

Contact: Stephen FitzSimons
Tel: +353 1 611 9117
Email: [email protected]

Finance: Partners 24 (+2 of counsel and 2 consultants); fee-earners 72
The finance group advises on the full range of banking and financial services activities in the Irish market as well as internationally where there is an Irish nexus. McCann FitzGerald LLP specialises in advising on innovative financing transactions and complex regulatory issues.

• Advised AerCap in connection with its offering of $1bn aggregate principal amount of the 5.750% unsecured senior notes due 2028.
• Advised Sky Leasing on the Irish law aspects of its sale of Sky Fund I Irish, Ltd. and its subsidiaries to Dubai Aerospace Capital.
• Advised SMBC Aviation Capital in relation to its sale of $50m of 2.65% senior unsecured notes.

Contact: Georgina O’Riordan
Tel: +353 1 607 1461
Email: [email protected]

Disputes: Partners 22 (+3 consultants); fee-earners 67
The group advises on many of the major complex cases before the Irish Courts in the financial, corporate and state sectors and is often the first port of call for major corporates who find themselves in a dispute or who require advice on a matter that may become contentious.

• Advising SMBC Aviation Capital, the world’s second largest aircraft lessor, in Commercial Court proceedings in which it seeks an indemnity from its insurers (16 different insurers across multiple jurisdictions, including Lloyds insurers).
• Acting for the Central Bank in relation to the application of the Russian sanctions regime to winding up proceedings and a directions application brought in respect of what is likely to be the biggest liquidation in the history of the Irish state.
• Acted for IBRC in its action against EY, the former auditors of Anglo Irish Bank claiming damages for breach of contract, negligence and breach of duty in relation to EY’s carrying out the audit of Anglo’s financial statements and its failure to identify certain transactions carried out by them.

Contact: Michael Murphy
Tel: +353 1 611 9142
Email: [email protected]

Real estate and construction: Partners 15 (+1 consultant), fee-earners 57
Offering one of the largest real estate and construction offerings in the jurisdiction, the group is known for its integrated approach to complex transactions and projects. Covering the traditional acquisitions, disposals, lettings and finance deals, the Group also has huge experience on complex projects work (including loan portfolio acquisitions and sales such as Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c acquisition of 2 portfolios from Ulster Bank), re-structuring, security and enforcement, tax-based deals and construction schemes, as well as construction disputes, for domestic and international companies.

• Advising Diageo on the construction of its state of the art carbon neutral brewery, which will be the second largest brewery in Ireland.
• Advising Ballymore Group on the development of 12 acres of land at St James’s Gate into Dublin’s first Zero Carbon District, comprising new residential, commercial and leisure uses all set within over two acres of new public spaces and pedestrian streets.
• Advising Hudson Advisors on their large residential and commercial development land-banks at Cherrywood, Adamstown and Portmarnock in Dublin.
• Advised Marlet Property Group on its €384m financing facility with AIG and Activate Capital to fund the development of over 1,100 apartments across locations in Dublin including Grand Canal Harbour in Dublin 8 and Claremont in Howth as well as advising Marlet on their €100m+ financing of the Shipping Office in Dublin 2.

Contact: Donal O'Raghallaigh
Tel: +353 1 607 1268
Email: [email protected]

Managing partner: Stephen Holst
Number of partners: 80
Number of lawyers: 450