William Fry LLP

As one of Ireland’s largest law firms, William Fry offers unrivaled legal and tax expertise across the full breadth of the business sector.

The firm: William Fry advises leading Irish and international companies, covering both the public and private sector. It operates a large international practice and regularly acts in cases involving other jurisdictions, including the UK, the US, Asia, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Poland and Eastern Europe.

Strong client relationships and high-quality advice are the hallmark of the business. William Fry is acknowledged by clients and market commentators alike as being a leader in its main areas of work: corporate / M&A, banking and finance, litigation and dispute resolution, asset management and investment funds, real estate, corporate tax, technology, insurance, employment and benefits, EU and competition and projects and construction.

Types of work undertaken
Asset management and investment funds: William Fry continues to be the firm of choice for significant and complex funds work in Ireland, consolidating its work with large global players and increasing the number of large asset manager clients, and having been ranked as the most innovative Irish law firm in the legal expertise category by the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Report 2019.

Banking and finance: the department is acknowledged as a leader in the Irish market and provides legal and regulatory advice to domestic and international financial institutions, NAMA, corporates, issuers, treasury vehicles, arrangers, dealers, monolines, rating agencies and governmental bodies.

Capital markets: the department is consistently regarded as a market leader and advises on the full range of public and private debt and equity issuances in Ireland and internationally, advising Irish and international issuers, financial institutions, dealers, arrangers and rating agencies.

Commercial contracts: William Fry helps with strategic and commercial decisions with a variety of clients and commercial contracts, from domestic and international corporations to entrepreneurs and family businesses.

Competition and regulation: the competition department consistently advised on the most complex EU and Irish competition and merger control law issues arising in Ireland each year.

Corporate/M&A: this has always been the bedrock of the practice at William Fry. The firm consistently has a central role in the most sophisticated and complex corporate transactions and advisory work in Ireland, as well as in large cross-border deals with an Irish aspect.

Corporate restructuring and insolvency: the specialist team advises leading Irish and International Insolvency practitioners (liquidators, receivers, examiners, administrators and trustees) financial institutions, investors and shareholders in restructuring or business termination events.

Employment and benefits: the firm’s lawyers advise on employment law and on the specialist areas of whistleblowing, health and safety, pensions and employee incentives.

Environment and planning: the group excels in applying technical and commercial thinking to this extensive, complex and increasingly regulated area.

Financial regulation: our financial regulation unit brings together lawyers specialising in different areas of the financial services sector to provide practical and clear advice on all aspects of regulation and compliance to leading banks, investment firms and intermediaries, (re)insurance undertakings, collective investment schemes, fund service providers, regulatory authorities and investors in financial institutions.

Intellectual property: William Fry’s dedicated intellectual property lawyers deal with contentious and non-contentious cases for clients on a full-time basis.

Litigation and dispute resolution: the firm has a reputation as a market leader focused on delivering results for clients, representing them at all levels of the courts and dispute resolution whether by way of conciliation, mediation or arbitration.

Private client: the firm provides specialist legal and taxation advice to private, institutional and commercial clients, focusing on the creation and implementation of innovative and efficient arrangements for the preservation, management and transfer of wealth.

Private equity: the firm has a proven track record as a market leader advising on private equity and venture capital transactions in Ireland.

Real estate: the department is recognised as outstanding in Ireland and is consistently rated as a first tier practice. Clients include large institutional investors, international private equity funds, receivers, developers and major Irish, UK and US retailers.

Tax: William Fry is exclusively Taxand Ireland. With more than 400 tax partners and over 2,000 advisors in over 40 countries, Taxand is one of the largest organisations of tax advisers to multinational businesses.

Other offices: Dublin, Cork, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley