Europe - Ireland

McCann FitzGerald LLP

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McCann FitzGerald LLP’s technology and innovation group offers comprehensive legal advice to public and private sector entities on the full spectrum of IT agreements and projects. The team particularly stands out for its experience of handling high-value acquisition transactions within the technology sector. Paul Lavery heads the practice and regularly assists clients with the supply, implementation and support of new IT systems and services. Adam Finlay and Doug McMahon advise on technology outsourcing, data protection, and cyber security matters. Other key members of the team include Ruth Hughes and Catherine Walsh.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘A very strong team that provides insightful, practical advice and lawyers with a lot of experience in the sector.’
  • ‘I would highly recommend Paul Lavery in this area - he knows his way around this industry very well. Another superlative performer in this space is Catherine Walsh.’
  • ‘Excellent availability for urgent matters. Ability to explain complex concepts. Good understanding of the market from the perspective of both the contracting authority and the supplier.’
  • ‘Adam Finlay has the unique ability to communicate complex concepts to the full spectrum of client staff. Great market insights. Always offers options and strategies when negotiating on contract clauses. Advises taking account of the risk profile of the client organisation and specific project. Super availability, especially for urgent matters.’
  • ‘Pragmatic, very commercial team which is responsive and has good industry knowledge.’
  • ‘Doug McMahon is highly intelligent, commercial, pragmatic and responsive.’
  • 'McCanns are very responsive to client needs. Their advice is invariably spot on, delivered efficiently and within the cost estimate provided.'
  • 'Doug McMahon is extremely knowledgeable and delivers workable solutions to what can sometimes be very complicated matters. He is very approachable and talks to clients in a language they can understand.'

Key clients

  • National Transport Authority
  • Transport Infrastructure Ireland
  • Ervia (including Uisce Éireann and Gas Networks Ireland)
  • Vhi
  • Central Bank of Ireland
  • Irish Life
  • Institute of Banking
  • Alkermes
  • Maynooth University
  • CreditLogic
  • Road Safety Authority
  • Various Corporate Transactions
  • Kingspan
  • Allied Irish Bank, p.l.c
  • Nostra Technologies
  • Coimisiún na Meán

Work highlights

  • Advised the NTA on a number of large-scale IT outsourcing agreements.
  • Advised Alkermes on a key IT project for its enterprise resource system and financial systems.
  • Advised the Central Bank of Ireland on its procurement of managed IT services, including the provision of a new data centre and SIEM services.

Lawyers

Hall of Fame

The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.

Paul Lavery

Paul Lavery

Hall of fameMcCann FitzGerald LLP

Paul is the head of the firm’s Technology and Innovation Group and advises on a wide range of information technology, data protection, intellectual property, confidentiality and freedom of information issues. He advises on the supply and implementation of new IT systems, the licensing of software and the ownership, exploitation and licensing of intellectual property rights. Paul drafts and negotiates cutting-edge technology supply and implementation agreements and IT outsourcing agreements with a key focus on mobilisation, business transformation and key performance elements as well as exit management. Paul is a leading  expert on data protection and advises a large number of private sector entities and public bodies on their data protection obligations under existing and prospective  data protection law, including advising on subject access requests, data security incidents, marketing obligations and consents, record retention matters, data protection notices, policies and privacy statements, data controller and data processor registrations as well as solutions to facilitate the transfer of data outside the EEA. Paul is heavily involved in advising a number of private sector and public sector clients on their prospective obligations under the EU General Data Protection Regulation, including carrying out data protection assessments and audits and completing data inventories in order to advise clients on what changes to processing activities, data protection notices and agreements etc to ensure compliance with GDPR. Paul regularly advises on the legal implications of transacting on-line and related consumer protection issues. Paul also advises a number of international clients on their distribution, franchise and sales agency arrangements. In the area of freedom of information, Paul regularly acts for public bodies and private entities. He advises public bodies in respect of their compliance obligations in connection with the Freedom of Information Acts in dealing with access requests, advising on applicable exemptions and dealing with appeals to the Information Commissioner. Paul also advises public bodies and private entities on the application and scope of the Access to Information on the Environment Regulations. As a leading expert on the law of confidentiality, Paul regularly advises clients on confidentiality obligations and the drafting of appropriate confidentiality agreements and secrecy protocols. Paul is the author of Commercial Secrets: The Action for Breach of Confidence in Ireland (Round Hall/ Sweet & Maxwell, 1996), the first and only Irish work on the topic. The book has been quoted in judgments in the Irish Supreme Court.

Next Generation Partners

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Paul Lavery

Other key lawyers

Doug McMahon, Adam Finlay, Ruth Hughes, Catherine Walsh