Investment funds

William Fry LLP

William Fry LLP has an illustrious and fast-growing client base of global asset managers, as well as a sizeable market share of Irish-domiciled fund clients. It has a major presence in ETFs, private funds, regulatory and compliance matters, and the sustainable finance regime. The group has recently landed a series of big-ticket mandates from new clients including Colchester Global Investors and Gresham House. James Phelan, who impresses with his UCITS and regulatory knowledge, and Vincent Coyne co-head the funds practice, with John Aherne recognised for SFDR-related matters and Sergey Dolomanov continuing to stand out for his ETF expertise. Patricia Taylor leads the funds regulatory team, and Clodagh Ruigrok impresses at the senior associate level. Lorena Dunne has left the firm.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

‘Clodagh Ruigrok does a fantastic job of proactively bringing relevant matters to our attention. She is also very responsive to ad hoc queries.’
'James Phelan is a vital resource who can provide a commercial perspective, combined with a deep understanding of the rules.'
‘James Phelan is always willing to go the extra mile and his advice is always sensible and on point. James has an exceptional understanding of the UCITS regulatory landscape and can be completely relied upon to steer you safely through any engagement with the Central Bank.'
‘John Aherne has a wealth of experience that he brings to bear in all advice he provides. Vincent Coyne is an accomplished lawyer and can be relied on for excellent guidance in all situations.’
‘The team at William Fry are fantastic to work with and are excellent at bringing in their best on specific topics to get the right results. They are always exceptionally responsive and friendly to deal with and always get the job done properly and on time. ’
‘John Aherne adds real value by bringing his technical knowledge to bear through his advice and support. John has worked across all types of fund structures and his breadth of experience provides clients with a broader perspective and insight.'
'Clodagh Ruigrok and Elena Canavan-Young are very responsive and client-focused. Always finding time to allocate and provide effective, rapid solutions. ’
'Nessa Joyce is an industry leader in ESG and SFDR matters. Felipe De Oliveira is at all times extremely personable to deal with and responsive. The quality of the William Fry associates is impressive.'

Key clients

Bank of America
Barclays
Bank of America
BlackRock
City of London
Colchester Global Investors
Comgest Asset Management
Davy
Emerald Fund ICAV
GA Development
Gresham House
Intertrust
IQEQ
Lazard Asset Management
Legal & General
Mercer Global Investments
Milltrust International
Natixis Investment Managers
Otus Capital Management
Parus Finance
Sands Capital
Towerbrook
Blue Revolution Fund

Work highlights

Advised Blackrock on the establishment of innovative strategies, including a blockchain technology fund and a metaverse fund.
Advised Mercer on all aspects of its legal and regulatory obligations applicable to its full range of Irish UCITS and AIF products.
Acted for Bank of America with the sale of its Irish-based funds depositary and custodian business, operated through Bank of America Custodial Services (Ireland) to the Apex Group.