The retail and leisure sectors are cornerstones of the real estate practice at William Fry LLP, which frequently acts for major investors and retailers on significant investment and leasing deals in this space, although its broad range of expertise also covers the PRS/BTR, data centre, healthcare and office spheres. The firm is particularly noted for its active real estate finance practice. Brian O’Callaghan, who heads the firm’s retail and leisure unit, jointly leads the practice with Lisa McCarthy, an expert in property finance. Other names to note include Edward Spain, who has a stellar record in PRS transactions, Conor Treacy, Tiernan Diamond and Aisling O’Gorman.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘A full-service team with a lot of capacity to cover big workloads within tight deadlines.’

  • ‘William Fry is very proficient in the area of tenant representation. In terms of strengths the teams are efficient, easy to deal with and are good at providing direct advice and recommendations. Something that differentiates them from others firms is their communication skills and efficiency.’

  • ‘The individuals in the company are very efficient to work with - they provide invaluable advice and are on hand to answer any queries. They are easy to contact and can join calls with limited notice. Aisling O'Gorman is an incredibly efficient and professional lawyer, and Edward Spain and Conor Treacy stand out for their sound and direct advice.’

Key clients

  • Allianz Real Estate
  • OCP Capital Partners
  • NAMA & NTMA
  • Tesco Ireland Limited
  • Hines
  • Irish Life Assurance plc
  • Real I.S. Investment GmbH
  • GA Developments
  • Union Investment
  • Nuveen Management AIFM Limited
  • IBM
  • Qualcomm
  • Digital Realty
  • BCP Asset Management
  • Ballymore Group
  • Carr Golf
  • Davy
  • Care Property Invest NV
  • Inter Gestion REIM
  • Remake Live SCPI

Work highlights

  • Act for Hines and Peterson on the pre-lets on its Central Bank Dame Street portfolio, which includes the iconic former Central Bank headquarters.
  • Acted for developer Shane Whelan of Westridge Real Estate and GA Developments on the financing of the former DIT campus on Kevin Street to facilitate the development of a high-profile mixed-use scheme.
  • Acting for Diageo in the €1bn re-development of the historic Guinness Brewery at St James's Gate in Dublin into a new urban quarter.

Lawyers

Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Lisa McCarthy, Brian O'Callaghan

Other key lawyers

Edward Spain, Conor Treacy, Tiernan Diamond, Aisling O'Gorman