Europe - Ireland
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White-collar crime

McCann FitzGerald LLP

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McCann FitzGerald LLP’s white-collar crime team acts for regulators and regulated entities in complex regulatory and business crime-related investigations and disputes. One key area of strength for the team is its expertise in fraud and asset tracing affairs leading to a steady stream of instructions to handle cross-border criminal and fraudulent disputes. Audrey Byrne specialises in international litigation and investigations and jointly heads the team with Megan Hooper, who has extensive expertise advising financial institutions on both regulatory and criminal investigations. Experienced litigator Catherine Derrig has been involved in a number of corporate fraud investigations of late, while Donal Hamilton focuses on contentious issues and investigations involving employees and whistleblowing. Michael Coonan, Rosaleen Byrne and Bébhinn Bollard are other key contacts.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘They have a sophisticated sanctions advisory and litigation practice, with insightful views on the regulators' thought processes.’
  • ‘We work with Audrey Byrne mainly. She has deep knowledge, a keen eye for detail, and excellent client handling skills whilst also being fun to work with.’

Key clients

  • Raidió Teilifís Éireann
  • Mediahuis Ireland Group Limited
  • Trafalgar Trafhold Limited, Instantania Holdings Limited, Kamara Limited and Bairiki Incorporated

Work highlights

  • Advised Mediahuis Ireland Group Limited on a number of regulatory challenges, including an ODCE investigation.
  • Assisted Raidió Teilifís Éireann with the preparation of a report on certain voluntary severance schemes operated by the national broadcaster.
  • Advised a group of companies, including Trafalgar Trafold Limited, on cross-border proceedings for damages and injunctive relief.

Lawyers

Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Brian Quigley
McCann FitzGerald LLP
Brian specialises in commercial disputes with a focus on financial services disputes including those involving a range of mis-selling related claims against financial institutions and intermediaries both before the courts and the Financial Services Ombudsman. He also advises on the insurance and regulatory issues arising out of such mis-selling claims, administrative law disputes and related judicial reviews, statutory investigations and enforcement, insurance disputes in particular professional negligence claims, partnership disputes, asset recovery following fraud and property disputes including landlord & tenant claims. His clients include bodies regulated by the Financial Regulator for the provision of financial services, investment funds, entities the subject of fraud and State bodies.
Megan Hooper
McCann FitzGerald LLP
Megan is an experienced commercial litigation solicitor and has, since February 2009, been the lead adviser to two financial institutions in respect of regulatory and criminal investigations arising from legacy issues. She advises companies and financial institutions on corporate disputes, regulatory investigations and inquiries and dispute resolution through Commercial Court litigation and mediation. She is knowledgeable about the procedures of the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation, the Director of Public Prosecutions and regulatory bodies such as the Chartered Accountants Regulatory Board, the Central Bank of Ireland and the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement. She has experience responding to orders and statutory requests under the under the Companies Acts, the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act, the Bankers Books Evidence Act and the Central Bank Administrative Sanctions Procedure and has experience dealing with data protection and customer confidentiality issues.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Michael Coonan
McCann FitzGerald LLP
Michael represents and advises clients in the resolution of a variety of complex commercial disputes, principally in the Commercial division of the High Court, and has extensive experience and expertise in civil  fraud and asset tracing with a cross border dimension; in corporate and regulatory investigations; and in financial services and securities disputes.  Michael also has significant experience acting  for clients in international cross border litigation (particularly in fraud and asset tracing work), and has worked extensively with foreign counsel, including advising on the EU Insolvency Regulations, the EU Regulations governing jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters and the taking of evidence in foreign jurisdictions.  Michael has worked on disputes in the UK, US, Russia, Ukraine, Sweden, Cyprus, BVI, Panama, Belize, India and Hong Kong and has also worked on litigation within a number of large scale insolvencies in Ireland and elsewhere.  Michael also has significant experience advising and representing clients in the state sector, semi-state sector and private sector on all aspects of corporate and regulatory investigations, and dealing with authorities and key state stakeholders in that context. Michael has expertise in managing large scale document reviews and discovery exercises, in investigations and in litigation.  Michael frequently advises semi state bodies, statutory authorities and state owned financial institutions on access to information regimes with a focus on the impact on litigation and the interplay with discovery obligations. 

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Megan Hooper, Audrey Byrne

Other key lawyers

Donal Hamilton, Michael Coonan, Rosaleen Byrne, Bébhinn Bollard

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