Corporate
About the Department
The Corporate Department is the largest grouping within the firm.
The Department advises the firm’s global client base on a broad range of complex corporate transactions and commercial law matters, working closely with other specialist groups and departments within the firm. The lawyers in our Corporate Department manage client transactions so that relevant legal specialisms are drawn together on corporate transactions in a manner which ensures the timely delivery of integrated legal advice and thus the effective implementation of business solutions.
We are ranked as one of the leading corporate and M&A law firms in Ireland by the European Legal 500 2009.
Please click here to access our Corporate Finance brochure
We have advised on many of the major corporate transactions which have occurred in Ireland over the last decade.
The department advises on a wide range of matters and transactions, including:
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Mergers and Acquisitions
The department advises on M&A transactions, many with an international dimension, across a broad range of industry sectors. This is a central part of our corporate and commercial practice. -
Privatisations
The firm has advised on most Irish state privatisations in recent years and has extensive experience in this area. -
Flotations and Other Securities Advice
We advise on initial public offerings, new issues and other securities law matters. We have extensive experience in working with international law firms in connection with dual listings and otherwise in this area, such as Maple Energy, Boundary Capital, Ecosecurities Group, Irish Estates (now Veris), getmobile and Providence Resources.
Matheson Ormsby Prentice has developed a leading practice in Ireland acting for companies applying for admission to IEX and AIM as well as NOMADS, such as Davy Stockbrokers and NCB. -
Private Equity
The firm has considerable depth of expertise in private equity matters, ranging from early stage venture financings to management buy-outs / management buy-ins and development capital transactions. Members of the department also have considerable expertise in the establishment of venture funds. Please visit our Private Equity page. -
Venture Capital
We have extensive experience in advising both investors and companies on all aspects of venture capital transactions, from early stage financings, through the growth phase, to exit strategies, including trade sales and IPOs. Please visit our Venture Capital page. -
International Business
The firm has extensive experience in dealing with the Government agencies and authorities which have a role to play in the establishment and regulation of different types of operations in Ireland as well as working with many international law firms on the complex legal issues that arise in cross-border re-organisations and integration projects. Please visit our International Business page. -
Re-Structurings
We have considerable expertise in advising on re-organisations, re-constructions, amalgamations and de-mergers. We regularly advise, in conjunction with our Taxation Department, on reorganisations of multinational clients which are seeking to benefit from Ireland’s low rate of corporation tax. -
Joint Ventures and Strategic Alliances
We advise in connection with joint venture and strategic alliance transactions, whether in the public or private sectors. -
Corporate Governance
We have advised extensively in connection with corporate governance issues. -
Commercial Agreements and Arrangements
We advise on a wide variety of commercial contracts including outsourcing, distribution, supply, franchise and agency agreements.
Representative Transactions
- advising all shareholders, including TVC Holdings PLC, on the $60 million sale of the issued share capital of ChangingWorlds Limited to a wholly owned subsidiary of New York Stock Exchange listed Amdocs Limited
- advised IAWS Group plc on its €2.5 billion merger with Switzerland’s Hiestand Holding to create ARYZTA AG, an Irish/Swiss listed grouping, which is one of the largest providers of baked goods in the world. This deal was named “Corporate Finance Deal of the Year 2009” by Finance Magazine
- advising EcoSecurities Group Plc, a company involved in the business of sourcing, developing and trading carbon credits, in relation to the recommended cash offer by Carbon Acquisition Company Limited, a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase & Co.
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advised ARAMARK on its €50.8 million acquisition of the property management and facilities management business of Veris Plc
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advised Avocent Corporation on the US$45 million acquisition of UK software company Touchpaper
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advised Payzone plc, Europe's largest branded consumer payments acceptance network, on a €40 million firm placing
- advising Hibernian Group plc, Ireland's largest insurer, on its acquisition of the majority shareholding (70%) of VIVAS Health
- advised Towercom Holdings Limited on its acquisition from eircom for €155 million of a subsidiary which owns and operates approximately 340 wireless sites located throughout Ireland
- advised Houghton Mifflin Riverdeep Group plc on its US$4 billion acquisition of Reed Elsevier's Harcourt US Schools Education business
- advising TVC Holdings and private clients of Davy Stockbrokers on the acquisition of 11 Comfort Inn and Quality Hotels in Ireland for a total investment of €46.5 million, from Choice Hotels Ireland
- advised Aurelius AG of Germany on its acquisition of Wellman International Trading ("WIT"), the Ireland based European fibres and recycling businesses from US company Wellman Inc for US$38 million
- advised TUI Travel Plc on the sale of Irish travel agency Budget Travel to Primera Travel
- advised Maple Energy plc, an integrated independent energy company on its admission to AIM
- advised on the acquisition by the newly-formed Irish public limited company HM Rivergroup PLC of Houghton Mifflin and Riverdeep, valuing the combined group in excess of US$4.5 billion, the largest ever acquisition by an Irish company
- advised Australian investment fund Babcock & Brown Capital Limited, on the €2.36 billion acquisition of eircom plc by it and the eircom employee share ownership trust
- advised ITV plc on the sale of its stake in TV3 as part of a €265 million sale of TV3 to Doughty Hanson
- advised Setanta Sports on a €315 million financing by it to fund its acquisition of Premiership football rights and the rights to the US PGA Golf Tour and on its disposal of NASN Limited to ESPN Inc.
- advised UK-based private equity firm CapVest Limited in its acquisition of a majority stake in Mater Private Healthcare, one of the leading specialist private hospitals in Ireland
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advised Walsh Western International on its acquisition of TDS Logistics Inc for US$400 million
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advised Brown Thomas Group on its disposal of Irish clothing retailer A-Wear to a management buy-out team, backed by Alchemy Partners
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advised on the joint venture between An Post and Fortis Bank SA/NA for the provision of retail banking services through An Post branch network throughout Ireland
- advised sports goods retail chain Champion Sports on its acquisition by PCP One Limited
- advised Bank of Scotland (Ireland) Limited and Management in their disposal of Geith International to The Ingersoll Rand Company
- advised Sicon Limited, a subsidiary of John Sisk & Son Limited, on the acquisition of an Irish medical equipment supplier
- advised Boundary Capital Limited on its acquisition of The Club Company, a private UK-based leisure business, for €139 million
- advised the shareholders of Landesk Group on the sale of the company to Avocent, valued at US$416 million
- acted for InfoNXX in its acquisition, together with Investcorp Technology Ventures of the Conduit group of companies for €90 million
- advised AIB on the €1.3 billion merger between AIB's Ark Life division and Aviva's Hibernian Life & Pensions
- advised AgCert in its €310 million flotation on the London Stock Exchange
- advised National Australia Bank on the €1.4 billion sale of National Irish Bank and Northern Bank to the Danske Bank Group