What We Do

Matheson Ormsby Prentice’s ‘outstanding’ team is ‘dedicated and efficient’, and ‘certainly one of the best’.
Corporate and Commercial: European Legal 500 2012

Our Corporate Group is widely acknowledged as one of the leading practices in the Irish market. Highly rated by international publications and legal directories, our lawyers consistently advise on major corporate transactions involving Irish and multinational companies, both domestically and internationally. We advised on 30% more Irish M&A deals than any other law firm in 2009 (MergerMarket) and topped all three of the leading international M&A league tables (MergerMarket, Thomson Reuters and Experian Corpfin) in 2010, having advised on the most M&A deals that took place in Ireland.

We advise on the full range of domestic and international corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate restructurings, IPOs and other equity capital markets transactions, private equity and venture capital transactions. Our International Business team provide a full range of Irish corporate law advice and services to overseas clients doing business in and through Ireland with a heavy focus on inward investment and cross-border re-organisations and integration projects.

Our corporate lawyers have advised on some of the largest and most innovative deals in Irish corporate history, including advising:

• AkzoNobel on the sale of its Crown Paints decorative paints business in Ireland and the UK to Endless LLP, an independent private equity house
• An Post on its acquisition of Postpoint and One Direct 
• ARAMARK on its acquisition of Veris plc’s property management and facilities management business 
• 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 
• Aviva Group Ireland plc (then Hibernian Group plc), Ireland's largest insurer, on its acquisition of the majority shareholding (70%) of VIVAS Health 
• Avocent Corporation on the acquisition of UK software company Touchpaper 
• BC Partners Ltd and the management of Spotless Group SAS (the France based producer and distributor of homecare and cleaning products) on the Irish aspects of the acquisition of the Spotless Group from AXA Private Equity, European Capital Limited and the Gualandi family 
• Beacon Medical Group on the acquisition by UPMC Ireland Limited of a majority ownership of Dublin’s Beacon Hospital
• Beckman Coulter, Inc. on its acquisition of the lab-based diagnostics business of Japanese based Olympus Corporation
• Australian investment fund Babcock and Brown Capital Limited on the €2.36 billion acquisition of Eircom Group plc 
• Brown Thomas Group on its disposal of Irish clothing retailer A-Wear to a management buy-out team, backed by Alchemy Partners
• EcoSecurities Group plc in relation to the contested takeover offers made by Guanabara Holdings BV and the recommended offers by Carbon Acquisition Company Limited, a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase and Co.
• Endesa, the leading Spanish utility company, on the €450 million purchase of a number of ESB power generation assets
• Harris Corporation on the Irish aspects of its acquisition of the Tyco Electronics Wireless Systems business
• 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
• Houghton Mifflin Riverdeep Group plc on its US$4 billion acquisition of Reed Elsevier's Harcourt US Schools Education business 
• 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.
• ITV plc on the sale of its stake in TV3 as part of a €265 million sale of TV3 to Doughty Hanson 
• John Wood Group plc, provider of oil and gas services, on its acquisition of subsea engineering consultancy, MCS Ltd, and of a majority stake in Shanahan Engineering
• Maple Energy plc, an integrated independent energy company, on its admission to AIM 
• NTR on the acquisition of Irish Broadband by Imagine Communications Group
• Pallas Foods on its acquisition by Sysco
• Payzone plc, the AIM listed electronic processing and payments group, on the terms of its debt and share capital restructuring with Duke Street Capital and the Payzone group's banking syndicate
• Setanta Sports acquired by the bid vehicle, Sabloss Limited
• Singapore Technologies Telemedia Pte Ltd on the acquisition of eircom Holdings
• Tektronix Communications, a leading worldwide provider of communications, test and network solutions, on its acquisition of Dublin based Arantech Limited
• Towercom Holdings and Goodbody Private Equity on their acquisition of the masts business division of eircom 
• TUI Travel Plc on the sale of Irish travel agency Budget Travel to Primera Travel 
• TVC Holdings and private clients of Davy Stockbrokers on the acquisition of 11 Comfort Inn and Quality Hotels in Ireland from Choice Hotels Ireland
• Verint Systems Inc. on its acquisition of the Irish company Iontas Limited, a provider of desktop analytics solutions
• Vermilion Energy Trust on its acquisition of Marathon Oil Corporation’s 18.5% non-operated interest in the Corrib field
• Walsh Western International on its acquisition of TDS Logistics Inc for US$400 million
• William Grant and Sons Holdings Ltd in relation to its purchase of the shares and assets of C&C Group plc’s spirits and liqueur business for €300 million
• Xerox Corporation on its acquisition of Irish Business Systems

Matheson Ormsby Prentice "sets the benchmark for standards in Ireland".
Corporate and Commercial: European Legal 500 2011

"They have a practical approach and are very much client-focused. We were very pleased with their service and will definitely be happy to use them again," says one client.
M&A: IFLR 1000 2011

This firm attracts high-profile clients with complex business needs. The group has close links with US multinationals. Sources say: "It has a broad range of talent and wide knowledge base, and provides excellent client service."
Corporate/M&A: Chambers Global 2011

This firm is held in high regard for its corporate/M&A expertise, and has been involved in some of the biggest transactions in the market. For example, it acted for IAWS Group on its EUR2.5 billion merger with Switzerland’s Hiestand Holding, resulting in the creation of Irish/Swiss-listed ARYZTA AG; the deal is a good illustration of the firm’s ability to handle complex and innovative cross-border mandates. Matheson Ormsby Prentice is a major player in the international arena, fielding a dedicated seven-lawyer international business group that acts for many US corporations in particular, in a range of industry sectors. The firm also has a leading reputation in energy matters, as demonstrated by its advice to Endesa on its EUR450 million acquisition of 20% of the generation assets of Irish state utility ESB. In addition, the M&A group is able to draw on the firm's market-leading tax practice in order to best structure complex transactions.
Sources say: "It is an outstanding law firm with some first-class corporate lawyers and a great book of clients." "The group is incredibly creative, responsive and attentive."
Corporate: Chambers Europe 2010

Matheson Ormsby Prentice attracts praise for "energy and dynamism", with one client saying, "this team is hungry; MOP never sits back and gets complacent". The team is particularly recommended for venture capital and start up work, and highlight Tim Scanlon as a "market leader", George Brady as a "trusted advisor" and Patrick Spicer as "calming influence, who instils confidence".
Corporate and Commercial: European Legal 500 2010

Matheson Ormsby Prentice is "dynamic and commercially focused" and importantly "ready availability and responsiveness is a constant feature of service". The firm continues to pack a powerful punch.
Corporate and Commercial: European Legal 500 2009

Commentators label this outfit "absolutely 10 out of 10 – full of enthusiastic people who look at the whole picture and are willing to work late nights and weekends." The international business group continues to bring benefits to the wider team, generating a large amount of inward investment work. Domestically, the practice is developing in the energy and healthcare arenas, where M&A and private equity work is growing. Interviewees referred to the lawyers’ "good grasp of the corporate environment and excellent technical expertise," further highlighting the "excellent continuity between every group."
Corporate / M&A: Chambers Global and Chambers Europe 2009

"Quick to respond and eager to find solutions to problems"
Capital Markets – Equity: Chambers Global 2009

"Very commercially orientated" and "very good response times".
Corporate/M&A: IFLR1000 2009

Matheson Ormsby Prentice continues to advise on a wide range of Irish M&A work, equity capital markets and venture capital-backed deals.
Corporate: European Legal 500 2008

By volume, Matheson Ormsby Prentice’s M&A team leads the market, advising on more M&A deals in 2007 than any other Irish law firm.
Mergers and Acquisitions: European Legal 500 2008

This "good all-round" firm’s strategy of targeting international corporates and inward investment clients is paying off with some spectacular instructions, most notably central roles on both the Babcock & Brown/eircom deal and the Houghton Mifflin/Riverdeep acquisition, the largest deal in Ireland in 2006. "The team shows great flexibility, will go to the nth degree to win and is willing to put resources into the issues that matter to us."
Corporate / M&A: Chambers Global 2008

Matheson Ormsby Prentice has recorded another solid year on the deal front. "They have good experience and a very good reputation on mergers and acquisitions transactions," said one client.
Mergers and Acquisitions: IFLR1000 2008