Sectors
We understand the specific needs of our clients and have structured the firm accordingly. Our cross-disciplinary sector groups bring together lawyers from across the firm, so we can always provide first-class legal services in a way that better reflects how our clients do business.
Aviation
Our cross departmental Aviation and Asset Finance Group includes colleagues from across the firm to deliver a product that adds value to all elements of our clients’ operations. Our reputation is based on proven professional skills, a thorough understanding of client requirements, sound judgment and a practical approach to resolving commercial problems in an efficient way. We have extensive experience across all areas of the industry including: Acting for international and domestic aircraft owners, lessors and financiers on all Irish law aspects of cross-border aircraft and transport financing and leasing Advising on the establishment and ongoing day to day operations of aircraft leasing platforms in Ireland Advising on domestic and cross-border tax-based leasing transactions Advising on company mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures investments and asset sales and novations Advising on a wide variety of finance transactions to include debt facilities, ABS financings, warehouse financings and other capital market products Advising on regulatory matters including airport charges, ground handling, ownership of airlines and licensing of aircraft, sanctions and export controls Advising in relation to the Cape Town Convention Working with colleagues in our Litigation, Disputes and Investigations Practice in relation to aircraft repossessions Working with colleagues in our Restructuring and Insolvency practice in relation to aviation-related restructurings and insolvencies
Charities
Our core Charity Law Group comprises five solicitors from a variety of disciplines. They are assisted by other relevant specialists from our Real Estate, Employment, Pensions and Employee Benefits, Technology, Intellectual Property, Tax, Litigation and Dispute Resolution and Corporate and M&A practices. We provide advice in relation to: Establishment of charities Changes to legal structures/re-organisations The role of trustees/directors and governance issues Applications to the Charities Regulatory Authority Tax advice including applications for tax exemptions Advice on the acquisition, disposal and maintenance of property Licence applications Other fundraising queries Arthur Cox has considerable experience obtained over many years. We act for a number of Irish charities and a number of our partners and assistants participate at board level with significant charitable bodies. As a result, we are aware of many of the practical issues which face charities ranging from day to day practical issues to technical issues such as trust questions, dealing with the Revenue, or considering the manner in which to become established.
Construction and Engineering
Our Construction and Engineering Group combines contentious and non-contentious expertise and we understand the ever-changing commercial objectives of our clients. The Construction and Engineering Group is headed by Niav O’Higgins who alongside Karen Killoran works with a strong team of associates and consultants. All members of the Group are industry specialists and draw on a wide variety of skills and experience from both within the Group and from other groups within Arthur Cox. We advise on issues arising throughout all stages of a construction/engineering project and, in conjunction with other specialist teams, advise from project inception through to planning, procurement, project execution, project completion, building regulations, health and safety and the resolution of any disputes. We assist clients in balancing risk and opportunity to achieve their commercial objectives on time and within budget. We co-ordinate our knowledge and experience to work as part of the multi-disciplinary team engaged on each project, with the focus on facilitating the smooth delivery of projects. We also advise on contentious matters which can arise on a construction project with particular focus on promoting early case assessment and effective dispute resolution strategies for our clients. We advise on all forms of ADR including mediation, conciliation, expert determination, adjudication and arbitration, as well as advising in High Court and Commercial Court proceedings. We also represent clients in health and safety matters, including defending enforcement actions brought by the Health and Safety Authority.
Digital Infrastructure
We also advise on related digital infrastructure such as sub-sea and terrestrial cables and data centres, supporting our clients on everything from construction and development through to colocation, connection, service and power purchase agreements. Our lawyers have in-depth knowledge and experience of the particular requirements of the telecommunications and digital infrastructure sectors and understand the environment in which our clients operate. At the forefront of regulatory and legal developments, our lawyers provide practical, industry-focused, first-class legal advice and use their multidisciplinary expertise in this sector to guide our clients. The Group has been involved in almost every major transaction in Ireland over the past 30 years and has advised eircom Limited, National Broadband Ireland, Meteor Mobile Communications Limited, Vodafone Ireland Limited, Meta (Facebook), Irish public broadcaster RTÉ and broadcasting network operator 2RN. Members of the Group have also been involved in framing relevant legislation and in significant telecoms regulatory and commercial cases before the Irish High Court. The team is structured on a cross-departmental basis and draws on the specialist skills of our Corporate, Finance and Competition and Regulated Markets Groups, working very closely with the Technology, Media and Intellectual Property Groups as well as the Construction, Real Estate and Energy Groups as required.
Education
We have unrivalled experience of advising clients in the higher education sector in a variety of areas, including: corporate transactions and governance issues IT, IP, and data protection FOI Commercial agreements and international collaboration Finance and property work Employment law and industrial relations Procurement Competition, State aid and merger control Public, administrative and regulatory law issues Litigation and dispute resolution
Energy
Our track record in advising on the energy transition, regulatory reform, market design and major energy infrastructure projects in Ireland and Northern Ireland is without peer. We have extensive experience acting for government, regulators, financiers, market participants and customers in Ireland, Northern Ireland and internationally. This gives us a unique perspective on the commercial and policy imperatives of different stakeholders in the sector and significantly enhances our ability to add value for our clients. We have an unrivalled depth of expertise in the energy and resources sectors in both Ireland and Northern Ireland, offering specialist advice across the full spectrum of relevant disciplines, including: Energy regulation under domestic and EU law Development of conventional and renewable power projects, including onshore and offshore wind, solar, CHP, biomass, hydro-electricity, gas and waste to energy Storage, demand response and system services Electricity and gas transmission, distribution and interconnection Gas connection, shipping and storage Regulatory reform and energy market design Physically and financially settled gas and electricity trading arrangements Emissions trading and Renewables Obligation Certificate trading Electricity and gas retail supply contracts Electricity connection and use of system arrangements Mineral and gas exploration and production Environment and planning Project finance Mergers and acquisitions Dispute resolution
Financial Services
The cross-departmental team of lawyers drawn from our Banking and Finance, Capital Markets, Financial Regulation, Corporate and M&A, Tax, and Litigation and Dispute Resolution practices has unrivalled breadth and depth of experience working with financial services institutions nationally and internationally. Our Banking and Finance Group acts for banks and other financial institutions, institutional investors, alternative lenders and other market participants, both domestic and international, as well as for a wide range of borrowers, including investment grade and other corporates, and private banking clients. Our Capital Markets Group advises on a wide variety of debt and structured finance transactions including securitisations, CDO/CLO transactions, RMBS/CMBS transactions, repackagings and derivatives with specialist support from our Tax Group. We have Ireland’s leading practice in new issue work, advising on initial public offerings and secondary issues of shares and other securities on the Irish, London and New York Stock Exchanges and other international markets. Our Corporate and M&A Group is the leading practice in Ireland in corporate law, mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance. Our general corporate and commercial experience in Ireland is unsurpassed and our Corporate and M&A Group is a dynamic player in Irish business. Our Financial Regulation practice advises a wide range of domestic and international financial institutions, including credit institutions, investment firms, UCITS management companies, AIFMs, payment institutions and insurance companies. Our Litigation, Dispute Resolution and Investigations Group advises both regulatory bodies and financial institutions in relation to contentious disputes around regulatory issues and compliance, working closely with our Financial Regulation practice. Finance: Monthly Horizon Scanner Our Finance Group publishes a monthly horizon-scanner, covering topical Irish and EU legal and regulatory matters. Previous monthly editions can be accessed here.
FinTech
At Arthur Cox, our FinTech Group has considerable experience in assisting established financial institutions, investors and early stage start-ups with realising the potential of fintech while navigating associated challenges. In particular, our FinTech Group helps a broad range of companies to meet regulatory requirements associated with fintech without compromising user experience. We also help our clients put in place the right contractual arrangements to help realise the benefits of fintech. Our FinTech Group delivers results by connecting our clients with the right lawyers from our market leading practices in financial regulation, technology, corporate and tax. The depth of our expertise in these practice areas, coupled with our extensive fintech experience, makes us uniquely well placed in the Irish market to advise on the full range of legal and commercial issues affecting the financial technology ecosystem. We have unsurpassed experience engaging with the relevant regulators in Ireland (including the Central Bank of Ireland and the Data Protection Commission) which means that we are able to anticipate potential regulatory issues associated with fintech and guide our clients through their dealings with relevant regulators. Whether your business is just starting to adopt new financial technology or is already established in the financial technology space, our FinTech Group has the track record to help you realise the potential of fintech to the future of your business.
Food and Agri
With our in-depth knowledge of these sectors, our specialist team can guide you through the regulatory regime on food and feed safety; food and feed hygiene and HACCP; food packaging, labelling, advertising and marketing of food and drink products; and nutrition and health claims and restrictions on allergens and additives. We also advise our clients on regulatory compliance issues, including good manufacturing practice requirements, which may provide a defence in regulatory proceedings. We can guide you through your obligations on waste packaging, food waste and animal by-products. We can also advise on carbon footprinting and carbon-labelling. We provide comprehensive and strategic advice, both at the pre-litigation stage and in contentious and non-contentious cases, in relation to the anticipation and management of risk, product recall and crisis management strategies. We also advise on regulatory breach, enforcement proceedings, product safety and liability, nuisance, environmental breach and on any associated litigation. In doing so, we will work with you to ensure that your business reputation, brand reputation and financial interests are protected. We understand the opportunities for our clients presented by the growth of the food, agribusiness, aquaculture, beverage and distillery sectors and we assist clients, from producers and manufacturers to distributors and retailers, to exploit those opportunities to maximum effect. We are keen to assist food and agribusiness companies in playing their part in delivering on Ireland’s Food Harvest 2020 targets and the objectives set out in the Organic Food Sector Strategy 2019 – 2025. Arthur Cox is one of the few Irish law firms to have a specialist, multidisciplinary Food & Agri Group, comprising lawyers from key practice groups within the firm. The group advises food, drink and agribusiness companies on the manufacture, promotion and sale of their products in Ireland. We regularly advise some of the largest Irish food, drink and agribusiness companies on complex M&A transactions and restructurings.
Healthcare
Our sectoral approach allows us to understand the healthcare industry and its legal, regulatory and commercial challenges. The Group is the leading group of its kind in the country with a long tradition of advising in this sector. We advise clients in all areas and levels of healthcare provision including statutory bodies, health boards, health insurers, healthcare organisations, hospitals and doctors.
Industrials
Our combined excellence across the Corporate and M&A, Litigation, Dispute Resolution and Investigations, and Finance practice areas, including Tax, Projects and Banking is unmatched in the Irish market. Our partners’ commercial understanding and industry awareness informs the legal advice they give, one that is highly valued by clients. Combined with an outstanding record of advising the world's leading industrial companies makes us a trusted adviser to many of the sector’s biggest companies. Our team has in-depth understanding of the key business challenges for industrial companies which provide both capital goods and raw materials for worldwide production facilities. We also work with industry leaders in the automotive, aerospace and defence sectors, providing services closely aligned to their strategic and operational business needs.
Insurance
The team advises a broad spectrum of industry participants, including life / non-life insurers, reinsurers, intermediaries, private equity investors and significant industry associations on the largest and most innovative domestic and cross-border transactions in the insurance sector in Ireland. Keeping up with the pace of regulatory changes in the current business environment is one of the greatest challenges facing our clients. In Ireland, as part of the European Union, the regulatory landscape is constantly evolving and regulatory focus is increasing in areas such as sustainability, governance, risk and accountability. Our technical ability, coupled with our emphasis on effective management and service means we can advise our clients on the challenges and risks they encounter due to these developments, as well as the opportunities they may present. Our insurance sector focus is completed by both our Insurance disputes team and our Investigations team; which form part of our market-leading Litigation, Dispute Resolution and Investigations Group.
International
Whilst we are based in Dublin and advise on Irish law, we also have offices in Belfast, London, New York, and San Francisco. We advise a large number of international clients doing business in and from Ireland. We also advise our Irish clients on their activities and operations abroad. We can assist you anywhere in the world. Our international practice is overseen by our International Committee who has overall responsibility for our close relationships with leading law firms around the world, including through formal and informal networks. Every year, we work and collaborate with, on average, about 200 of those firms. We invest in these relationships through regular interactions and often through secondment arrangements for our younger lawyers. Through these very strong relationships, we can access top quality, cost-efficient, and timely advice and services for our clients. We frequently put together teams of lawyers around the world to advise on cross-border transactions and cases and ensure, through the calibre of our partner firms and the strength of our relationships, that our clients receive the best advice and services available in each market in a seamless way. We manage the provision of legal advice and remain accountable to our clients for service delivery and quality. Likewise, we can make recommendations to our clients about local lawyers and firms, recommendations that are based on experience and knowledge of the firms and markets in question. We have teams that focus on specific jurisdictions and areas, including the principal countries in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East. They are responsible for developing relationships with our network of top-tier law firms in each region.
Life Sciences
Combining legal skill with solid industry knowledge, we represent many of Ireland and the world’s major pharmaceutical, medical devices and agri-business companies. Our Life Sciences team advises overseas and domestic clients on establishing operations in Ireland and on all aspects and stages of the life cycle of a product, from research and development through to manufacturing and marketing of finished products. Our extensive experience in this sector, allied with strong links with local and EU trade and regulatory associations, enables us to anticipate and identify potential issues in advance, thereby ensuring the smooth operation of our clients’ businesses. It is for this reason that we count many of the world’s leading pharmaceutical, medical device and biotech companies among our clients. Our clients include many of the major multinational and domestic pharmaceutical, diagnostic and medical device companies, ranging from start-ups and university spin-outs to large multinationals and industry leaders. We provide broad based legal solutions and tax advice in relation to the negotiation and structuring of a variety of transactions including mergers, acquisitions, migrations, inversions, pre-sale spinouts or hive downs, business and product acquisitions and disposals, restructurings, reorganisations, cross-border mergers, distributions, joint ventures, corporate structures and related structural issues. We have a proven track record in advising our clients in the sector on the negotiation and drafting of a wide-range of commercial agreements including contract and toll manufacturing, licensing, distribution, logistics, confidentiality, clinical trials, research and development collaborations, outsourcing, sourcing and supply, and other strategic alliance arrangements.
Media, Entertainment and Sport
The Media, Entertainment and Sports Group works closely with the Technology, Intellectual Property, Litigation and Finance Groups and draws on the expertise of other specialist lawyers in the firm as required. We advise the creative industries on all of their legal needs including finance and funding, contract law, regulation, music, film and television, advertising and sponsorship, publishing, defamation and commercial arrangements generally. We act for television and radio broadcasters, cable companies, production and distribution companies, publishers, advertising agencies, record companies and talent, as well as many digital and on-line media, content provision and telecommunications companies. The Media, Entertainment and Sports Group have a deep understanding of the commercial and legal issues and opportunities that arise in the world of sport. This deep understanding comes from many of our team being current or former high performance athletes or administrators. Our track record in advising athletes, agents, coaches, sponsors, advertisers, corporate clients, brands and rights owners, venues, sporting organisations and governing bodies across the full spectrum of sports is unrivalled. The Group advises on the full range of issues relevant to the industry including: advising broadcasters, advertisers and other interested parties in their dealings with the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland advising on recording contracts, contract law, music publishing, management agreements, merchandising and live performance agreements film and television finance and production advise advertisers and producers of products and services on regulation, clearance, brand and rights protection publishing, both in print and digital media, and content provision defamation, rights protection and alternative dispute resolution
Public Sector
Our Public Sector Team works in partnership with public sector entities, State and semi-State bodies, Government agencies, Government departments, third-level institutions and universities as well as organisations operating in regulated sectors, supporting them to deliver strategically important projects. We also advise private clients who interact with all arms of the State on various sectoral issues. We have significant experience with all public law litigation matters, including judicial review and the conduct of statutory investigations and inquiries, as well as Tribunals of Inquiry and Commissions of Investigation.
Real Estate
As the largest Real Estate Group in Ireland, combined with our in-depth industry knowledge, we have a significant competitive advantage that enables us to service the diverse requirements of our broad client base. Our Real Estate Group includes the leading commercial property team in Northern Ireland and this strength in both jurisdictions enables Arthur Cox to advise on cross-border real estate transactions. Our Real Estate Group is closely linked to the specialist expertise provided by our Tax, Finance and Corporate teams, expertise that is often integral to the structuring of major real estate transactions. We also work closely with our Litigation team on all types of property and landlord and tenant disputes. Our services include: Advising domestic and international clients on the acquisition and disposal of all types of interests in commercial and residential real estate from property portfolios to single asset transactions Advising on all aspects of land development and the real estate aspects of infrastructure, energy and natural resource projects including planning, environmental, construction and taxation issues Advising commercial landlords and tenants on the acquisition and disposal of leasehold interests, sale and leaseback transactions, pre-lets and providing ongoing management advice to landlords, tenants and asset managers Advising investors and developers on the acquisition, development and disposal of residential multi-family/PRS/BTR schemes and providing ongoing advice to landlords and asset managers on residential landlord and tenant law Advising owners, lenders, borrowers, equity investors, hedge funds, asset managers on all aspects of financing, secured lending and real estate investment
Technology and Innovation
Our Technology and Innovation Group has a large body of domestic and international clients who share a common purpose – they expect highly commercial, responsive and solution-focused advice from a team of partners and associates offering a premier level of experience and expertise within the Irish market. Lawyers from our Technology and Innovation Group are especially active in our international practice where we enjoy a particularly rich heritage. We have been privileged to advise many US technology companies establishing and scaling their businesses from a base within Ireland. We also advise these clients on ongoing legal compliance in key areas such as data protection and export control. Our client base also includes some of Ireland’s largest and fastest growing domestic technology companies.