
Mark Saunders
+353 1 920 1184
[email protected]
Ten Earlsfort Terrace
Dublin 2
D02 T380
Ireland
Mark is a partner in the Corporate and M&A Group. He advises on public and private M&A and corporate matters, equity and debt capital markets transactions and complex financial/corporate restructurings and financing matters.
In addition to his core M&A and equity and debt capital markets practice, Mark has extensive experience advising on private equity transactions and regularly acts on Irish State-related matters, as well as advising boards on corporate governance and strategic matters. He also advises arrangers, sponsors and issuers/borrowers on a range of financing matters. Mark previously headed up the firm’s London office and has also served on the firm’s Management Group. Prior to joining Arthur Cox, Mark worked for a leading international law firm in London and Hong Kong.
Relevant Experience
- Acted for KBC Bank on the €5 billion sale of its Irish loan and deposit businesses to Bank of Ireland
- Advised Green REIT plc on its recommended public takeover by Henderson Park
- Acts for Ardstone Capital on a range of strategic, structuring and financing initiatives relating to the social housing market in Ireland.
- Acted for Centrica plc on its acquisition by way of privatisation of Bord Gáis Energy
- Acted for the EPH Group on its acquisition of a majority stake in Tynagh Energy Limited
- Advised the Irish government on the State’s response to the financial crisis, including various bank and building society nationalisations and the establishment of NAMA; acted for Chartered Land on its financial and corporate restructuring; acted for Musgrave Group plc on the acquisition of the Superquinn business, Ireland’s first major pre-pack receivership sale; acted for the British government / UK Treasury on the Northern Rock good bank / bad bank restructuring; acted for the senior creditor groups on the €1.4 billion restructuring of the Quinn group, the €2.7 billion Actavis group restructuring, the £600 million Alliance Medical group restructuring and the restructuring of the EMPG group
- Acted for Brookfield Asset Management on its acquisition of a majority stake in Imagine Communications
- Acted for daa plc (formerly Dublin Airport Authority) on its financing arrangements generally, including various bond issues and liability management exercises; led the firm’s advisory teams on a range of securitisations, including Ireland’s first building society securitisations and Ireland’s first whole-business securitisation; acted for Musgrave Group plc and Grafton Group plc on various US private placements; and advised on multiple leverage / acquisition financing transactions, both for sponsors and arrangers
- Advised American Express on the establishment of its global business travel JV with investors led by Certares
- Acted for Becton Dickinson on its acquisition of GenCell Biosystems
Endorsements
Mark Saunders is “very commercial, pragmatic and responsive.”
Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business, 2020
Mark Saunders is a “great tactician, a superb negotiator, commercial and pragmatic.”
Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business, 2018
Mark Saunders is “pragmatic, commercial, willing to fight for the client and level-headed.”
Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business, 2017
Mark Saunders “is very responsive and generates a good relationship between lawyer and client.”
Chambers Europe: Europe’s Leading Lawyers for Business, 2015
Education & Qualifications
- LL.B, 1990, Trinity College, Dublin
- Admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales, 1992
- Admitted as a solicitor in Ireland, 1994
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