Matheson Ormsby Prentice is one of the strongest law firms in Ireland for tax advice. It has the largest tax practice of any law firm too. Turlough Galvin, who is also well known as a capital markets lawyer, heads the practice of about 35 fee earners. ...
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Matheson Ormsby Prentice is one of the strongest law firms in Ireland for tax advice. It has the largest tax practice of any law firm too. Turlough Galvin, who is also well known as a capital markets lawyer, heads the practice of about 35 fee earners. Shane Hogan is viewed by his peers as an up-and-coming tax professional. "A star tax partner at Ireland at the moment going forward," said one tax partner.
The tax group has had a strong year in M&A. Hogan worked with Greg Lockhart, a VAT specialist, for State Street, the US bank, on its €80 million acquisition of the Bank of Ireland Asset Management. This received widespread media attention as it was one of the first capital-raising disposals by an Irish bank. Ewan Henderson also advised William Grant & Sons on the €399 million acquisition and part-disposal of C&C Group's Irish spirits business.
The group is also particularly strong on the tax aspects finance transactions. Galvin chairs the Irish Securitisation Forum, for example. The group and their capital markets colleagues advised on more international debt issuance transactions in 2010 than any other law firm in Ireland. Work carried out by the finance tax practice this year includes private debt capital markets fund-raising by Irish companies such as Syncreon, and advising an Irish lessor on its European Export Credit Agency financings.
Tax litigation is another area that has grown this year and the team this year has represented clients in disputes both before the Irish authorities and also the European Court of Justice (ECJ) that have gone beyond their traditional strength in VAT controversy. Clients that the practice has worked for this year include Dreamworks Animation, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Aon, Colgate Palmolive, Johnson & Johnson, Peugeot, Credit Suisse and DIF Infrastructure II.
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