Walkers Global is another law firm with strong foundations in international financial centres to set up a tax practice in Dublin. It was launched in March 2011 and is one to watch over the next few years. Anthony Smyth joined from William Fry to head ...
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Walkers Global is another law firm with strong foundations in international financial centres to set up a tax practice in Dublin. It was launched in March 2011 and is one to watch over the next few years. Anthony Smyth joined from William Fry to head the group and he is joined by Petrina Smyth, formerly of Maples and Calder. They work closely with another new recruit, Garry Ferguson, a partner in the structured products and capital markets group, who came from Matheson Ormsby Prentice.
The practice specialises predominantly in cross-border transactional work, which makes up 80% of all transactions, inbound investment and financial services. The group is particularly strong in asset finance tax, especially in the aircraft industry and also structured finance, especially with regards to the insurance industry.
They recently advised a group of investors on the leasing of an aircraft, which was the first deal to make use of the amendments to the section 110 securitisation regime in that area. The group is advising on on one of the first European CMBS transactions in more than four years. Life settlement transactions have also been an important source of work this year and the group is working on a transaction in this area, which will involve a listing on the London Stock Exchange.
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