Recent Work by Practice Area

Recent work relevant to M&A   Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c.     Ion Equity     We are advising Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c. in relation to its proposed participation in the National Asset Management Agency bank asset acquisition programme, as announced on 30 November 2009     We advised Ion Equity and other selling shareholders on the sale of SWS Natural Resources Holdings Limited, the operator of Ireland’s second largest wind energy generation business, to Bord Gais Eireann.     Date : December 2009 Value : approx €24 billion    Partners :  Barry Devereux                      Aidan Lawlor                      Richard Rice                      Peter Osborne                           Date : December 2009 Value : In excess of €500m    Partners :  Ben Gaffikin                                       Allied Irish Banks, plc     C&C Group plc     We acted for Allied Irish Banks, plc on the Government's €3.5 billion recapitalisation, effected by a subscription by the National Pensions Reserve Fund Commission for 3.5 billion preference shares in the bank. As part of the subscription the commission was given warrants to subscribe for ordinary shares representing 25% of the bank's ordinary share capital at that time     We advised C&C Group plc on the Irish aspects of its acquisition of Anheuser-Busch InBev's Irish, Scottish and Northern Irish businesses including the Tennent's lager brand.     Date : May 2009 Value : €3.5bn    Partners :  Barry Devereux                      David Byers                      Julian Conlon                           Date : September 2009 Value : €250m    Partners :  David Lydon                      David Byers                      Damian Collins                      Adrian Farrell                                       Birchhall Investments     Amdocs     We acted for Birchhall Investments (a joint venture between NCB Ventures and Pageant Holdings) in relation to its acquisition of Xtra-vision, Ireland's leading home entertainment business, from Blockbuster Inc.     We acted for Amdocs, a NYSE listed Israeli public company, on its acquisition of Changing Worlds, an Irish mobile interactive product and solutions group     Date : July 2009 Value : up to €32 million    Partners :  Alan Fuller                      Patricia Lawless                           Date : December 2008 Value : €60 million    Partners :  Ben Gaffikin                                       Noonan Services Group     Marathon Oil Corporation     We acted for management in MBO of Noonan Services Group by Alchemy Partners and management     We acted for Marathon Oil Corporation in the sale of its wholly owned subsidiary, Marathon International Petroleum Hibernia Limited, which holds Marathon’s 18.5 percent interest in the Corrib natural gas development offshore Ireland, to Vermilion Energy Trust. The final sale proceeds will range between $235 million and $400 million, subject to the timing of first commercial gas at Corrib. The assets associated with the Corrib development as of year-end 2008 were 98 billion cubic feet of natural gas (16.4 million barrels of oil equivalent).     Date : December 2008 Value : €90 million    Partners :  Ben Gaffikin                           Date : June 2009 Value : $235m - $400m    Partners :  Valerie Lawlor                      Colm Fanning                      Michael O'Reilly                                       Sisk Group     CPL Resources Limited     Advising the Sisk Group on the acquisition of a shareholding in Meret Healthcare.     Advising CPL Resources Limited on the acquisition of the business and assets of Kenny Whelan & Associates (in receivership).     Date : June 2009 Value : Confidential    Partners :  Paul Heffernan                           Date : June 2009 Value : Confidential    Partners :  Paul Heffernan                                       KPS Capital Partners LP     Boston Scientific Corporation     We acted as Irish counsel to WWRD Holdings Limited, a company newly formed by KPS Capital Partners LP, on its acquisition of certain assets of the Waterford Wedgwood Group.     We acted as Irish counsel to Boston Scientific Corporation on the acquisition of Labcoat Limited. Labcoat Limited is a privately held, development-stage drug-eluting stent technology company located in Galway, Ireland.     Date : March 2009 Value : Undisclosed    Partners :  David Byers                      Maureen Dolan                      Jane Marshall                      Julian Conlon                      Eamon de Valera                           Date : December 2008 Partners :  Paul Heffernan                                       Marathon Oil Corporation     TV3 - Acquisition of Channel 6     We acted for Marathon Oil Corporation in the sale of its wholly owned subsidiary, Marathon Oil Ireland Limited, for $180 million to PSE Ireland Limited, a subsidiary of Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas). The assets sold include Marathon's 100pc operated interest in the Kinsale Head Area comprising Kinsale Head, South West Kinsale and the Ballycotton gas fields, as well as an 86.5pc interest in the gas producing Seven Heads field which is tied back to Kinsale. It also includes 100pc interest in the company's gas storage business with current capacity of 7 billion cubic feet.     Advising TV3 in relation to its acquisition of Channel 6 (subject to completion)     Date : April 2009 Value : $180m    Partners :  Valerie Lawlor                      Maureen Dolan                      Michael Ryan                           Date : July 2008 Partners :  David Byers                      Philip Andrews                                       Texas Instruments     Acquisition of Original Solutions Limited by Perot System In     Advised Texas Instruments on the acquisition of Commergy Technologies Limited by way of share purchase agreement     Advised Perot System Investments BV on the acquisition of Original Solutions Limited by way of share purchase agreement     Date : May 2008 Partners :  Paul Heffernan                      Susan O'Halloran                           Date : May 2008 Value : c. $4.5m    Partners :  Valerie Lawlor                                       Avnet offer for Horizon Technology     Intel Corporation     Advising Avnet, Inc. and Avnet (Holdings) Limited in relation to its offer for Horizon Technology Group plc     We advised Intel Corporation in connection with its acquisition of games software developer, Havok.     Date : April 2008 Value : €101 million     Partners :  David Byers                           Date : September 2007 Value : US$110m    Partners :  Barry Devereux                      Ben Gaffikin                                       C&C Group plc     alphyra/Payzone     We advised C&C Group plc on the sale of its soft drinks division to Britvic. The transaction involved a horizontal overlap and was cleared by The Competition Authority in Phase 1.     We advised alphyra on its reverse take over of Cardpoint plc     Date : August 2007 Value : €249.2m    Partners :  Guy French                      David Lydon                      Damian Collins                           Date : December 2007 Value : €437m    Partners :  Alan Fuller                                       Airtricity acquisition of Slieve Divena Wind Farm     Emera Inc. acquisition of stake in OpenHydro Group     Advising Airtricity in relation to its acquisition of Slieve Divena Wind Farm     We acted for Emera, Inc. on its acquisition of a significant stake in OpenHydro Group Limited.     Date : November 2007 Value : €25m-€30m reported    Partners :  Valerie Lawlor                           Date : February 2008 Value : €10.2m    Partners :  Valerie Lawlor                                       Acquisition of stake in The City Channel     Acquisition of Denis Tarrant & Sons Limited by Cemex (ROI) L     Advising LGI Ventures BV in relation to the acquisition of a stake in The City Channel.     We advised Cemex (ROI) Limited, a subsidiary of Readymix plc, in relation to its acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Denis Tarrant & Sons Limited.     Date : November 2007 Partners :  Valerie Lawlor                      Philip Andrews                           Date : November 2007 Value : €11.5m    Partners :  Paul Heffernan                      Shane Fahy                                       Racing Post     Sale by Readymix to Acheson & Glover     Advised Anglo Irish Private Bankers, the institutional equity provider in The Racing Post management buyout     We advised Readymix in relation to the sale of pre-cast concrete products business to Acheson & Glover     Date : October 2007 Value : €244m    Partners :  Ben Gaffikin                           Date : August 2007 Value : €49m    Partners :  Paul Heffernan                      Shane Fahy                                       Level 3 acquisition of Servecast Limited     Volkswagen AG/O'Flaherty Holdings     We acted for an operating subsidiary of Level 3 Communications, Inc., the NASDAQ-listed international communications company, in its acquisition of Servecast Limited, a Dublin-based provider of live and on-demand video management and streaming services for broadband and mobile platforms.     We advised Volkswagen AG on the acquisition of the Volkswagen, Audi and Skoda distribution businesses in Ireland from O'Flaherty Holdings     Date : July 2007 Value : €33m approx    Partners :  William Earley                           Date : Ongoing Value : €33m    Partners :  Ben Gaffikin                      Alan Fuller                                       Bord na Mona     Doughty Hanson/TV3     We advised Bord na Mona plc in relation to its acquisition of Advanced Environmental Solutions (Ireland) Limited     Advised Doughty Hanson/TV3 on its investment in Setanta Sports Holdings Limited     Date : May 2007 Value : €61m    Partners :  Alan Fuller                      Barry Devereux                           Date : December 2006 Partners :  David Byers                      Philip Andrews                                       Benchmark Capital     Veolia Transport     Advised Benchmark on the sale of their shareholding in NASN Limited (North American Sports Network) to ESPN Global Limited     We advised Veolia Transport in relation to its acquisition of Nestor Bus Limited     Date : December 2006 Partners :  Ben Gaffikin                           Date : November 2006 Partners :  Paul Heffernan                                       Topaz Energy Group     BWG Foods     Advised Topaz Energy Group Limited in relation to the sale by its wholly owned subsidiary, Nollofield, of its shareholding in East Cork Oil Company Limited     Advised the management team and the purchasers on the management buyout of BWG Foods Limited     Date : November 2006 Partners :  Ben Gaffikin                           Date : October 2006 Value : €390m    Partners :  Alan Fuller                      Ben Gaffikin                      Paul Heffernan                      Eamon de Valera                                       Great Southern Hotel Group     United Cinemas International     Advised on the purchase by Edwards Holding of three of the Great Southern Hotels properties at an aggregate value in excess of €130m     Advised United Cinemas International Acquisitions on the sale of United Cinemas International (Ireland)     Date : October 2006 Value : €130m    Partners :  Donal O'Raghallaigh                      Paul Heffernan                           Date : September 2006 Value : Stg£63m    Partners :  Paul Heffernan                      Donal O'Raghallaigh                                       Sherry FitzGerald     C&C (Group)     Advised Sherry FitzGerald in relation to the sale of Myhome.ie to The Irish Times     Advised C&C Group on its disposal of the Tayto business, including the most important Irish snack brand, to its main Irish-owned competitor. We advised on the merger control aspects of the deal which was cleared by the Competition Authority in Phase 1     Date : September 2006 Value : €50m    Partners :  David Byers                           Date : September 2006 Value : €62m    Partners :  Philip Andrews                      Damian Collins                      David Lydon                      Guy French                                       Campbell Soup Company     Coillte Teoranta     Acted as Irish Counsel to Campbell Soup Company on the sale of its Irish and UK companies, Campbell Soup Ireland Limited and Campbell Grocery Products Limited, to Premier Foods Investments Limited. The combined value of the deal was Stg£460m     Advised Coillte Teoranta on its acquisition of Weyerhaeuser Europe Limited. The transaction had significant competition law elements.     Date : August 2006 Value : Stg£460m    Partners :  Paul Heffernan                      Philip Andrews                           Date : August 2006 Value : €66m    Partners :  Guy French                                       Topaz Energy Group     Sigma-Aldrich Ireland     Advised Topaz Energy Group, the acquirer of the Shell retail business in Ireland in 2005, on its agreement to acquire Statoil Ireland including advising on the merger control filing and procedure. The deal created the largest oil and motor fuel business in Ireland. The transaction had significant competition law elements     Advised Sigma-Aldrich Ireland Limited on its acquisition of Honeywell International Technologies Limited     Date : June 2006 Partners :  Barry Devereux                      Ben Gaffikin                      Damian Collins                      Philip Andrews                      Aidan Lawlor                           Date : May 2006 Partners :  David Lydon                                       Doughty Hanson & Co     Boston Scientific Corporation     Acted for Doughty Hanson & Co on the acquisition of TV3     Advised Boston Scientific and Guidant Corporation in relation to the sale of the Guidant Vascular Intervention Business to Abbott Laboratories Inc     Date : May 2006 Value : €265m    Partners :  Philip Andrews                      David Byers                           Date : April 2006 Partners :  Susan O'Halloran                                       Boston Scientific     Adare Group - Secondary Buyout     Advised Boston Scientific Corporation in relation to its acquisition of Guidant Corporation     Advised in relation to integrated debt and equity package to support management in the secondary buyout of Adare Group     Date : April 2006 Partners :  Susan O'Halloran                      Paul Heffernan                           Date : April 2006 Value : Stg£120m    Partners :  Ben Gaffikin                      Jim Murphy                      Eamon de Valera                                       Readymix plc     Anglo Irish Private Banking     Advised Readymix plc on the sale of its blacktop operations (bituminous products) to Irish Asphalt Limited     We advised in relation to the sale of entire issued share capital of Ocean Media to AAC Capital Partners     Date : February 2006 Partners :  Paul Heffernan                      Mary Brassil                           Date : October 2007 Value : €86m    Partners :  Ben Gaffikin