Recent Work by Practice Area

Recent work relevant to Merger Control   Diageo     Topaz Energy Group     We advised Diageo on all Irish competition and merger issues arising out of its acquisition of Irish whiskey producer, The “Old Bushmills” Distillery Company Limited. The transaction was cleared by the Competition Authority in August 2005     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     Date : August 2005     Date : June 2006 Partners :  Barry Devereux                      Ben Gaffikin                      Damian Collins                      Philip Andrews                      Aidan Lawlor                                       C&C (Group)     ARAMARK Corporation     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     We acted for ARAMARK in obtaining Competition Authority merger control approval for ARAMARK's acquisition of a controlling stake in Campbell Catering Services.     Date : September 2006 Value : €62m    Partners :  Philip Andrews                      Damian Collins                      David Lydon                      Guy French                           Date : April 2004 Partners :  Paul Heffernan                                       Kingspan Group     William Hill Limited     Advised Kingspan Group on the acquisition of Century Homes Group     Advised William Hill and Stanley Racing Ireland Limited on Irish competition law aspects relating to acquisition by William Hill of Stanley Racing's off-course betting shops in Ireland     Date : March 2005 Value : €91m    Partners :  Alan Fuller                      Daire Hogan                           Date : May 2005 Value : Stg£504m                    Benchmark Capital     Collins Stewart/ISTC     Advised Benchmark Capital in relation to its investments in Setanta Sports and NASN     We acted for Collins Stewart plc in its acquisition of International Securities Trading Corporation plc (ISTC) successfully obtaining clearance for the transaction in a record eight working days.     Date : October 2005 Partners :  Barry Devereux                      Ben Gaffikin                           Date : March 2008 Partners :  Philip Andrews