William Fry LLP

William Fry is one of Ireland’s largest law firms, providing comprehensive legal and tax expertise across the business sector. The firm advises leading Irish and international companies in both the public and private sectors and maintains a significant international practice, regularly acting on matters involving the UK, the US, Asia, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Poland and Eastern Europe.

The firm is recognised for strong client relationships and high-quality advice across its principal practice areas, including corporate/M&A, banking and finance, litigation and dispute resolution, asset management and investment funds, real estate, corporate tax, technology, insurance, employment and benefits, EU and competition, and projects and construction.

William Fry is regarded as a leading firm for asset management and investment funds, continuing to act on complex and high-value matters for global asset managers and having been ranked as the most innovative Irish law firm in the legal expertise category by the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Report 2019. Its banking and finance team is acknowledged as a market leader, advising domestic and international financial institutions, NAMA, corporates, issuers, treasury vehicles, arrangers, dealers, rating agencies and governmental bodies. The capital markets team advises on the full range of debt and equity issuances in Ireland and internationally, acting for issuers, financial institutions and market participants.

The firm advises on commercial contracts for corporations, entrepreneurs and family businesses, and its competition department is noted for handling complex EU and Irish competition and merger control matters. Corporate/M&A remains a cornerstone of the practice, with the team frequently engaged in sophisticated domestic and cross-border transactions. The restructuring and insolvency practice advises insolvency practitioners, financial institutions, investors and shareholders in restructuring and business termination events.

William Fry’s employment and benefits lawyers advise on employment law, whistleblowing, health and safety, pensions and incentives. The environment and planning group provides technical and commercial advice in this complex and highly regulated area. The financial regulation unit advises banks, investment firms, insurers, collective investment schemes, regulators and intermediaries on all aspects of compliance. The firm also has a dedicated intellectual property team managing both contentious and non-contentious matters.

The litigation and dispute resolution practice is recognised for its results-driven approach and represents clients before all levels of court, as well as in conciliation, mediation and arbitration. The private client team provides legal and taxation advice to private, institutional and commercial clients on wealth preservation, management and transfer. The firm is also a leader in private equity and venture capital transactions in Ireland.

Its real estate department is consistently rated as a first-tier practice, advising institutional investors, private equity funds, receivers, developers and major retailers. William Fry is also the exclusive member of Taxand in Ireland, providing access to over 400 tax partners and 2,000 advisors in more than 40 countries.

The firm operates from offices in Dublin, Cork, New York, San Francisco and Silicon Valley.