Sectors

Real Estate

Our expertise:

We have also seen increasingly complex structures used to own, develop and fund. Our leading Real Estate team has for many years acted on the most significant and innovative real estate transactions in the Irish market. We have a broad and deep knowledge of the entire real estate sector and the key trends affecting it. We work closely with lawyers from various teams within the firm from construction to finance, funds and tax. We are often the Irish counsel of choice for international investors and intermediaries. We are well used to working with leading law firms and corporations around the globe on Irish aspects of larger international projects and transactions.

We advise lenders, borrowers, investors, developers and occupiers across a variety of different real estate asset types. This gives us a deep and up-to-date understanding of the industry and the way it operates. We help our clients across the full range of their needs, from advising on planning requirements to drafting state-of-the art construction, co-ownership, funding and leasing documents. We often find ourselves at the forefront of new developments and initiatives and are active participants in stimulating thought and discussion on issues affecting the sector. Our pro-active approach has enabled us to help shape and develop some of the most innovative structures in Ireland over the past few years.

Key areas:

McCann FitzGerald advises clients on a range of projects, including:

• Mixed-use urban regeneration projects
• Headquarters buildings
• Retail and leisure projects
• Shopping and town centres
• The real estate elements of various energy and waste projects as well as infrastructure generally
• Acquiring, holding, developing, lending and borrowing in a tax efficient manner, often involving various funds, partnerships, co-ownerships and bespoke structures

Key highlights include advising:

• Ardstone in relation to its sale of the Velasco Building in Dublin 2, off-market and pre-completion, to Irish Life plc
• Central Bank of Ireland in relation to its acquisition and completion of a new HQ building on Dublin’s North Wall Quay, as well as the disposal of its former HQ at College Green, Dublin
• Global Student Accommodation on the acquisition, financing, construction and leasing of five student accommodation projects in Dublin (a relatively new sub-sector in our market)
• Hines and King Street Capital in relation to their ongoing interests at the substantial Cherrywood development in South Dublin
• Hudson/Lone Star on the JV development with Castlethorn in Adamstown development and Portmarnock development (with Ballymore)
• Kennedy Wilson in relation to its recent purchase of a substantial office building in South Dublin
• Primary Health Properties REIT, a fully listed, established, UK-based REIT with over 260 primary care centres under ownership in the UK, on its two Irish deals to date (primary care centres are a relatively new sub-sector in our market)
• Quadrant TIO on the development finance elements for the construction of an office block and a mixed use development in the South Docks
• The funders of Blackstone’s acquisition of the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre, Dublin