news 5 May 2021

McCann FitzGerald’s Catherine Deane, Hilary Marren and Lisa Smyth all named as IFLR1000 Women Leaders 2021

Partner and Chair, Catherine Deane, and Partners, Hilary Marren and Lisa Smyth, have all been named as IFLR1000 Women Leaders for 2021. While this is the fourth consecutive year both Catherine and Hilary have received the accolade, this is Lisa’s first time being included.

Catherine and Hilary are each top-ranked by the major international legal directories (Chambers, Legal 500, IFLR 1000) for Asset Finance. Lisa is a recognised expert on Restructuring and Insolvency.

Catherine specialises in aircraft transactions and acts for many leading aircraft lessors, lenders and arrangers on all aspects of aircraft financing and leasing. These include secured lending, portfolio securitisation, portfolio acquisitions and disposals, cross-border leasing transactions and the establishment of complex acquisitions and financing structures and operations in Ireland.  She has led and managed countless large-scale transactions including for Standard Chartered Bank, Orix Aviation and FPG/Amentum Ltd.

Hilary is a specialist aviation lawyer. She acts for many operating lessors and financiers in the aviation industry. She has significant experience of diverse international aviation transactions including establishing aviation platforms in Ireland, aviation-related joint ventures, cross-border financings, operating leasing, portfolio acquisitions and disposals and capital markets transactions including aircraft portfolio securitisations and unsecured note issuances.  Most recently she advised AerCap on its US$30bn acquisition of GE Capital Aviation Services which is the largest aviation/M&A transaction to date.

Lisa advises on restructuring, examinership, receivership, liquidation and contentious work for insolvency practitioners, corporates and state agencies. In recognition of her unique set of skills and significant experience in the sector, Lisa leads a number of significant mandates including leading the team advising NAMA on the Commission of Investigation into Project Eagle, an ongoing mandate of key importance to NAMA.  Lisa also led the firm’s restructuring mandate with CarTrawler to guide it through very difficult trading conditions arising from the pandemic which ultimately led to a negotiated solution with the lender group coupled with an investment of €100m from Towerbrook. 

Women Leaders are the leading female transactional lawyers in the world. These lawyers have impressive track records and are consistently recommended by clients and peers for the quality of their advice and service.