Experience

Donal is Head of the firm’s Real Estate & Construction Group. 

He is recommended in Chambers and Partners, Legal 500 and Who’s Who Legal as a leading real estate lawyer in Ireland. He has over 25 years’ experience in acting for developers, state bodies, lenders and tenants in all aspects of the real estate sector. In addition to advising on many large commercial property transactions, Donal advises on energy transactions including windfarms, energy infrastructure projects and data centres. 

He advises lenders on some of the most significant development financing transactions in the market with a specialisation in structuring large transactions to make them “bankable”. Donal has developed an expertise in insolvency related real estate transactions acting for insolvency practitioners in the disposal of real estate assets. 

He advises state bodies on public infrastructure projects including road construction and transport projects. Donal also acts for office and retail tenants and has considerable experience of landlord and tenant matters including advising from a real estate perspective on disputes.

Key highlights include advising:

  • A statutory receiver in relation to the forward fund sale and development of the Exo Building, Dublin.
  • Boston Scientific in the acquisition of various facilities.
  • Central Bank of Ireland on all aspects connected with the development of its new HQ building on Dublin’s North Quays and the recent sale of a building.
  • A legal firm in relation to the leasing of a significant HQ building.
  • An infrastructure firm in relation to the property aspects of a sub-sea cable.
  • Syndicate of Lenders in relation to the financing of Spencer Dock and Fibonacci buildings.
  • Various receivers on the sale of large commercial properties.
  • State bodies in relation to their wind farm developments.
  • An investor in relation to the development of data centres.
  • A forestry fund in relation to the acquisition of forestry portfolios.
  • A state entity in relation to the development of a university campus.