Experience

Shane is a partner in McCann FitzGerald’s Real Estate team and is recommended in Chambers & Partners, Legal 500 and Who’s Who Legal as one of the leading real estate lawyers in Ireland. He advises on all aspects of real estate, from acquisition, development and finance to leasing, re-structuring and disposal. He is experienced across the office, hospitality, logistics, retail and housing sectors.  He is also expert in advising on energy deals, student accommodation, data centres, loan sales, primary care centres, social housing and urban regeneration. Before joining McCann FitzGerald, Shane trained and qualified with a leading international firm in London. He has worked extensively with lawyers in other jurisdictions on the real estate elements arising in international M&A deals and on international property syndication transactions. He often leads on complex mandates involving elements from the construction, funds, tax, insolvency and finance teams.  

Shane headed up the Real Estate practice from 2015 to 2022 and has authored chapters on Irish real estate law for international comparative texts, lectured extensively on real estate topics and written for various national newspapers and legal journals. 

Key highlights include advising:

  • an international specialist in purpose-built student accommodation, on several significant acquisitions and developments in Ireland, including a recapitalisation and refinance on a substantial portion of its Irish portfolio, for a reported value of €400m.
  • a FTSE 250 primary care centre specialist on the acquisition, development and recapitalisation of a substantial number of properties in Ireland, including acting on private loan note placements secured on those assets.
  • a major Irish institution on the acquisition and development of several substantial private rented sector (PRS) developments and social housing transactions.
  • advising the developers on several substantial windfarm transactions including financing deals over the last number of years.
  • Irish banks and various non-bank lenders on multiple lending and re-finance transactions, with loans secured on substantial Irish real estate assets and developments over many years.
  • NAMA and various Receivers on substantial disposals of loans and property as well as Lloyds Banking Group plc, on the real estate aspects of numerous sales of loan portfolios, backed by Irish real estate, for a total consideration in excess of €2b.
  • Irish and international institutions on substantial, high profile HQ lettings, developments, re-gearing and investment.
  • various retailers and retail landlords on substantial lease transactions, acquisitions, financing and general structuring and advice.
  • a FTSE 250 property company on a substantial urban regeneration project.