Experience

Stephen is Head of the firm's Corporate Group.

Stephen specialises in public and private M&A and equity capital markets. He also advises public and private companies, together with all other market participants, on the full range of corporate governance and securities law requirements, with a particular interest in the interaction of Irish and US securities laws and shareholder activism. Stephen spent several years working at one of Australia’s leading law firms and has considerable experience in complex, cross-border transactions and redomiciliations.

Key highlights include advising:

  • Advising WestRock Company on its $20 billion merger with Smurfit Kappa Group plc to form Smurfit WestRock.
  • Allied Irish Banks on the establishment by scheme of arrangement of AIB Group plc as the new holding company of the AIB group, its 2024 directed share buybacks from the Irish Minister for Finance for an aggregate of €1.5bn and its Odd Lot Offer to rationalise its share register.
  • Mainstay Medical on its IPO on Euronext Paris and ESM (now Euronext Growth) and 2016, 2018 and 2019 capital raisings and new holding company scheme of arrangement delisting, 2021 financing raising gross proceeds of $108 million and 2024 financing raising gross proceeds of $125 million.
  • AbbVie Inc. on its recommended acquisition of Allergan plc in a cash and stock transaction valued at $63 billion.
  • Trinseo, on its redomiciliation from Luxembourg to Ireland and the listing of the new Irish holding company, Trinseo PLC, on the NYSE.
  • Greencoat Renewables plc, the Irish based renewable energy company, on its €270 million initial public offering and subsequent placings raising gross proceeds of more than €950 million.
  • OUTSOURCING Inc. on its recommended acquisition of Cpl Resources plc.
  • Goldman Sachs as financial adviser and sponsor to Flutter Entertainment plc in connection with its all share combination with The Stars Group Inc.
  • IPL Plastics on its redomiciliation to Canada and IPO on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
  • Petroceltic International plc on its recommended merger with Melrose Resources plc, various equity placings, takeover approach by Dragon Oil plc, campaign by an activist shareholder and examinership.
  • For issuers or domestic and international investment banks on the IPO of Applegreen plc and subsequent fundraisings and on secondary capital raises by Cairn Homes plc, Kenmare Resources plc, Independent News & Media plc and Ryanair plc.
  • For bidders, targets, financial advisers or lenders on numerous public company takeover transactions including on the recommended acquisitions of Yew Grove REIT by Slate Office REIT, Strongbridge Biopharma by Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Green REIT by Henderson Park, IFG Group by Epiris Funds, Allianz-Irish Life Holdings by Allianz Europe, King Digital Entertainment by Activision Blizzard, Readymix by Cemex, Clearstream Technologies by CR Bard and Norkom by BAE Systems, on Chiquita’s proposed merger with Fyffes plc and on hostile offers by International Paper for Smurfit Kappa and by Mylan for Perrigo.