Experience

Stephen has extensive experience in advising across a broad range of corporate activities including mergers and acquisitions (M&A), joint ventures, corporate reorganisations, private equity transactions and commercial contracts. Stephen has a strong general corporate advisory practice, advising a variety of State and public sector entities on all aspects of company law, including on compliance and corporate governance issues.

Stephen also has a particular focus on M&A in the insurance sector, having been involved in a number of significant transactions in recent years. In addition to his expanding insurance M&A practice and his central role in the firm’s insurance group, Stephen has acted for a number of the firm’s international clients on M&A, joint venture and corporate restructuring transactions in the healthcare and renewable energy sectors.

Key highlights include advising:

  • Irish Life on a number of corporate acquisitions and disposals in the Irish market including:
    1. the disposal of Irish Progressive Services International Limited to FNZ.;
    2. the acquisition of Conexim; and
    3. the acquisition of Acumen & Trust.
  • Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A. on the sale of Generali PanEurope dac (since renamed as Utmost PanEurope dac) and Generali Link Limited to Life Company Consolidation Group (LCCG) as well as representing Generali on the Irish aspects of the sale of Generali Worldwide Insurance Company Limited.
  • Vhi on a range of corporate law matters, including its acquisition of sole control of the Vhi SwiftCare Clinics, the establishment of its Health & Wellbeing division and on-going corporate governance requirements.
  • MetLife on:
    1. various corporate matters relating to their insurance operations in Ireland, including recently concluded cross border merger transactions; and
    2. the corporate aspects of the transfer of a run-off portfolio of linked and traditional business to Monument Re.
  • Monument Re on:
    1. its acquisition of Inora Life DAC from Société Générale; and
    2. its acquisition of life insurer, Cattolica Life DAC.
  • the Sisk Group on:
    1. the c.€100m sale of the Sisk Healthcare Group to Uniphar PLC and Sisk’s further investment in Uniphar PLC as part of the Uniphar IPO; and
    2. various other corporate transactions and internal matters of corporate governance.
  • Primary Health Properties on its acquisition of a portfolio of primary care centre assets through the purchase of the relevant corporate group.
  • Coillte on a range of corporate matters including its investments in various joint venture wind farm projects, governance related issues and various matters with its parent Department.
  • Ervia on various aspects of its statutory reorganisation and legal separation of Irish Water and Gas Networks Ireland.
  • Eirtech Aviation on the sale of Eirtech Paint and Eirtech Services businesses to International Aerospace Coatings (backed by Vance Street Capital).
  • OPKO on various corporate matters such as the acquisition of EirGen Pharma Limited, the internal reorganisation of group IP rights and other matters of Irish company law.
  • the Navi Group on a range of corporate, commercial and company law matters, including shareholder governance arrangements, commercial contracts and internal restructuring matters.