ByrneWallace LLP moves up the rankings of Ireland’s leading M&A Legal Advisers 2020
Tuesday, 09 February 2021
The report, which tracked M&A transactions over the 2020 period, described 2020 as a “bumper” year for deal making in Ireland despite the Covid-19 pandemic, with a record 490 transactions worth €55 billion having taken place, the highest annual figure recorded by Experian over the last decade.
ByrneWallace LLP moved up the league table of top M&A legal advisers with Experian noting 16 deals on which we advised totalling well in excess of €0.5 billion during the year.
Commenting on the rankings, Neil Keenan, Head of Corporate said, “2020 was an exceptionally strong year for the M&A activity for the firm. We advised on a number of landmark deals, across many industry sectors with particular focus on the life sciences, technology, healthcare and energy sectors, areas where ByrneWallace LLP has specialist expertise.”
Transactions included the high profile sales of Precision Biotics and Inflazome; the sale of Interactive Services to U.S. based LRN Corporation; the sale of food company M&M Walshe Holdings (owner of Callan Bacon) to Eight Fifty Food Group; and the sale of Corporate Access Legal Services Group to the Phenna Group (a UK private equity firm).
ByrneWallace also advised on a number of significant fundraisings during the year by companies such as OneProjects, Avectas, Neuromod and Priothera in the life sciences sector, and GridBeyond and Mainstream Renewable Power in the energy sector.
“Looking ahead into 2021, which has already started as a very active year for deal making including the proposed acquisition by Aker Horizons of 75% of Mainstream Renewable Power (on which we are advising), we envisage another busy year for deal making activity in Ireland. Many business owners, especially those operating in sectors worst hit by the pandemic, may choose to consider exit or private equity opportunities on the back of ever heightened interest in Irish businesses across the private equity markets internationally.”
A selection of transactions that we advised on in 2020 is here click here.
For full details on the report, visit Experian MarketIQ UK and Republic of Ireland M&A Review 2020.
For advice or further information on our Corporate and M&A services, click here or contact a member of the ByrneWallace Corporate Team.
Head of Corporate Neil Keenan with Managing Partner Feargal Brennan (left). Photo taken pre-Covid-19 social distancing restrictions.
