Pictured L-R: Daisy McAndrew (journalist and guest presenter), Conor Courtney (William Fry), Drew Feery (William Fry) Hugo O’Higgins (William Fry), Jack Cowley (guest presenter, Citibank)
William Fry is proud to announce that it has been awarded European Finance Team of the Year at The Lawyer Awards 2025, held last night at Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London.
Celebrating the best in Europe’s legal sector, the event recognised firms distinguished by their innovation, superior client service, and industry-leading capabilities.
The award recognises the Firm’s Banking & Finance Department, celebrated for its strategic and innovative approach to complex financing transactions. The team continues to secure high-profile mandates across diverse sectors, advising on market-leading deals and transformative financial structures.
This award is particularly noteworthy as it also highlights William Fry’s work on the landmark combination of Smurfit Kappa Group plc and WestRock Company to form Smurfit Westrock plc. This is one of the largest outbound mergers executed by an Irish company, with a market capitalisation of $24.9bn. The transaction was implemented through a dual-structured legal framework and combinations of a variety of financing tools, reflecting the cross-border complexity and regulatory sophistication required to bring it to fruition.
William Fry was also shortlisted in three other categories at the awards:
- Law firm of the year: Republic of Ireland
- Best Client Service Initiative – for its TechReg Connect tool which helps businesses navigate the complexities presented by the EU Digital Package
- European Litigation Team of the Year – which highlights the Firms work on the landmark MSD v Clonmel case, which addressed critical issues under the EU Supplementary Protection Certificate (SPC) Regulation
David Maughan, Head of Debt Capital Markets and Lead Partner on the Smurfit Westrock combination said: “This award reflects our commitment to delivering exceptional results for clients in complex and time-sensitive international financing transactions. We are extremely proud to have represented Smurfit Kappa on this historic transaction and we look forward to continuing our working relationship into the future.”
Commenting on the win, Stephen Keogh, Managing Partner at William Fry said, “William Fry is proud to be awarded European Finance Team of the Year. This award reflects the collective expertise and commitment of our Banking team and is a testament to our dedication and practical ethos and the strength of our client relationships that trust us with novel and innovative transactions.”
This award also adds to a year of significant recognition for William Fry, including being named Most Innovative Law Firm in Ireland by the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Report and winning Fintech Advisor of the Year at the National FinTech Awards.
