Our recent transactional experience includes advising/acting for:

• State Street Bank on its acquisition of the Irish Goldman Sachs hedge fund administration business.
• Fairfax Financial Holdings, WL Ross and Kennedy Wilson, on the acquisition of a 34% stake in Bank of Ireland from the Irish Government.
• J & E Davy on its acquisition of the private client and fund administration business of Bloxham Stockbrokers.
• Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c. on the sale of its investment management division AIB Asset Management Holdings (Ireland) Limited to Prescient Holdings (PTY) Limited.
• Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c. on the sale of Goodbody Stockbrokers to Fexco.
• Goldman Sachs as sponsor on the restructuring of Irish Life & Permanent Holdings into bank and life assurance structures in advance of State recapitalisation.
• WIPRO Group on its Irish establishment and acquisition of the activities of Lloyds TSB Insurance Services.
• Bank of America Merrill Lynch on the sale of its US, Irish and Jersey fund administration businesses.
• SunLife Assurance Company of Canada on the sale of the Irish reinsurer Sun Life Reinsurance Ireland to Berkshire Hathaway, including all Central Bank of Ireland and other regulatory liaison.
• Merrion Capital and the MBO team on its buy-back from Landesbanki.
• Fidelity Investments on the establishment of its Irish unit-linked life insurance company.
• Ahli United Bank plc on the redomicilation of its Cayman range of funds to Ireland representing the continued development of Ireland as the preferred domicile for promoters from the Middle East region.
• Alterra on the High Court merger of its insurance and reinsurance platforms in advance of proposed implementation of Solvency II.
• Santander on the launch of its Irish pan-European payment protection insurance platform.
• AXA on the set-up of its AXA Life Europe variable annuity life company and the AXA Cessions insurance-linked securitisation programmes.

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Department

• William Fry's Financial Regulation team have been described as "excellent and no weaknesses." IFLR1000 2020 
• Shane Kelleher has been ranked in Chambers FinTech 2020, one interviewee says: “Shane is up there as one of the experts in payment licences, e-money and in working with lots of FinTechs." 
• Sources praise the lawyers' "knowledge of the Irish regulatory environment," saying: "They know how the Central Bank is likely to view things." Clients further describe the team as "responsive and commercial." Chambers Europe 2020
• A very happy customer say "we have used Shane Kelleher and his team in relation to an application to the CBI for regulatory authorisation. Shane knows the regulator well and knows how to deal with them. The William Fry team has been diligent, responsive and available while also trying to ensure we work together in the most cost efficient and productive manner". Another client says "William Fry has been exemplary in its work. It has assigned experts to what has been a very technically demanding assignment. A very responsive and professional approach has been adopted consistently ....Comprehensive understanding of market regulatory requirements, concise and up-to-date regulatory advice, broad knowledge base and practical business understanding when providing advice" IFLR 1000 2019 
• "William Fry give responsive, comprehensive and thorough advice. William Fry are available with advice on tight deadlines when required". IFLR 1000 2019
• A client states "very professional firm with a good team in place. Their strength is their people and breadth of experience on various projects" IFLR 1000 2019
• One client says "they are extremely capable, pragmatic, practical and very responsive". Another happy client says "William Fry has a very wide-reaching level of expertise and in-depth knowledge, and another strength is the consistently high quality of the staff". Chambers Europe 2019
• One happy client says: "Their legal expertise, service levels and business-friendly approach sets them apart. I have recommended the team to other parties and continue to do so." Another source notes: "The firm is committed to its clients and develops strong relationships with them." Chambers Europe 2018
• "They were very commercial on complex deals, extracted the important parts, were very proactive and made sure that nothing slipped away." Clients also point out that "they have a nice house style: professional, friendly and courteous."Chambers Europe, 2017 
•  "The lawyers took a personal interest in the work and the overall objective was always in their minds. There was a big team offering a lot of strength throughout." 
  "This firm had the size and skills to handle a particularly complex transaction, and the commitment to throw the necessary resources at the job." Chambers Europe 2016
• William Fry is an "excellent practice". Legal 500 EMEA 2016