In 2020, Cormac was among the first group of Irish solicitors to be named Senior Counsel by the Irish Government.
Cormac advises on the compatibility of business arrangements with EU and Irish competition laws and has represented clients in antitrust investigations by both the European Commission and the Irish Competition and Consumer Protection Commission or CCPC. He has also secured EU and/or Irish regulatory clearance for many high-profile mergers/acquisitions. More recently, he has advised on the applicability of both Ireland’s FDI screening regime, and of the EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation or FSR, to proposed transactions. He also assists both public bodies and disappointed bidders regarding challenges to contract decisions under EU/Irish public procurement rules. Cormac also specialises in EU State aid law, general EU law and assists clients regarding various types of regulatory investigations. He also advises clients on complying with EU/Irish AML/CFT rules and on other ‘white-collar’ crime issues, as well as on sanctions/restrictive measures and export control laws. Cormac also specialises in contentious issues including challenges to the decisions of regulatory/public bodies through litigation and/or statutory appeal processes and has represented clients before both the EU and Irish Courts,
Recent work includes advising:
- KWD Group on its acquisition of Bord na Móna’s waste collection business, which was cleared by the CCPC in Phase 1 subject to a structural remedy, notably without the issue of any formal information request by the CCPC.
- DCC plc on the Irish FDI screening aspects of both the sale of its healthcare business to the investment fund, Investindustrial; and, separately, the divestment of its UK/Irish technology business to Aurelius.
- Various clients on their compliance with EU/Irish sanctions law plus engagement with the Irish Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment on export control.
- wienerberger AG on its proposed acquisition of MFP Sales Limited plus certain assets of MFP Plastics Limited, cleared unconditionally by the CCPC in Phase 1.
- Frank Keane Group on its acquisition of N Conlan & Sons, cleared unconditionally by the CCPC in Phase 1.
- Aurivo on its acquisition of Arrabawn’s liquid milk, cream and cheese business, cleared unconditionally by the CCPC in Phase 2.
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