Garrett Breen

Garrett is an experienced commercial litigator with a breadth of experience representing clients in large, novel, complex and multi-jurisdictional litigation, particularly in the Commercial Division of the Irish High Court as well as before the Court of Justice of the European Union. He also advises clients who appear before specialist Tribunals and Commissions of Inquiry, both in Ireland and abroad.

Garrett has represented clients in financial service regulatory litigation and advises financial services firms and individuals who are subject to the Administrative Sanctions Procedures of the Irish Central Bank. In addition, he advises professional advisors, including auditors and tax advisors on their statutory obligations and decision-making processes.

For many years, Garrett has advised sector-specific regulators both within and outside Ireland.  He has also had an extensive Intellectual Property litigation and advisory practice and has run many anti-counterfeiting campaigns for well-known multinational brand holders such as Nike, Levi Strauss & Co. and Microsoft.

Significant cases Garrett has been involved in include representing:

• Thema International Fund Plc. in its action against HSBC Bank seeking the recovery of over USD1 Billion following the Madoff fraud.
• The Department of Finance, before the Commission of Investigation into Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC).
• Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay, in proceedings relating to the purchase of loans from the Special Liquidators of IBRC.
• A pillar Irish Bank, in relation to all aspects of its participation in the Joint Oireachtas (Parliamentary) Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis.
• Commission for Communications Regulation (“ComReg”), in defence of a Commercial Court statutory appeal brought by Sky Ireland in respect of ComReg decisions concerning the Wholesale Local Access (WLA) and Wholesale Central Access (WCA) broadband markets.