Practice Areas

Home Practice Areas Litigation & Investigations Corporate Disputes

Corporate Disputes

William Fry is a leader in the area of corporate and commercial law transactions and advisory work.

We play a central role in the majority of the largest, most complex and sophisticated deals in Irish business, in addition to cross border and international deals with an Irish aspect. Where contentious issues arise for clients we work with our Corporate and M&A and Commercial practices to ensure our clients’ interests are protected.

Clients consistently describe us as assertive and solution-oriented. Our reputation is borne out by our experience – we have represented clients in the majority of significant commercial disputes to come before the Commercial Court since it was established in 2004.

We are assertive and solution-oriented whether it is in managing complex or high profile litigation before the Courts or sensitive commercial issues in an alternative dispute resolution setting through conciliation, mediation or arbitration. Our strength is our experience.

Experience

Our experience includes acting for, or advising:

Hartside Limited in the pursuit of High Court (Commercial List) proceedings against Heineken Ireland Limited arising from a Joint Venture Agreement between the parties.
Asics UK Limited in a case before the High Court Competition list in which Heatons Limited (an Irish department store with 42 outlets) was alleging that Asics, the famous sport footwear company had a dominant position in the relevant market and, by refusing to supply Heatons, was significantly adversely affecting the business of Heatons and was in breach of Competition law.
ICDL GCC Foundation and ICDL Saudi Arabia in Commercial Court proceedings taken against the European Computer Driving Licence Foundation for breach of contract arising from its unlawful termination of our clients’ licence agreement.
Davy, Ireland’s largest stockbroking firm, on a number of actions by various Credit Unions, and individual investors, relating to the recommendation and sale of perpetual bonds and other investment products.
‘Monaghan Mushrooms’ Danbywiske and the Wilson Limited Partnership 1 in an action taken by our clients to enforce an option granted to them by the Defendant to purchase 5% of the Defendant’s shareholding in the business.
Topaz in the defence of Commercial Court proceedings brought by Investec Bank PLC (‘Investec’). The proceedings related to the termination by Topaz of a contract with Investec which had been retained to advise Topaz on the sale of its loan portfolio by IBRC (In Special Liquidation).
Defending Horizon and other Defendants in Rory McIlroy’s Commercial Court claim seeking to set aside his agency/representation agreement. Horizon and the other Defendants counterclaimed for millions of euro in unpaid commission entitlements on foot of sponsorship agreements obtained for Rory McIlroy including his US$100 million dollar sponsorship agreement with Nike.
AA (Alternative Advantage) plc in proceedings against HSBC being conducted in the Commercial Court seeking the recovery of in excess of US$100 million entrusted by Alternative Advantage investors to HSBC as custodian and which HSBC in turn sub-custodied to Bernard Madoff.
A leading Irish pharmacy group in the defence of arbitration proceedings arising from a commercial agreement between the parties. The Claimant is seeking specific performance of the agreement.
Nortel Networks Ireland Limited in acting for the joint administrators for major restructuring of this Group on a global scale.