International law firm Maples and Calder (Ireland) LLP, the Maples Group’s law firm, is pleased to announce the promotion of six of its senior lawyers in Ireland. Aoife McDonagh (funds and investment management) and Joe O’Neill (finance) join the firm’s growing Irish partnership while Alex Walsh, Eoin O’Leary (finance), Jennifer Dobbyn and Richard O’Donoghue (funds and investment management) have been promoted to of counsel positions.
Over the past 18 years, the firm has grown rapidly in Ireland, earning a strong reputation as an innovative leader in the legal sector, providing top-tier expertise and advice with deep sectoral and industry knowledge. The firm received a number of notable industry accolades across 2023. Leading industry journals ranked 39 of its Irish lawyers including partners, of counsels and associates while key deals spanned the areas of financial services, ESG advisory, corporate, tax, technology, capital markets, aviation, banking, restructuring, regulatory, banking, real estate and private equity. Today’s appointments push the numbers of partners in Ireland to an all-time high with women representing 40 per cent of the entire Irish partnership.
Welcoming the appointments, Ireland managing partner, Peter Stapleton said: “I would like to congratulate our new partners and of counsel on their appointments which is a reflection of their commitment to our firm and clients, both domestic and international. Within their new roles, I have no doubt they will continue to play pivotal roles in the firm’s ongoing success here in Ireland and globally.”
He continued: “As the leading international law firm in Ireland, we annually strengthen the depth of expertise in our core practice areas. This year, we have enhanced our finance and funds and investment management groups in response to increased client demand for high-quality and often innovative legal advice in these particular areas. This follows promotions in corporate, tax and dispute resolution and insolvency in recent years, ensuring that we provide the full service and speciality legal services our global clients expect.”
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Eighteen new partners and of counsel were appointed in eight locations worldwide, with strong representation across the European offices. The group now employs over 500 people in Ireland across two offices in Dublin, and nearly 3,000 globally across 16 international offices.
About the new partners and of counsel
Partner – Aoife McDonagh (see bio here):
Aoife joined the firm’s funds and investment management team as an associate in 2023. She acts for a wide range of funds and service providers and has extensive experience in advising on the establishment, authorisation and operation of all types of Irish investment funds, in particular, UCITS and QIAIFs. Aoife also works with fund service providers in connection with depositary, administration and other service agreements. Aoife has been ranked as a rising star in each of the IFLR1000 2022, 2021 and 2020 editions.
Partner – Joe O’Neill (see bio here):
Joe joined the firm’s finance team as an associate in 2020. Joe has experience covering a broad range of leveraged debt capital markets, structured products and general financing transactions. He advises Irish and international banks, private investors, sponsors and corporate entities across a wide range of securitisation and financial market deals.
Of counsel – Alex Walsh (see bio here):
Alex joined the firm’s asset finance team as an associate in 2016. Alex advises operating lessors, lease managers, financial institutions and private equity groups on all aspects of aircraft finance and leasing, including multi-aircraft acquisitions and sales, debt finance and security matters, PDP financing, and ABS transactions.
Of counsel – Eoin O’Leary (see bio here):
Eoin joined the firm’s asset finance team as an associate in 2016 and was seconded to the Hong Kong office from 2018 to January 2020. He advises on all aspects of aircraft finance and leasing and has particular experience advising operating lessors and financial institutions on aircraft acquisitions and sales, debt financing aircraft, ECA financing, the establishment of aircraft funding platforms and ABS structures.
Of counsel – Jennifer Dobbyn (see bio here):
Jennifer joined the Maples Group as a trainee in 2013 and qualified into the firm’s funds and investment management team in 2016. She advises on the establishment, ongoing operation and regulation of all types of UCITS and AIFs including funds of funds, master feeders, loan origination, managed account platforms and real asset structures. Jennifer also advises on the establishment, ongoing operation and regulation of AIFMs and UCITS management companies.
Of counsel – Richard O’Donoghue (see bio here):
Richard joined the firm’s funds and investment management team as an associate in 2017. Richard has particular expertise in the area of sustainable finance and advises clients in respect of the implementation and compliance with the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulations and the Taxonomy Regulation. He also frequently advises in respect of structuring alternative strategies within the UCITS and QIAIF framework and a wide variety of fund financing transactions.
