A&L Goodbody LLP has a large team and a substantial client base that includes debtors, lenders and insolvency practitioners. It has continued to work on many of the largest insolvencies and restructurings in the market. Cross-border restructurings, liquidations, examinerships, receiverships and schemes of arrangement are all at the heart of the esteemed practice. The firm also frequently advises loan purchasers in connection the workout and restructuring of loan portfolios. David Baxter is head of the insolvency and restructuring team and is a big name in the sector. Mark Traynor and Marsha Coghlan are also key partners, along with emerging talent Brian O’Malley. Stephen Ahern is a rising star.

Arthur Cox has landed many of the prime engagements in the Irish insolvency and restructuring field. It represents a range of creditors, debtors, bondholders, insolvency practitioners, and financial investors. It continued to act for Mallinckrodt Group in connection with its US Chapter 11 proceedings and expected parallel examinership in Ireland. William Day is head of the restructuring and insolvency group, alongside John Donald, and both are at the forefront of the market. Promoted to of counsel in January 2023, Frances Flynn is a rising star, having worked on many of the firm’s top matters in recent years.

Mason Hayes & Curran LLP has a tremendous record in insolvency and restructuring matters, including large-scale examinerships and out-of-court rescue processes. The team is also active in distressed asset and non-performing loan sales in Ireland. It advises a range of insolvency practitioners, creditors, debtors, distressed investors and other stakeholders in restructuring and insolvency engagements. Judith Riordan is an outstanding practitioner in corporate insolvency and related litigation, having further experience in out-of-court rescue processes. Maurice Phelan is head of the dispute resolution team and has an extensive record in contentious insolvency matters. Frank Flanagan is noted for loan portfolio sales.

Matheson LLP is a significant force in contentious and non-contentious corporate restructuring and insolvency. The firm is close to a number of key insolvency practitioners, along with major creditors, investment funds and distressed investors. It has continued to represent clients in headline examinerships, liquidations and out of court rescue processes; this includes acting for an ad hoc committee of holders of guaranteed unsecured notes in connection with the Mallinckrodt Chapter 11 proceedings and subsequent examinership. Tony O’Grady is at the pinnacle of the market, with Brendan Colgan and Julie Murphy-O’Connor also having excellent reputations. Kevin Gahan has a blossoming reputation and is very much amongst the team’s ‘stand out performers‘.

McCann FitzGerald LLP‘s commitment to the insolvency and restructuring field, driven by a group of specialist partners and associates, has landed it a prestigious client base and an impressive record in major contentious and non-contentious matters. The team has broad sectoral coverage, earning further recognition for cases linked to sanctions imposed on the Russian state following its invasion of Ukraine. Head of the dispute resolution and litigation group, Michael Murphy, is an outstanding practitioner, having represented clients in many of the headline restructurings in Ireland over recent years. Lisa Smyth is another leading lawyer, along with David O’Dea, who has an emerging reputation.

William Fry LLP has a flourishing practice in domestic and cross-border insolvencies and restructurings. It has landed prime engagements in numerous multi-billion-dollar restructurings and insolvencies, including US Chapter 11 plans. Fergus Doorly has an established reputation, having advised clients in some of the biggest recent matters in the market, thanks to his connections to senior restructuring practitioners and other international law firms. Ruairi Rynn is also a key partner. Consultant Barbara Galvin is a rising star, having joined the firm from Eversheds Sutherland in November 2022. Since publication, Craig Sowman left the firm.

Addleshaw Goddard has a dedicated corporate recovery group, led by the highly-rated Doug Smith. It has made a further impact in cross-border schemes of arrangement, alongside its traditional diet of examinerships, liquidations, receiverships and bankruptcies. It represents most of the accountants that undertake insolvency engagements in the Irish market and acts for many of the banks that operate in the non-performing loan portfolios field. Personal bankruptcy is another forte. Legal director Jonathan Lynch is another senior member of the team. Terry Leggett has retired. Craig Sowman was a new arrival in June 2024.

Beauchamps LLP‘s insolvency and corporate restructuring team is at the heart of the firm and one of its most prominent practices. Somewhat uniquely, the firm covers large cross-border restructurings through to SME insolvencies and personal insolvency applications; Clíodhna Walsh specialises in personal insolvencies. Aviation, retail and hospitality are amongst its primary sectors. Barry Cahir is a highly reputed practitioner in the market, while Simon Murphy continues to emerge as a strong specialist in this area and has been at the forefront of the Small Company Administrative Rescue Process (SCARP).

ByrneWallace LLP has a robust insolvency and restructuring practice, achieving further growth in examinerships, liquidations and in SCARP engagements. The firm is also active in representing private equity players in the non-performing loan (NPL) market, including the workout of NPLs and receivership litigation. John Fitzgerald has led the team for nearly ten years, having previously specialised in banking and property transactions. Sean Neville was promoted to of counsel in 2023. The firm also fields a number of dispute resolution specialists that are regularly engaged in insolvency litigation.

Dillon Eustace has a fine record in domestic and cross-border insolvencies, particularly examinerships, often representing insolvency practitioners from the major accountancy firms that are acting as liquidators. It also has notable expertise in advising domestic and foreign secured creditors on security enforcement and distressed asset recovery. Over recent years, it has achieved a series of major aviation restructuring engagements and aviation sector cases relating to the sanctions imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. A dedicated fraud and asset recovery team within the department lends additional weight to the firm’s offering. Personal insolvency is another forte. Jamie Ensor is an experienced partner and Shane Harron is a rising star.

Eversheds Sutherland has a wide-ranging practice, with an especially strong record in examinerships and liquidations, along with restructurings and loan portfolio transactions. The central insolvency and restructuring team is backed by a substantial dispute resolution team that is frequently engaged in mortgage enforcement proceedings and receivership appointments. Norman Fitzgerald is a senior litigator with a background in insolvency and restructurings, including examinerships and liquidations. Neil O’Mahony and Graham Kenny are also key partners.

Maples Group has an established insolvency and corporate restructuring practice, best known for contentious matters and for its representation of insolvency practitioners in big-ticket liquidations, examinerships and receiverships. The Dublin team has a fine record in both domestic and cross-border matters and is also noted for advising private equity funds on acquiring portfolios of distressed loans. ‘Commercially savvy and technically strong' Robin McDonnell heads the dispute resolution and insolvency team. ‘Standout performer’ Karole Cuddihy provides further senior-level support.

RDJ LLP‘s ‘regional spread and stronger national presence’ provide it with the resources and connections to fuel a flourishing practice, acting for a range of insolvency practitioners, financial institutions, debtors, directors and other creditors. It remains active in examinerships, liquidations and receiverships, and has made a further impact in SCARP matters, along with the sale of distressed assets. Ashling Walsh leads the insolvency and restructuring team. Darryl Broderick is noted for enforcement actions for banks and other creditors, along with insolvency-related litigation. Michael Quinlan is a ‘very smart insolvency lawyer and litigator’.

BHSM LLP has extensive experience in receiverships, liquidations, examinerships, restructurings and asset recovery. The firm continues to act for a large number of insolvency practitioners in major liquidations and also frequently advises distressed companies and their directors. Managing partner Mark Homan leads the insolvency and restructuring team, which includes Sarah O’Toole, another experienced figure in liquidations, receiverships and examinerships.

Dentons Ireland LLP has a major focus on insolvency and corporate restructuring. It has close links to a multitude of insolvency practitioners and financial investors in insolvency and restructuring engagements. The Dublin team has a fine record in domestic and cross-border matters, with Gareth Steen and newly promoted partner Gemma Freeman specialising in this area.

Fieldfisher has a dedicated insolvency and restructuring practice that frequently acts for insolvency practitioners in liquidations, receiverships and examinerships. It is also on the panel of legal advisers for the Insolvency Service of Ireland. The Dublin team is closely linked to domestic insolvencies and cross-border engagements. Mark Woodcock leads the team and has a long history in the area.

Hayes Solicitors LLP frequently lands major engagements in the insolvency and restructuring field. It advises a range of insolvency practitioners acting as liquidators and receivers, hedge funds and loan portfolio acquisition vehicles, pillar banks and corporate debtors. The firm is also active in the SCARP segment. Managing partner Joseph O’Malley is an established figure in the market, particularly in contentious matters. Jeremy Erwin is another senior insolvency and restructuring specialist, along with Cian Clinch.

Lavelle Partners LLP is highly rated in the insolvency and restructuring sphere. The firm is best known for its work in contentious matters and representing insolvency practitioners as liquidators. It is also recognised for acting for distressed companies and directors. Founding and managing partner Michael Lavelle has an impressive history in liquidations, receiverships and examinerships. Ciarán Leavy provides further senior talent at partner level.

LK Shields Solicitors LLP is an authority in contentious receiverships and liquidations. It acts for many of the most prominent insolvency practitioners in Ireland. It is also increasingly active in advising directors and other officeholders of distressed companies, along with creditors of distressed companies. Jill Callanan is head of the litigation and dispute resolution team, along with the corporate insolvency and restructuring group. Clare Dowling is another senior figure in liquidations, receiverships and examinerships.

Pinsent Masons LLP has a primary emphasis on contentious insolvency matters, though it has broader expertise in corporate restructuring. The team has represented clients before the courts in a series of insolvency proceedings and has an established record in liquidations and examinerships. The ‘incredibly bright‘ Zara West is a litigator with a strong focus on financial services litigation and insolvency. Ann Lalor provides further expertise in corporate restructurings.

Walkers is best known for creditor-side engagements, particularly for financial institutions, private equity houses and syndicated lenders. It also represents a number of insolvency practitioners. The Dublin team’s integration into the global firm makes it particularly well-equipped for cross-border insolvencies and restructurings. It has continued to advise on a number of big-ticket insolvency and restructuring cases in the aviation industry. William Greensmyth is an emerging talent in the field.