Capital Markets: Debt

Arthur Cox's market-leading team handles construction and real estate finance mandates on behalf of banks, alternative lenders and real estate investors. In the DCM sphere, the law firm maintains an outstanding reputation for its advice to issuers and arrangers on note issuances and securitisation transactions, particularly those relating to mortgages. It offers broader experience in acquisition and project finance, as well as handling large-scale loan portfolio transactions and significant asset financing mandates. The Dublin office is also able to call upon the firm's lawyers in New York and London when acting on behalf of international clients.

"The banking and finance team within Arthur Cox is excellent. There are always lawyers in the team with the relevant experience to advise as necessary, and the service levels and responsiveness are excellent."

"The lawyers are diligent, hard-working and good at what they do."

"The team at Arthur Cox is very good at painting clear pictures of the legal issues and setting out the pros and cons."

"It is a fantastic firm with good commerciality, flexibility and knowledge of the sector and market practice."

"Arthur Cox has the excellent ability to handle complex and sophisticated matters in condensed time periods. The team has excellent knowledge and experience across all levels and offers incredible service levels and responsiveness to every matter."

Arthur Cox assisted Ballymore with its entry into a new EUR112 million green loan facility.

Orla O'Connor has long-standing experience in a broad array of banking and finance matters, including NPL acquisitions and cross-border loan negotiations.

Aiden Small has substantial expertise in the securitisation of non-performing loans and related matters. He frequently acts for international financial institutions and investors. "Aiden Small is great; he is very proactive and commercial. If an issue arises then he is very good at pulling up his sleeves to find a solution. He always tries to help you get to where you need to get to." "He is brilliant: very responsive, pragmatic and user-friendly. He tells me what I need to know about the law but doesn't go into the details unless necessary."

Cormac Kissane is highly regarded by the market. He is a strong DCM lawyer whose practice encompasses a wide variety of matters, possessing particular expertise in structured finance and securitisation work. "Cormac is a real leading light in the market. He has seen everything and worked on transactions over a really long period of time. He is incredibly personable and is very good at running the team too, leveraging Arthur Cox as an institution to get to access to any specialism you need. He always comes to you with the answer to any commercial or legal issue, and he is skilled at dealing with counterparties who are trying stuff on."

Kevin Lynch is frequently visible on major debt restructurings and high-value facility agreements. He has experience with acquisition and development financing mandates. "Kevin Lynch is really responsive and very commercial. He doesn't pick points for the sake of it and has this very proactive way of working. He always has his client in mind and never raises points that are not directly in their interest. He is pleasant to work with and does his job really well and very efficiently."

As head of the banking and finance team, David Molloy acts for prominent international private equity houses and investors on acquisition financing and facility agreements. "David Molloy is a superstar who is dependable, responsive and always puts the client first." "He is a very smart, commercial lawyer who is to the point. He is not just good at the obvious stuff; his knowledge goes without saying, but his ability to work in nuanced, complex and innovative ways is outstanding. He really goes above and beyond." "David is a very proactive lawyer who is good at pointing out issues before we get to them. He is very client-focused and doesn't get bogged down in legal arguments; he is really good at sticking to the point." "His output is always very good and he is incredibly easy to get along with."

New to the rankings, Imelda Shiels acts for international lending syndicates on high-value debt facilities, as well as assisting borrowers with refinancing files. "Imelda Shiels offers very quick turnaround and her work is impeccable. She is a fantastically commercial lawyer." "She is extremely commercial and responsive - a rising star in the Arthur Cox team." "She has very good knowledge on the documentation and is able to advise on the best way to make sure the deal is executed in a timely manner." "Imelda is fabulous. She is very commercial."