Owen O'Connell | Profile
Owen is a Partner in William Fry’s Corporate Department. He is a corporate and commercial lawyer, acting in M&A and investment transactions of all kinds, as well as advising on commercial and trading matters. He also advises a number of clients on debt-related issues and restructuring. A formidable corporate lawyer and top negotiator, he is widely acknowledged as first-rate. Owen has been a Partner since 1985, and was Managing Partner from 1998 to 2004.
Notable recent transactions include advising:
- Smurfit Kappa Group in its take-private in 2002, merger with Kappa Group in 2005 and IPO in 2007 – the largest IPO in Ireland to date
- The Irish Government in the IPO of Aer Lingus and the subsequent bid by Ryanair
- Kentz Group on its IPO
- Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, WL Ross, Kennedy Wilson and others on the €1.1bn purchase of a 34% stake in Bank of Ireland from the Irish Government
- The Law Society of Ireland in relation to its support for the Solicitors Mutual Defence Fund
Owen is ranked by PLC as a 'Leading Individual' in both Equity Capital Markets and Corporate/M&A and in Band 1 for Corporate and M&A by Chambers. Legal 500 EMEA, 2012, describes Owen as ‘a force to be reckoned with’. According to sources quoted in Chambers Europe, 2011, Owen O'Connell 'has a powerful intellect and focuses on getting the deal done' and is considered 'one of the most experienced lawyers in the market'. Chambers Global, 2011, states Owen is hailed as 'one of the top M&A practitioners in the country'. Chambers Global, 2010 says that he is 'outstanding and resilient' and is 'the leading light of the Irish market'. It also praises him as a 'formidable corporate/M&A and capital markets lawyer' who gives 'good, straight advice' and 'can get complex things done really easily.' Chambers Europe, 2009 says 'Group head Owen O'Connell is one of the finest corporate legal minds in Dublin - he always solves problems quickly. He represents a range of public and private companies, including Smurfit Kappa, and is ‘absolutely top-class’'. Elsewhere it lauds him as 'a giant of the corporate field' while Legal 500 EMEA, 2009, recommends him as a 'superb negotiator'.