M&A and Transactions

In today’s dynamic business environment, businesses are taking advantage of changing markets to expand, attract investment or realise value. Transactions are becoming more complex, so investors and stakeholders need access to legal advice that helps them prepare for and manage deals effectively.

What EY transaction law can do for you

EY Law Ireland’s teams are part of a multinational network that provides legal advice in all major business areas, including corporate/M&A, employment and benefits, technology & commercial (including IP and data privacy) and real estate. This helps us cover the range of issues that may arise in a single corporate transaction, so that you can operate with confidence across jurisdictions and make the most of today’s business opportunities.

 

Core Client Service Offerings

Detailed planning for, and negotiating effectively, complex transactions has never been more critical. To help you manage uncertain environments, EY Law Ireland provides detailed legal transaction advice and support, including: 

  • Pre-sale carve-outs and separations
  • Transaction structuring and negotiation
  • Auction processes, including auction sale documentation
  • Buy and sell-side due diligence
  • Share and asset purchase agreements
  • Investment and shareholders’ agreements
  • Joint venture agreements
  • Financing
  • Service level, transitional services agreements and other intercompany arrangements
  • Labor union and works council consultations
  • Post-transaction reorganisations

EY Law Ireland provides detailed legal transaction advice and support to help you reach your transaction goals quickly, efficiently and with added value. EY Law Ireland helps convert strategic vision into reality and guides you towards successful execution of your transaction.

Whether selling a business or buying one, multinational businesses face a wealth of challenges during pre- and post-transaction reorganisations.

 

Their business needs include:

  • A clear strategy for corporate, financial, tax and people-related restructuring actions
  • Knowledge of the specific legislative requirements and corporate or commercial law issues in each jurisdiction
  • An understanding of business and industry dynamics to minimize operational disruption
  • Clear communication with the workforce to reduce uncertainty and promote employee retention
  • Seamless coordination of workstreams in multiple countries

How we can help

 

EY lawyers work alongside professionals from tax, accounting, financial advisory and human capital to analyse the specific circumstances of your business and provide cohesive guidance, often resulting in substantial savings and increased shareholder value.

 

We offer:

 

  • The legal teams that helps manage communications with not only the client but also local counsel, other EY teams and possible third-party advisors
  • Clear schedules and deadlines
  • Global templates for legal documents, promoting efficiency and consistency
  • Assistance that lessens the burden on the in-house staff
  • Support for all relevant project management capabilities

 

EY has more than 2,100 lawyers in over 80 jurisdictions, combining local knowledge with global reach to cover your legal needs.

 

By leveraging synergies and knowledge of your organisation among multiple teams and disciplines, EY can help drive cost-efficiency and reduce friction during the project.

 

With our broad experience in these matters, we can reduce risk during execution, lessen the impact on your daily business, answer questions promptly and channel the input of all parties. Our services can be flexibly aligned with your needs and in-house resources.

EY helps convert strategic vision into reality and support deals to run smoothly.

 

M&A transactions must be negotiated well and structured carefully to reduce legal risks, manage tax issues and ensure timely and efficient execution.

 

Each transaction has its own potential legal risks and deal-breakers, including:

  • Funding incapacity of the purchaser
  • Litigation and regulatory risks
  • Change of control issues such as termination rights under critical contracts, loss of public grants or subsidies, and loss of major suppliers or customers
  • Misrepresentations, particularly with accounting and tax
  • Key employee retention

 

Businesses need lawyers who not only have experience handling private M&A transactions in different industries and markets, but also have a team mind-set and can perform well in complex situations.

 

How we can help

 

Whether you are a seller, a buyer, a JV partner or management, our lawyers can guide you through M&A transactions by working alongside professionals from tax, accounting, transaction advisory, finance advisory and people services.

 

The outcome

 

EY lawyers offer detailed advice to address your M&A needs, including:

  • Critically assessing any planned acquisition, investment or sale, including pre-deal diligence
  • Assisting with carve-outs to make your company/business ready for sale
  • Assisting with structuring, negotiating and executing private M&A transactions in a timely manner
  • Aiding reorganisations to integrate the acquisition target into your business
  • EY’s lawyers are accustomed to working on both local and international transactions involving many countries — a capability that clients often view as another reason to use our services.

The legal landscape is continuing to evolve and is becoming more complex for businesses to operate in. In today’s dynamic business environment, clients need pragmatic legal advice that helps them to continue to operate, expand and realise value for their stakeholders. 

 

Our experienced corporate lawyers support and advise domestic and international clients across a diverse range of corporate, governance and structuring matters across the full life cycle of their business.

 

What EY Law Corporate & Structuring can do for you

From technical company law queries, corporate governance advices or transforming your business through corporate structuring and reorganisations, our team can help you achieve your objectives in a pragmatic and collaborative manner.  We combine our transactional and advisory skillset with specialist expertise from our multi-disciplinary teams.  As a member of a global firm, our combined experience and geographic reach allows us to devise and implement complex corporate structures while coordinating workstreams across multiple jurisdictions. Our experience allows us to provide relevant legal advice which takes account of all aspects of your business not just narrow legal concerns.

 

Core Client Service Offerings

Corporate advisory 

We advise public and private companies, national and multinational bodies, across a broad range of industry sectors, on all matters relating to Irish company law. Our teams' combined experience allows for pragmatic, commercial advice promoting successful outcomes for our clients.  As the legal landscape changes, we ensure clients are aware of changes that impact their business to mitigate potential risks.

 

Corporate structuring

We regularly advise our domestic and international clients on complex corporate structuring and reorganisation projects. Our team has a deep understanding of the various legal issues that can arise in such projects, particularly those with cross-border elements. We work alongside professionals from tax, accounting and financial advisory to analyse the specific circumstances of your business and provide comprehensive guidance aimed at achieving efficiencies and enhancing shareholder value. The global reach and experience across our global law firm enables us to deliver a comprehensive and coordinated multi-jurisdictional solution.

 

Examples of our services include:

  • analysing on feasibility and implementation of group structuring (including mergers, spin-offs, cross-border  mergers, conversions and divisions)
  • devising and implementing complex corporate structuring to meet your objectives
  • streamlining or rationalising groups to facilitate pre-sale planning, post-deal integration or to optimise cost, tax and other efficiencies.

 

Corporate Governance

In an environment which demands accountability, transparency and trust to ensure business integrity and stability,  our team of lawyers can support your business across a wide range of governance projects. Governance projects may be transaction-related, triggered by seasonal workflow peaks or organisational transformation, or undertaken to provide assurance for the board and other stakeholders. 

 

Examples of our services include:

  • providing strategic advice and corporate governance support to boards
  • providing director and officer training to boards of Irish companies 
  • undertaking governance health checks and reviews to align your business with “best in class” corporate governance 
  • review and standardisation of policies and procedures to ensure they are fit for purpose, transparent and aligned to meet your business needs. 

 

How EY Dynamic Transactions Solution can help streamline transaction reorganisation projects

 

The EY Dynamic Transactions Solution platform has been designed by experienced EY Law transaction professionals to help improve efficiencies and reduce risks for organisations throughout the life of the transaction. 

 

The customisable solution features a user-friendly interface and offers:

  • A centralised source of project information to better organise and access documents and entity information
  • Collaboration tools for seamless communication among stakeholders, including a detailed and interactive project plan
  • Automated documents and workflows, including embedded e-signature capabilities, to reduce the risk of errors and help ensure compliance with legal requirements
  • Customised dashboards with real-time progress indicators and analytics to improve project management
  • With these capabilities, EY Dynamic Transactions Solution allows you to take greater control over your project without becoming weighed down by the details. 

Download EY Transaction Law contacts by country

PDF

The team

Adam D Synnott

Partner, Head of Corporate, M&A and Structuring, EY Law Ireland

Conor O'Dwyer

Partner, Corporate, M&A and Structuring, EY Law Ireland

Aidan Lawlor

Partner, Corporate, M&A and Structuring, EY Law Ireland

Our latest thinking on EY.com

CEOs are leveraging M&A for tech-driven growth and market expansion, embodying innovation and sustainability in a dynamic business landscape.

Ezra Bailey

Contact EY Law Ireland

Please email us if you have any questions.

 

  

EY Law services are the independent law firm member of Ernst & Young Global. For more information about the global EY organization please visit www.ey.com.