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David Fitzgibbon provides "experience, directness and efficiency".

Chambers Europe

Expertise

David is a partner and Co-Head of the Firm’s Corporate Department and Head of the Corporate M&A Group.  He has extensive experience assisting clients across a range of industries on doing business in and from Ireland including advising on acquisitions/disposals, capital raisings, corporate migrations, cross-border mergers, joint ventures and reorganisations. He has worked extensively with a broad range of domestic and international corporations providing ongoing strategic advice to their boards.

He has a broad-based practice reflecting his considerable experience across the agri-food, financial services, healthcare / life sciences and manufacturing sectors.

David has significant experience advising on take-private transactions and has advised on many of Ireland’s most notable transactions.

Experience Highlights 
  • Advising Smurfit Kappa Group plc on its pending $20 billion merger with WestRock Company to form Smurfit WestRock.
  • Advising Horizon Therapeutics on all aspects of its acquisition by Amgen for aggregate consideration of $27 billion.
  • Advising Zoom Video Communications, Inc on its acquisition of employee communication and engagement platform, Workvivo.
  • Advising Novo Nordisk A/S on its acquisition of Neotope Neuroscience Limited for $100 million upfront and up to $1.2 billion in development and sales milestones payments.
  • Advising Horizon Therapeutics on its $960 million underwritten public offering of ordinary shares.
  • Advising Willis Towers Watson plc on its proposed $80 billion business combination with Aon plc.
  • Advising Tirlán Co-operative Society Limited on all aspects of its acquisition of Glanbia plc's interest in Glanbia Ireland, a dairy processing and consumer goods joint venture formed between Tirlán Co-operative Society Limited and Glanbia plc.
  • Advising Tirlán Co-operative Society Limited on all aspects of the funding arrangements for its acquisition of Glanbia plc’s 40% interest in Glanbia Ireland. (raising approximately €310m) comprised of a share placing by Tirlán Co-op of approximately 2% of Glanbia plc’s issued share capital together with the issue by Tirlán Co-op of a €250m equity-linked exchangeable bond.   
  • Advising Horizon Therapeutics on its acquisition of EirGen Pharma’s manufacturing facility in Waterford.
  • Advising Smurfit Kappa Group on its November 2020 €660 million Share Placing.
Accolades

“David has a good, calm demeanour and knows what he's talking about. He's got a good command of the room.”
Corporate/M&A: Chambers 2024

“David has a good, calm demeanour and knows what he's talking about. He's got a good command of the room.”
Commercial, Corporate, and M&A: The Legal 500 2023

"David Fitzgibbon and Enda Garvey are an excellent team."
Commercial, Corporate, and M&A: The Legal 500 2023

"David Fitzgibbon is a superb lawyer who gets on with a diverse range of managers and board directors, and is well capable of dealing with awkward people when he comes across them."
Commercial, Corporate, and M&A: The Legal 500 2023

"David Fitzgibbon has been a delight to work with. David is always available and responsive, has great demeanour with our Board of Directors and takes a practical approach to his advice."
Commercial, Corporate, and M&A: The Legal 500 2023

"Exceptional relationship management. Gets on at all levels within our business without sounding overly legal."
IFLR1000 2022

David Fitzgibbon is an "incredibly technical lawyer who is very highly respected."
Corporate/M&A: Chambers2022

"David Fitzgibbon is one of Ireland’s top commercial lawyers who can engage in a pragmatic way in the client boardroom. He has a good understanding of people and that the differentiating factor is rarely the legal advice itself, rather it tends to be how the advice is communicated to diverse stakeholder groups".
The Legal 500 2021

David Fitzgibbon provides "experience, directness and efficiency".
Corporate/M&A: Chambers 2021 

David Fitzgibbon is named a Highly Regarded Individual
IFLR 1000 2020

David Fitzgibbon is recommended.
European Legal 500 2020

"David explains things in a way that is easy to understand".
Corporate/M&A: Chambers 2020 

David is praised for being "thorough, very knowledgeable and very practical". 
Corporate/M&A: Chambers 2019

"In-depth expertise and comprehensible explanation. He is commercial and practical in his application of the law." 
IFLR 1000 2019

Market commentators praise David and note that he "understands the internal processes of the client and adds value over and above legal advice".
Corporate/M&A: Chambers 2018

David is "very good in front of a board of directors". 
Legal 500 EMEA 2018

David is listed in Best Lawyers 2019 under 'The Best Lawyers in Ireland' for work in Capital Markets Law, Corporate Governance & Compliance Practice and Corporate Law

Education

Trinity College Dublin (LLB with German) 

Law Society of Ireland, admitted as a solicitor