Disputes and Investigations
Matheson’s Disputes and Investigations Group is market leading, representing both domestic and international clients. The disputes we handle are often cross border in nature and precedent setting, requiring a collaborative and innovative approach, particularly where they are high-stakes, time-sensitive and carry significant reputational risk for our clients.
We believe our market leading expertise and the strength and depth of our team has contributed to Matheson being recognised as the ‘go to’ firm in Ireland for complex cross-border disputes. We have experience achieving successful outcomes for clients from all sectors including many regulated sectors.
Every deal or transaction carries with it the risk of a dispute and reputational management. Successful businesses require lawyers that can pre-empt the issues that may surface, take steps to minimise them and then react quickly and effectively when a dispute arises. We routinely assist our clients with pre-emptive advice on potentially contentious aspects of major corporate and financial transactions.
We play a critical role in the strategy of the dispute from the outset and minimise the cost and time involved in instructing external counsel. We give our clients business-ready advice that enables them to approach a dispute, confident that we will guide them to the most commercial resolution.
Understanding your business and your objectives are key to our approach. Our size means we have the flexibility and depth of resources to handle large and complex litigation. We never forget that every client may have different needs and expectations. When necessary, we design and implement a bespoke service to meet our client’s requirements.
Our full service offering extends beyond traditional legal advice. Our Digital Services Group offers cost effective technological solutions and project management support for document intensive cases. Our resources facilitate the fast-tracking of the most complex commercial and cross-border disputes through Ireland’s Commercial Court.
The partners in our Group are also leaders in the development of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and a number of our partners are accredited mediators.
Our close working relationships with leading overseas law firms, experts in forensic investigations and other relevant disciplines, ensure that clients benefit from a seamless service.
Experience Highlights
Landmark Litigation
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Landmark Litigation
The team has recently represented:
- four of the world’s leading aircraft leasing companies in four of the six Commercial Court proceedings in Ireland against some 42 insurers / syndicates (worth approximately $2billon) in relation to aircraft detained in Russia following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions.
- Rippling in its highly publicised investigation and commercial court case involving a claim for corporate espionage and trade secrets, involving Rippling’s competitor Deel, Inc., including successfully obtaining Anton Pillar orders and Norwich Pharmacal Orders.
- a leading health and safety company in successfully obtaining anticipatory injunctive relief, including a ban on soliciting business, employees and contractors, and in its claim for damages for theft of confidential and commercially sensitive company data.
- an Irish plc in the successful Supreme Court appeal of a €10 million libel award.
- a number of leading players in the motor industry, including representing the Stellantis Group (Opel) in multi-party Commercial Court proceedings arising from a significant fire resulting in the closure and refurbishment of Douglas Shopping Centre, Cork.
- representing the Iveco Trucks Group in the defence of Irish “follow-on” litigation arising from the European Commission’s finding in the “Trucks Cartel” case, where fines of over €2 billion were imposed.
Market Firsts
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Market Firsts
- Matheson was the first firm in the Irish market to have obtained innovative “injunctions against persons unknown” in highly confidential hacking/data breach and cyber-attack cases, including where clients faced ransom demands in bit
- Representing a pharmaceutical company in its successful coverage proceedings challenging a declinature and aggregation in respect of a multi-million dollar claim under its Directors’ & Officers’ policies for US securities class actions (the only judgment of the Irish courts to date on aggregation of claims in insurance).
- Representing an insurer in its successful appeal of two separate findings of the FSPO on coverage matters to the High Court (the only insurer to have successfully challenged more than one decision of the FSPO).
- Advising a number of insurance companies in relation to COVID-19 related business interruption claims, internal investigations and related regulatory and reporting obligations. Matheson was the only Irish law firm to represent insurers in more than one test case (including a leading Irish case on insurance policy interpretation in Ireland).
Court of Justice of the European Union Referrals
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Court of Justice of the European Union Referrals
Representing clients in referrals to the Court of Justice of the European Union, including:
- a multinational company concerning separation of powers in line with Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
- the European Broadcasting Union concerning access to environmental information held by public service broadcasters.
- a renewable energy company regarding conservation objectives under the Habitats Directive.
- an oil and gas company relating to the legality and legal basis of a windfall tax (Temporary Solidarity Contribution) under EU Regulation.
- an airport operator and owner regarding the interaction between planning constraints and EU Slot Regulation.
Technology
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Technology
The team has recently advised:
- a range of household name international companies within the TMT sector including in relation to contractual disputes and terminations, requests for take-downs of online material on the basis of alleged defamation, breach of privacy and other alleged breaches, including dealing with to dealing with “Norwich Pharmacal” orders and take-down requests.
- various multinational technology companies in relation to contractual and licensing disputes with business partners throughout the EMEA region.
EU and Regulation
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EU and Regulation
Our team has recently advised:
- EirGrid plc in two separate sets of urgent High Court judicial review proceedings brought against it and the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (the “CRU”), by a number of unsuccessful applicants who did not qualify in the 2028 / 2029 T-4 electricity capacity market auction (the auction being the process of selling energy to the national grid). This litigation marked the first occasion on which the qualification process under the Code has been the subject of detailed judicial consideration.
- on major tax dispute instructions in Tax Appeals and Irish State Aid cases, working alongside our leading tax practice (recent awards include Ireland Tax Firm of the Year – ITR EMEA Tax Awards 2024, Ireland Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year- ITR EMEA Tax Awards 2023).
- a major insurance broker in connection with a dawn raid by the European Commission in connection with alleged anti-competitive practices.
- an Irish plc in relation to a number of civil claims arising from a highly publicised investigation by the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement followed by the appointment of High Court Inspectors to investigate the company.
Complex Cross Border Disputes and Enforcement
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Complex Cross Border Disputes and Enforcement
- Advising an international private equity company against an Irish plc oil company in a cross-border enforcement of a multi-million international arbitration award arising from a shareholder dispute in relation to a gas field in Poland.
- Advising a large Italian multinational manufacturer and distributor of electricity and gas in a successful jurisdictional challenge to the enforcement of a non-EU judgment in Ireland, as part of a broader enforcement strategy (so far France, Luxembourg, Ireland, New York and the Netherlands) on the part of the applicant.
- Representing a major domestic bank in insurance coverage proceedings challenging the declinature of a multi-million dollar claim under its fidelity insurance policy relating to losses arising from the fraudulent trading of an employee in a US subsidiary.
News and Insights
Accolades
“Matheson’s disputes resolution team understand that disputes can be costly and disruptive, so they strive to resolve them efficiently and effectively, whether through negotiation, mediation, arbitration, or litigation. Their team has a proven track record of success in handling a wide range of complex disputes, including commercial litigation, construction disputes, intellectual property disputes, and regulatory investigations.”
Dispute Resolution: The European Legal 500
2025
Our Team
Angela is a partner in Matheson’s Disputes and Investigations Group.
She brings over 17 years’ experience in advising in some of the most significant litigation to come before the Irish Courts in recent years.
She was one of the lead partners representing four of the world’s leading Aircraft Leasing Companies in insurance coverage claims in four separate sets of proceedings in what were the largest insurance coverage claims to ever come before the Irish courts, with similar proceedings being run in the UK and the US.
Angela won Lawyer of the Year – Aviation Disputes – at the Women in Business Law Awards EMEA in 2023 and was nominated again in this category in 2024.
Michael Byrne is “a consummate litigator”.
Chambers Global
Michael Byrne is a partner in the Disputes and Investigations Group.
Michael has extensive experience of dealing with commercial disputes including, in particular, in the areas of Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) and Public Law.
Geraldine is a partner in the Employment, Pensions and Benefits Group.
She provides strategic, practical and commercially focussed advice to international and domestic clients on all aspects of employment law. Her practice spans a variety of sectors, including technology, financial services and pharmaceuticals.
Connor Cassidy is a partner in the Disputes and Investigations Group at Matheson.
Our Disputes and Investigations Group works closely with technical experts from our non-contentious practice areas, including the Technology and Innovation, Financial Institutions, Asset Management, Finance and Capital Markets and Corporate groups to ensure a seamless service which understands and meets our clients’ regulatory requirements and priorities.
Brendan is a partner in the Disputes and Investigations Group at Matheson and is Head of the Corporate Restructuring and Insolvency Law Group.
Brendan has extensive experience in advising companies, directors, shareholders, insolvency practitioners and creditors on contentious and non-contentious multi-jurisdictional corporate restructuring and insolvency matters.
Deirdre Crowley is a Partner in Matheson’s Disputes and Investigations Group and our cross-departmental Digital Economy Group.
Deirdre is recognised as a “go to” person for digital economy related, data protection, cyber and artificial intelligence advices.
Deirdre is particularly well known for her blended contentious privacy and employment practice, having specialised as a leading Irish employment lawyer for 16 years before specialising in privacy law in 2019.
Introduction
Sharon Daly is a consultant in the Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department. Sharon has specialised in Insurance Disputes for many years.
Sharon is widely acknowledged as one of the leading corporate litigators in Ireland with over 30 years’ experience in all aspects of commercial litigation and dispute resolution. Sharon is leading the team representing 4 of the Irish Aviation Lessors in the insurance coverage disputes in respect of the hundreds of detained aircraft in Russia. This is the largest and most complex litigation before the Irish courts currently.
Sharon also had a lead role in advising on the BI Pandemic related claims in the last 2 years achieving excellent results for clients.
Sharon has been involved in some of the most significant commercial litigation to come before the Irish courts, including defending a major financial institution in a series of multi-billion, multi-jurisdictional disputes arising from investments in Bernard L Madoff’s business and for Aviva in the largest property damage dispute to come before the Irish courts in relation to the liability of hydro-electrical dams and flood damage arising therefrom. This case has made law in the area of the Tort of Negligence.
Continuously recognised for her ability to respond creatively to complex issues, Sharon was awarded ‘Lawyer of the Year’ at the Benchmark Litigation 2019 Europe Awards. She was also named as a litigation star in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, Sharon was ranked in the Chambers Global Guide. She has been ranked under the Dispute Resolution category for 13 consecutive years.
Ailbhe is a partner in the Employment, Pensions and Benefits Group.
She provides prompt and practical advice to domestic and international clients, in both the public and private sectors, in relation to a variety of contentious and non-contentious employment law and industrial relations issues.
Ailbhe is exceptionally highly regarded in the market and is known for her technical excellence as well as her commercial pragmatism.
Alice is a Partner in the Employment, Pensions and Benefits Group, with substantial experience in all aspects of contentious and non-contentious employment law.
Alice has extensive experience providing strategic, practical advice on all aspects of employment law to international and domestic companies, including employee relations issues, investigations, contracts, cross-border M&A, redundancies, outsourcings, artificial intelligence, gender pay gap reporting, pay transparency, global mobility, fitness and probity, senior executive appointments, diversity and inclusion.
She also has substantial WRC and High Court experience, including employment injunctions.
Gráinne Dever is a partner in the Disputes and Investigations Group and is also Head of the Debt and Enforcement Group (also known as AB Wolfe & Co.).
Gráinne has over 19 years’ experience in commercial litigation.
Gráinne is an experienced litigation lawyer, advising a significant practice comprising of banks, financial services institutions and corporates on all aspects of debt recovery, enforcement and related litigation. Her expertise covers a wide range of sectors both domestically and internationally.
Nicola Dunleavy is “not only a skilled lawyer but also has strong emotional intelligence”.
Nicola Dunleavy is a partner in Matheson’s Disputes and Investigations Group, with a broad commercial litigation, investigations and arbitration practice. In 2021 she was appointed by the Irish Government as a Senior Counsel.
Nicola is represents clients in complex, multi-jurisdictional commercial disputes, including arising from mergers and acquisitions and EU law, and in constitutional litigation. Sectors include technology and telecommunications, pharmaceutical, chemicals, food and drink, waste, water, energy, mining, and transport.
Bryan Dunne is a partner and head of Matheson’s Employment and Benefits Practice.
He has led Matheson’s top tier ranked employment practice since 2013 and grown the team into one of the largest in the Irish market with 28 employment specialists.
With over 25 years’ experience advising on all aspects of employment law and industrial relations, Bryan is the trusted advisor to HR, in-house legal and executive teams across a broad range of industries, including financial services, technology and pharmaceuticals.
Kevin is a partner in the Disputes and Investigations Group at Matheson, with a particular focus on Corporate Restructuring and Insolvency law.
Kevin has significant experience in advising insolvency practitioners in the discharge of their duties as examiners, liquidators and receivers of companies and representing financial institutions, creditor groups, and companies in connection with commercial litigation, banking disputes, security and enforcement issues and other contentious and non-contentious domestic and cross-border restructuring and insolvency matters.
Aishlinn Gannon is a partner in Matheson’s Disputes and Investigations Group, where she leads on complex, high-stakes disputes and contentious regulatory matters, with a particular focus on the financial services sector.
A seasoned litigator, Aishlinn has acted in many of the most significant commercial disputes in recent years. She represents leading financial institutions, global corporates and insurers in complex litigation before the Superior Courts, bringing a strategic and commercially-focused approach to each matter.
As trusted adviser in regulatory investigations and enforcement actions, Aishlinn supports both domestic and international clients navigating regulatory scrutiny, crisis response, and reputational risk. She delivers clear, strategic advice to organisations, and senior individuals on all aspects of investigations and enforcement actions.
Aisling Kavanagh is a partner in Matheson’s Disputes and Investigations team.
Aisling specialises in complex, high stakes insurance coverage disputes. She also practices in commercial and financial services dispute resolution, and arbitration.
Aisling advises domestic and international clients on policy wording interpretation, complex coverage disputes, D&O claims, professional indemnity claims, including any potential third party liability, and subrogation claims.
Lorcan is Head of the Pensions team at Matheson.
Having gained extensive pensions law experience at leading firms in both Ireland and UK, Lorcan advises on all aspects of the establishment and operation of Irish pension arrangements, including defined benefit schemes and master trusts.
Ruadhán is a partner in Matheson’s Disputes and Investigations Group, with a broad commercial litigation, arbitration and permitting and environmental / ESG practice.
He advises clients on the avoidance, management and resolution of a wide variety of disputes including in connection with commercial, real estate, construction, tax and competition matters. For permitting and environmental matters he supports clients in bringing projects through the entire life-cycle, from concept through to operation and disposal (including advising on surrender / closure requirements or sales as appropriate). He has also advised on permitting and environmental issues in some of the largest transactions in Ireland in recent years.
Julie is a partner and co-head of Matheson’s Disputes and Investigations Group in Matheson.
Julie advises on a wide range of contentious matters including corporate, commercial, aviation and financial services disputes and investigations as well as governance, including in regulated sectors. She specialises in cross-border disputes and fraud, asset recovery, enforcement and jurisdictional issues.
Julie has significant expertise in shareholder disputes and contentious corporate restructuring and insolvency matters (for which she was ranked for many years) and regularly advises in relation to directors’ duties, corporate governance and risk.
April McClements is a Partner in the Disputes and Investigations Group.
April is a commercial litigator and specialises in insurance disputes. She is recognised by Legal 500 as a “Leading Individual” for Insurance and has won Insurance Lawyer of the Year twice at the EMEA Women in Business Awards. She is ranked by Chambers & Partners for Insurance Disputes.
April advises on the full spectrum of insurance disputes, in particular complex coverage disputes, across all lines of business. She also advises on policy wording interpretation and drafting, D&O claims, professional indemnity claims (including any potential third party liability), cyber, W&I and emerging risks, and subrogation claims.
Mairéad Ní Ghabháin is a partner in the Disputes and Investigations Group and Debt and Enforcement Group of Matheson, also known as AB Wolfe & Co.
Tony O’Grady is a consultant in the Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department and head of the Corporate Restructuring and Insolvency Group at Matheson. He advises on all aspects of corporate restructuring and insolvency law matters and represents a number of financial institutions, public and private companies and insolvency office-holders.
Tony is a member of INSOL, R3 and the Insolvency Lawyers Association. He lectures frequently on corporate restructuring and insolvency law matters. He has spoken at conferences organised by many professional bodies and other organisations including most recently the American Bankruptcy Institute. He has written widely on the subject of insolvency and is co-author of the Law Society of Ireland’s insolvency manual.
Tony O’Grady is a consultant in the Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department and head of the Corporate Restructuring and Insolvency Group at Matheson. He advises on all aspects of corporate restructuring and insolvency law matters and represents a number of financial institutions, public and private companies and insolvency office-holders.
Tony is a member of INSOL, R3 and the Insolvency Lawyers Association. He lectures frequently on corporate restructuring and insolvency law matters. He has spoken at conferences organised by many professional bodies and other organisations including most recently the American Bankruptcy Institute. He has written widely on the subject of insolvency and is co-author of the Law Society of Ireland’s insolvency manual.
Russell is a partner in the Employment, Pensions and Benefits Group with over 20 years’ experience advising a wide range of public and private sector corporate and institutional clients in the UK and Ireland across the spectrum of contentious and non-contentious employment, industrial relations, equality and immigration law.
Rebecca Ryan is a partner and head of the Healthcare Group in Matheson’s Disputes and Investigations Group and a recognised leader in her field, specialising in professional indemnity and product liability claims.
Karen is a partner in our Disputes and Investigations team and leads our multi-practice Regulatory Investigations Group. Karen has almost 20 years experience acting for clients in high stakes commercial and regulatory disputes and investigations.
Karen has acted in some of the most high, profile Commercial Court cases in recent years, and the most significant Central Bank investigations. Karen regularly advises boards and senior management in all aspects of their regulatory engagement, their communications with stakeholders and how to mitigate and navigate commercial and reputational risk, to secure optimum outcomes in contentious matters. She is an advocate of alternative dispute resolution and has negotiated positive settlements to secure confidential resolutions for clients in many cases.
Justine Sayers is a partner in the Healthcare Group, specialising in professional indemnity claims (in particular, medical negligence and clinical malpractice), healthcare, catastrophic personal injuries claims and product liability actions.
