Christian
Donagh
Partner
Christian Donagh is a seasoned finance partner and co-head of the Finance and Capital Markets Department at Matheson.
A recognised authority in structured finance and derivatives markets, Christian brings more than two decades of deep legal expertise advising global financial institutions and asset managers doing business in and from Ireland on a wide variety of asset-backed finance transactions.
Typical transactions include CLOs, risk retention structures, SRT transactions, DCM corporate bond issuances, retail and non-retail structured products including ETCs/ETNs and note issuance programmes, simplified collective investment structures and trade receivable securitisations.
Frequently, Christian is closely involved when the firm provides legal opinions on issues relating to the post-insolvency enforceability of close-out netting provisions and collateral arrangements documented using industry standard or bespoke derivatives, repo, securities lending and prime brokerage documentation.
Christian qualified as a solicitor with Allen & Overy in 2000 and spent several years in each of its London and Hong Kong offices. Christian joined Matheson in 2006 and became a partner in 2007. Beyond his client work, Christian plays an active role in shaping Ireland as a leading financial services jurisdiction through leadership roles within the Irish Debt Securities Association.
Experience and Education
Christian’s experience includes:
- helping to establish and served as chairperson of the Irish Debt Securities Association (IDSA). The IDSA is an industry organisation formed to promote and develop Ireland as a location for activities to support the global structured finance, debt securities and specialist securities industries. Currently, Christian co-chairs the law firm members’ committee within IDSA; and
- Christian is a member of the Rules Committee of Euronext, Dublin.
- Qualified as a solicitor in Ireland
- Qualified as a solicitor in Hong Kong (non-practising)
- Qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales (non-practising)
- University of Hong Kong (PCLL, Postgraduate Certificate of Laws)
- University College Dublin (LLM in Commercial Law)
- University College Dublin and DePaul University Law School, US (BCL International)
- Christian co-chairs the Legal Committee of the Irish Debt Securities Association (IDSA) and is a former chairperson of IDSA. The IDSA is an industry organisation promoting and developing Ireland as a location for activities to support the global securitisation, structured finance, debt securities and specialist securities industries with over 35 corporate members.
- Christian is also a member of the Rules Committee of Euronext, Dublin.
