Expertise

Conor is a partner in Matheson's Energy and Infrastructure Group.

Conor advises on large-scale infrastructure, energy and construction projects, with specialised experience in contract negotiation, risk allocation, development structuring, financing, transactional matters (including due diligence and transaction document negotiation), corporate law matters and operational advice (including regulatory issues and operational problem solving).

Conor’s primary focus is on infrastructure development and transactional projects (greenfield and brownfield), particularly concessions, PPPs, debt-financed and similar private sector-led development structures. Conor works with clients such as infrastructure funders, sponsors, contractors and operational teams. Conor is ranked as a leading practitioner in the IFLR100, Legal 500 and Chambers international legal directories in the project development, project finance, PPP and transport practice areas.

Experience Highlights

Recent matters on which Conor has led and advised include:

Offshore wind developers, investors, lenders and contractors on permitting, joint ventures and ‘stress testing’ of regulatory applications for over 2GW of Irish offshore wind capacity to be delivered over the next 5-10 years;
Plenary Europe as sponsor on its bids for the Irish Social Housing PPP – Bundles Three and Four and the Dublin Family Courts Complex PPP;
Cellnex SA on the sale of its Irish telecoms towers business (with almost 2,000 sites);
Rabobank as lender to Ib Vogt / Highfield on the development and financing of four Irish solar farms (Rathnaskilloge, Gaskinstown, Clonin North and North Arklow) with a combined generating capacity of around 280MW;
Real Assets Investment Management on the acquisition and financing of the operational N25 Waterford Bypass PPP demand risk toll road;
Asterion on its acquisition of 80% of the National Broadband Plan project, a €3 billion State intervention to deliver high speed broadband (primarily by FTTH) to all underserved homes and business in Ireland.
GLIL Infrastructure on its acquisition of the 453MW Rathcool Portfolio of 11 Irish onshore wind farms in the largest ever Irish onshore wind farm acquisition transaction by enterprise value (including detailed project contract due diligence and transaction document mitigations).
AMP Capital on the sale of the Convention Centre Dublin PPP and Speed Fibre Group (including the holder of the Irish Metropolitan Area Network telecoms concession).
EirGrid on its partnership arrangements with French transmission system operator RTE for the development and operation of the Celtic Interconnector between Ireland and France.
Macquarie Asset Management on its potential investment in an Irish FTTH roll-out and a separate data centre campus opportunity and on its successful bid for and acquisition of Beauparc Utilities, Ireland’s largest recycling and processing led waste-to-resource business.
A public body on all aspects of the decommissioning of the Kinsale Head and Seven Heads offshore gas fields.
Bremore Ireland Port on the development of a new deepwater multi-modal port north of Dublin.
A multinational developer and contractor on Ireland’s first large-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) (one of the largest such installations in Europe) and similar additional facilities including system services equipment.
Exolum Aviation on all legal aspects of its services concession to design, build and operate fuel storage and distribution infrastructure at Dublin Airport, from concession negotiation through construction and operations.
Sponsors, lenders, contractors and FM providers on almost every Irish PPP, including:
- Social Housing PPP Bundles 2, 3 and 4;
- Dublin Family Courts Complex PPP;
- Dublin Waste to Energy PPP;
- Higher Education PPP – Bundle One;
- Community Nursing Units PPP;
- DIT Grangegorman PPP;
- Primary Care Centres PPP;
- N25 New Ross Bypass PPP, N25 Waterford Bypass PPP, M7/M8 Motorway PPP, M1 Motorway PPP and M3/M4 Motorway PPP;
- Schools PPP Bundles 1 and 3;
- Greystones Harbour and Marina PPP;
- Convention Centre PPP;
- Social Housing PPP Bundle 2; and
- PPP-like Irish infrastructure projects including the National Broadband Plan (Conor advised the SPV / concessionaire on its winning bid), the Dublin Airport fuel concession (Conor advises the concessionaire) and the Metropolitan Area Networks concession (Conor advises the concessionaire).

Accolades

“Conor Blennerhassett is the focal point within his team and manages with discretion rather than through hierarchy.”

Projects and PPP: The European Legal 500 2025

“Strong lead partner who is heavily involved in providing strong commercial advice about complex PPP contracts."

Projects and PPP: The European Legal 500 2025

“Lead partner (Conor Blennerhassett) always available to discuss issues and solutions to issues as they arise.”

Projects and PPP: The European Legal 500 2025

“Conor Blennerhassett - very responsive and easy to work with.”

Projects and PPP: The European Legal 500 2025

“Matheson provides a personalised service. Conor Blennerhassett is always available and systematically provides his thoughts, advice, and confirmation.”

Energy and Natural Resources: The European Legal 500 2025

"Conor is very personable, clearly knows his stuff and has a wonderful way of passing on information."