Expertise

Energy, Natural Resources and Utilities

Some of Garret’s more recent experience highlights include advising:

• Sellers and purchasers (including PE, insurance, pension and infrastructure funds) on the sale and / or acquisition of major energy and infrastructure assets in recent years, including over 3GW of electricity generating assets (of which over 1.2GW are renewable generators), Ireland’s only oil refinery at Whitegate and Ireland’s largest oil storage terminal at Bantry Bay in County Cork.
• Advising on the sale and purchase of large portfolios of renewable energy assets.
• Sponsor and Lenders on the development and financing of over 2.5GW renewable and conventional power plants developments. This includes over 1.2GW of onshore wind farm developments since 2015.
• Advising a State-backed investment fund on its funding of the acquisition of over 130MW of Irish wind generating facilities in advance of the first ever public listing of an Irish renewable energy investment vehicle on the Irish Stock Exchange.
• EirGrid and SONI on all aspects of the I-SEM project which is the new wholesale electricity market arrangement for Ireland and Northern Ireland.  Matheson’s role involved drafting and advising on the new trading rules, the new capacity market code, the new grid code, the new trading rules for the day ahead and intraday markets in I-SEM as well as drafting amendments to EirGrid’s operational agreements necessitated by I-SEM.
• A large international conglomerate on the development of a 200MW Battery Energy Storage System project in the mid-west region of Ireland (this is the one of the largest projects of its kind in Europe).
• Advised a large European utility and developers on the development of large BESS projects and synchronous condensors in Ireland, including the M&A, financing and regulation of those projects.
• Advising on the vast majority of corporate PPAs entered into in Ireland to date, including a number of large multinational technology companies in relation to the drafting and negotiation of corporate power purchase agreements (including the first to be announced in the Irish market) and on their renewable energy procurement strategy and trading structures and agreements.
• Advising power and gas utilities on their sales contracts and regulatory issues in the Irish market.
• A large multinational company on the sale of an energy supply company in respect of a large Irish wind farm to an international technology company, including the negotiation of the first corporate PPA in the Irish market.
• Partners Group (UK) Limited, a global private equity firm, on its acquisition of an interest in the Greenlink Interconnector, a project to construct a 500MW subsea electricity interconnector between Ireland and Great Britain.
• Advising on the new Irish offshore windfarm market.
• Irving Oil on the acquisition of Tedcastles Oil Products Unlimited Company and its associated subsidiaries.
• One of the largest Irish wind farm portfolio managers on various matters in connection with the introduction of the new wholesale electricity market arrangement for Ireland and Northern Ireland (I-SEM), including the re-drafting and negotiation of all of its existing PPAs and the structuring, development and drafting of a complex trade facilitation agreement in the context of I-SEM.
• TRIG, a closed-ended investment fund, in relation to the Irish law aspects of its £300 million IPO, listing on the London Stock Exchange.  This was the largest flotation of a dedicated UK-based renewable energy company and raised £300 million, which is being used to acquire a 276 MW portfolio of 18 operational wind and solar parks in Ireland, the UK and France, from Renewable Energy Systems Limited and InfraRed Capital Partners.
• One of the largest thermal generators in Ireland on a wide variety of matters, including interface with its lenders, trading agreements and a complex outsourcing agreement in respect of gas trading services.
• One of the leading global mining companies in relation to their Irish assets.

Projects and Infrastructure

Some of Garret’s more recent experience highlights include advising:

• the ACS Group (including Iridium Concessions and Dragados) on transport infrastructure projects (including PPPs) in Ireland.
• International lenders to Irish PPP projects.
• Exolum Aviación on all aspects of its successful tender for the design, build and operation of new aviation fuel terminal and pipeline infrastructure at Dublin Airport under a long term services concession agreement with airport operator daa plc.
• A large international conglomerate on the development of a 200MW Battery Energy Storage System project in the mid-west region of Ireland (this is the one of the largest projects of its kind in Europe).
• the National Broadband Ireland project company (backed by Granahan McCourt investments and other investors) on its successful bid to design, finance, build and operate a high speed broadband network serving over 1 million people across Ireland (one of the most ambitious and wide-reaching State-backed broadband interventions in the world).
• Lenders to new CCGT and OCGT power plants in Ireland, which are required as part of the energy transition.
• General Electric Company on all of its Irish infrastructure and power assets, including over 300MW of wind generation and a large independent 400MW CCGT thermal generating station.
• Partners Group (UK) Limited, a global private equity firm, on its acquisition of an interest in the Greenlink Interconnector, a project to construct a 500MW subsea electricity interconnector between Ireland and Great Britain.
• Lenders to the largest ever higher education PPP undertaken by the Irish State. The TUD Grangegorman PPP acts as one of the centrepieces of the Government's policy of making Ireland's education and training service the best in Europe by 2026.
• John Sisk & Son on the development, construction, financing and restructuring of the Greystones Harbour PPP (and associated residential and commercial elements) with Wicklow County Council which was one of the largest and most complex mixed use development PPPs ever undertaken in Ireland.
• Caterpillar Inc in relation to its tender to Irish Rail for the largest locomotive overhaul the State railway operator has undertaken in decades.
• Numerous international sponsors, lenders, contractors and operators on Operational PPPs in the road, education, healthcare and justice sectors on an ongoing basis.
• Irish and international lenders and sponsors on the project financing of over 1.2GW of renewable energy assets in Ireland over the past few years alone.

Garret Farrelly is Market Leader
Project Development: IFLR1000 2024

"Garret Farrelly provides calmness and security."
Projects and PPP: The European Legal 500 2024

"We worked closely with Garret Farrelly and his team, who provided outstanding work and a genuinely enjoyable collaboration, showcasing strong legal knowledge relating to Ireland and the specific sector at hand but also deep embeddedness in the business environment and regulatory context."
Projects and PPP: The European Legal 500 2024

“Garret Farrelly has his ear to the ground and provides structures and relevant guidance.”
Projects and PPP: Chambers Europe 2024

Garret Farrelly is a L500 Green Ambassador 
The Legal 500 EMEA Green Guide 2024

Garret Farrelly is winner of the Energy Leader Award 2023
Business Energy Achievement Awards 2023

Garret Farrelly is winner of Energy Law 2023
European Legal Awards 2023

Garret Farrelly is winner of Energy and Natural Resources Law 2023
Lexology Client Choice Award 2023

"Garret Farrelly has a great understanding of our business and the wider industry. He is always helpful and provides strong advice."
Energy and Natural Resources: Chambers Europe 2023

"He has very good knowledge in the energy market and Irish regulations."
Energy and Natural Resources: Chambers Europe 2023

Garret Farrelly is winner of Energy Law 2022
European Legal Awards 2022

Garret Farrelly is winner of Energy Law 2022
Lexology Client Choice Award 2022

"He is extremely responsive to his client's needs and will give commercially astute advice based on deep experience in the renewable energy field,"
Energy and Natural Resources: Chambers Europe 2022

Garret has a “deep knowledge of the sector and a pragmatic approach to advising clients on commercial and legal issues.”
Project development: IFLR1000 2021

Sources who have "worked closely with Garret Farrelly" are "very impressed with and confident in his industry knowledge, commerciality and work product."
Energy and Natural Resources: The European Legal 500 2021

Garret Farrelly brings a strong core understanding of all aspects of energy project delivery. He has a wealth of experience of regulatory matters and is always pragmatic and solution focused.’
Energy and Natural Resources: The European Legal 500 2021

Sources state that Garrett is a "very considered and measured guy" who is "able to always ensure continuity in the work," adding: "It’s always constructive to work with him."
Energy and Natural Resources: Chambers Europe 2020

University College Dublin (BCL)

Qualified as a solicitor in Ireland

Qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales (non-practising)