George is a partner in the firm’s Corporate M&A Group. In over 25 years of practice, he has advised on many of the most significant and complex Irish corporate transactions across a range of industry sectors.
George is listed as a leading corporate lawyer across a range of publications including IFLR1000, Chambers Europe and The Legal 500.
Areas of Expertise
Experience and Education
Private Equity / Growth Equity
Recent Private Equity/Growth Equity transactions on which George has advised include:
- GLIL Infrastructure on its acquisition of the 453MW Rathcool Wind Energy Portfolio, which provides around 11% of the Republic of Ireland’s installed wind capacity.
- Asterion Industrial Partners on its acquisition of an 80% stake in National Broadband Ireland.
- The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund on a range of investments in both listed and private companies across various industry sectors.
Insight Venture Partners on a range of acquisitions, bolt-on transactions and exits including Fenergo and BrowerStack. - AMP Capital on acquisitions, disposals and bolt-on transactions for various companies such as eNet and the National Convention Centre.
- Carlyle Cardinal Ireland and the founders on the sale of Sports Surgery Clinic, a centre of excellence for joint replacement and surgery for sports soft tissue injuries in Ireland, to UPMC.
Strategic M&A and other Corporate Transactions
Corporate transactions on which George has advised include:
- Spanish listed Cellnex Telecom S.A. on the sale of its Irish business to Phoenix Towers International for €971 million.
Radisson Hotel, Dublin Airport on its sale to the Dalata Hotel Group. - An ad hoc crossover group of lenders on a US$1.9 billion financial restructuring of NYSE listed Mallinckrodt plc, which was implemented through a combined use (for the second time in two years) of the US Chapter 11 bankruptcy process and an Irish examinership restructuring process.
- Aon, the global consulting and professional services firm, on its US$38 billion corporate re-domiciliation from the UK to Ireland, and the listing of its new Irish registered holding company, Aon plc, on the NYSE.
- Weatherford International plc, the Irish registered, NYSE listed parent of the Weatherford group of companies, on one of the largest and most complex cross-border corporate restructurings in Irish corporate history. In a highly innovative legal structure, the transaction, which involved a US$7.4 billion debt-for-equity swap and refinancing, was implemented through the first ever combined use of the US Chapter 11 bankruptcy process and an Irish examinership restructuring process.
- emeis (formerly Orpea) on a number of acquisitions, resulting in it becoming the largest nursing home provider in Ireland.
- Cimpress on its US$3.1 billion corporate re-domiciliation from The Netherlands to Ireland, and the listing of its new Irish registered holding company, Cimpress plc, on Nasdaq.
- STERIS, a leading provider of infection prevention and other procedural products and services, on its US$10.5 billion corporate re-domiciliation from the UK to Ireland, and the listing of its new Irish registered holding company, STERIS plc, on the NYSE.
- Irving Oil on its acquisition of the Whitegate Refinery (Ireland’s only oil refinery) and the subsequent acquisition of Top Oil / Tedcastles.
- Vermillion Energy in relation to its acquisition of stakes from Shell, CPPIB and Equior in the Corrib Gas Field.
Allergan on its $66 billion merger with Actavis (NYSE).
Auxilium Pharmaceuticals on its $2.6 billion acquisition by Endo International. - Carne Group as lead counsel on multiple acquisitions including the acquisition of GAM Investments’ third-party fund management business in two separate acquisitions in Switzerland and Luxembourg.
Questcor Inc on its $5.6 billion merger with Mallinckrodt plc.
Actavis on its $8.5 billion acquisition of Warner Chilcott plc. - Royalty Pharma on its $6.5 billion hostile bid for Elan Corporation (NYSE).
- Admitted to the New York Bar
- Qualified as a solicitor of Supreme Court of England and Wales (non-practising)
- DePaul University, US (Law School)
- University College Dublin (BCL, International)

