Our People

• University College Dublin (BCL)
• Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (C Dip. AF)

• Law Society of Ireland

Justin is a partner in the Corporate Department, specialising in corporate finance, mergers & acquisitions and private equity transactions. He has extensive experience in corporate and commercial law with particular emphasis on all aspects of offers for, or the acquisition or disposal of interests in public companies and the regulation of such transactions, public offers of equity and debt securities by Irish and foreign issuers, private enterprise acquisitions and disposals, private equity investments and investment and acquisition transactions involving management groups. Justin has advised bidders, shareholders, financial advisers and other parties involved in many of the public-to-private transactions which have taken place in Ireland involving quoted companies over the last five years in addition to many high profile and complex transactions involving the acquisition of or investments in enterprises. He also regularly advises in relation to the resolution of disputes between shareholders and demergers/separations of interests in complex and sensitive investment and shareholder matters.

Justin is the author of the Irish Takeover Legislation, which sets out the regulations and process involved in takeovers for public companies in Ireland 2007, new edition 2009. International directories have consistently ranked Justin as one of Ireland's leading corporate lawyers over the last several years – such recommendations are  included in the current editions of PLC Which Lawyer and the Chambers Global Guide to the World’s leading lawyers.

Areas of Expertise:

• Corporate
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Securities Law
• Public to private transactions
• Private Equity/ Management Buy-outs

Representative Matters:

• Acting for the providers of finance arranged by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and J.P. Morgan Securities for the $7.3bn offer by Royalty Pharma for Elan Corporation plc.
• Acted for the shareholders of Vordel Limited in its sale to Axway AG;
• Acting for Celesio AG in the disposal of Cahill May Roberts Limited to Uniphar plc;
• Advised Samsung on Irish law aspects of the $1.375bn (consideration comprising cash and Seagate shares) sale of its hard drive division to Seagate;
• Advised Terra Resources in its reverse takeover of Sterling Green Group plc, AIM and ESM listing and placing;
• Advised Fastnet Oil & Gas plc on its acquisition of Pathfinder Hydrocarbon Resources Limited (Morocco);
• Advised Clondalkin Group limited on the acquisition of Catalent Ireland;
• Advised Orogen Gold Limited on its reverse merger with Medavinci plc;
• Advised on Berkshire Partners LLP, Advent International Corporation and Bain Capital Partners LLC in their joint $1.2bn bid by recommended scheme of arrangement for Skillsoft plc;
• Advised Dragon Oil plc on the recommended Stg£2.4bn offer by Emirates National Oil Company by means of a scheme of arrangement;
• Advised the Irish Takeover Panel on the challenge by way of judicial review by Ryanair plc to its decisions restricting communication by Ryanair in connection with its hostile bid for Aer Lingus plc;
• Represented the Shareholders of Sligo Champion in its sale to Independent News and Media plc;
• Represented the Shareholders of Tuam Herald in its sale to the Midland Newspaper Group;
• Advised Gaslink, the new Irish independent system operator for the Irish gas transmission network, on the unbundling of the operation of the Irish gas transmission network out of the state-owned vertically integrated incumbent, Bord Gais Éireann;
• Advised Valero Corporation on the acquisition of the Irish downstream assets of Chevron.

Recommendations:

Chambers Global – The World’s Leading Lawyers, Chambers and Partners 2013.
Justin is recommended as a Leader in his Field in the ‘Capital Markets’ and ‘Corporate and M&A’ fields. Sources identify Justin McKenna as "a great lawyer; commercially minded, reliable, and helpful."

Chambers Global – The World’s Leading Lawyers, Chambers and Partners 2012.
Justin is recommended as a Leader in his Field in the ‘Capital Markets’ and ‘Corporate and M&A’ fields.  Justin McKenna is recommended for his takeover expertise: he is an adviser to the Irish Takeover Panel and represented Dragon Oil in a USD1.3 billion proposed takeover bid.   On the Capital Markets side, he is key member of the department. He covers acquisitions and disposals by public companies, and public offers of equity and debt securities by both Irish and foreign issuers.

Chambers Europe – Europe’s Leading Business Lawyers, 2013.
Justin is recommended as a Leader in his Field in the ‘Capital Markets’ and ‘Corporate and Merger & Acquisitions’ fields. Sources identify Justin McKenna as "a great lawyer; commercially minded, reliable and helpful." He led on the Terra Energy takeover of Sterling Green Group. Justin McKenna covers corporate finance, M&A and private equity mandates. He is advising Bord Gáis Éireann on the structural issues arising out of the implementation of the EU's Third Package on Energy Liberalisation.

Chambers Europe – Europe’s Leading Business Lawyers, 2012.
Justin is recommended as a Leader in his Field in the ‘Capital Markets’ and ‘Corporate and Merger & Acquisitions’ fields. 'Justin McKenna is another key member of the [Capital Markets] department. He covers acquisitions and disposals in public companies, public offers of equity, and debt securities of both Irish and foreign issuers.' Within the Corporate team, 'Justin McKenna is recommended for his takeover expertise.'

Legal 500, 2012.
Justin is recommended in the field of 'Corporate and Commercial', where 'one client describes Justin McKenna as being "consistently one of the best lawyers in Dublin".'

Legal 500, 2011.
Justin is recommended in the field of 'Corporate and Commercial'.