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The importance of the company secretary and the level of his or her responsibilities are increasing as a result of the complex and stringent legal requirements placed on all Irish registered companies. Because of the changing legislative environment, the need to meet statutory and regulatory obligations and the requirement to satisfy increasing stakeholder demands for corporate compliance are constant challenges. Our specialised team has extensive experience in helping clients meet these challenges.

What We Do

We provide both technical and practical support to directors and advice on corporate governance. We also provide an annual company secretarial compliance service including a checklist of annual company secretarial compliance matters requiring attention, giving directors and the secretary peace of mind that they are complying with their statutory duties.

By acting as company secretary to our client companies, we can ensure that adequate measures are put in place so that they fulfil their statutory obligations. We are also available to provide support and advice on statutory obligations to our clients with in-house company secretaries. Where appropriate, we liaise with our colleagues in the firm on matters which require cross-departmental input.

In addition, we offer bespoke company secretarial services such as providing chartered secretaries to take minutes of meetings, arranging secondments and interim resourcing and conducting legal audits of the statutory registers of a company. We also carry out transactional work involved in corporate restructuring.

Our Approach

We handle all company secretarial matters whether routine or complex and ensure that each procedure is carried out professionally and without delay. We undertake to provide the same high level of quality service whatever

the size or structure of our client and are committed to responding to client queries promptly and efficiently.

Our Services

We provide company secretarial advice and services to private and public companies including:

• Company formations
• Branch registration and ongoing compliance service
• Business name registration
• Conversion and re-registration of companies
• Annual compliance service including annual returns and annual general meetings
• Changes to directors/secretary
• Changes to the situation of registered office 
• Change of company name
• Changes to company constitution
• Voluntary strike-off / dissolutions / restorations
• Maintenance of statutory registers in electronic or manual form
• Registered office facility and mail forwarding service
• Corporate health check / legal audit of statutory registers
• Minute-taking by chartered secretaries
• Compliance in relation to corporate transactions
• Advice on directors’ duties / responsibilities and corporate governance
• Representation at board meetings and general meetings
• Advice on resident director requirements and options available
• Acting as named secretary / joint secretary
• Acting as process agent
• Nominee shareholder service
• Guidance on the companies acts, related statutory instruments and EU directives
• Administration of share option schemes
• Secondments and interim resourcing

Our Team

Our dedicated company secretarial department consists of qualified and experienced company secretaries. Paula Phelan is director of the department and is supported by Ken Faulkner, manager.

The members of our team have extensive experience as chartered secretaries in practice, industry and financial services having previously worked in the company secretarial departments of other large legal firms, “Big 4” accountancy practices and a large fund management company. Paula also held the position of assistant company secretary in CRH plc and is co-author of the fourth edition of Jordans Irish Company Secretarial Precedents.

To find out more about how we can assist you in the company secretarial area please contact Paula Phelan, Director company secretarial listed below.