Daragh is a partner in our Financial Services team and head of our Debt Capital Markets, Structured Finance and Derivatives group.
Daragh has extensive experience leading domestic and cross border debt financing transactions. His practice covers public and private debt capital markets (issuances of listed and unlisted debt securities), structured finance and securitisation transactions. He also acts on a number of property and project finance matters, with an emphasis on deals outside of Ireland and privatisation transactions.
Daragh previously worked as a legal counsel with Black Sea Trade and Development Bank, a multilateral development bank, active in the financing of other financial institutions and major regional infrastructural projects.
He was also a commercial lawyer for the European Union/United Nations mandated privatisation agency in Kosovo, the Kosovo Trust Agency. During that time, he advised the agency on the corporate and structuring aspects of privatisation transactions.
Specialities
- Debt Capital Markets
- Structured Finance, Securitisation and Repackaging
- Project Finance
- Real Estate Finance
- Privatisations
Representative Matters
- Irish counsel to a Canadian institutional investor (which manages several public and parapublic pension plans and insurance programmes), on the establishment and approval by Euronext Dublin of its US$20 billion note programme and ongoing issuances.
- Legal counsel to ITower Development EAD on the financing and construction of a 34 storey – mixed residential, office and retail use - tower in Sofia, Bulgaria. Financing is provided by EuroBank Bulgaria AD and Black Sea Trade and Development Bank.
- Legal counsel to FlexFunds, a provider of customised repackaging and asset backed securitisation products, on (i) the set-up of multiple Irish incorporated issuers and €5 billion asset backed note programmes and (ii) ongoing issuances.
- Legal counsel to the trustee on a €1 billion secured limited recourse note programme. Each series of notes is backed by a diversified pool of student loans. The programme is approved for issuance on the regulated market of Euronext Dublin.
- Advising Permanent TSB on the due diligence and legal title / transfer of assets on the Project Glenbeigh securitisation, a market leading NPL securitisation of Irish residential mortgage loans.
- Advised an international financial institution on its role as an anchor investor in the issuance by Energo-Pro Varna EAD of €130 million worth of bonds. The bonds were subsequently listed on the Bulgarian Stock Exchange.
- Advised one of the lender consortium providing approximately €1 billion of long-term financing to Fraport Greece in connection with its acquisition of a 40-year concession of 14 Greek airports. Fraport Greece is a joint venture of Fraport AG Frankfurt Airport Services Worldwide and Copelouzos Group.
- Advised an international financial institution on its participation in a US$1.3 billion credit linked debt transaction the proceed of which were used to facilitate a subscription for 13% of the issued share capital of SOCAR Turkey Enerji A.S. (a subsidiary of the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic).
- Advised one of the lender consortium providing approximately €1 billion of long-term financing to Fraport Greece in connection with its acquisition of a 40-year concession of 14 Greek airports.
- Advised one of the A lenders on a US$1 billion loan to LUKOIL to part fund its participation in the stage 2 development of the Shah Deniz gas field, located off shore in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea.
Recommendations
IFLR1000, 2020
Daragh is "Highly Regarded" in the area of Structured Finance and Securitisation.
Legal 500
"Can-do attitude, coupled with a commercial viewpoint, is invaluable"
Chambers and Partners
Praised by clients as someone who can "provide tailored advice allied with a very easy to work with style." One commentator adds: "He is great for the follow-up and is technically strong. We feel very confident about his advice."
Chambers and Partners
"He is a great negotiator with superb communication skills and a results-driven outlook."
Legal 500
"Extremely competent"