"Extremely skilled, astute, trustworthy and much appreciated for his impressive conduct of negotiation and problem-solving qualities."
Corporate and M&A: IFLR1000
Expertise
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.
Mergers & Acquisitions
George's representative M&A transactions include many of the most significant takeovers (hostile and friendly) and mergers of Irish listed companies including; Independent News & Media / Mediahuis; IFG / Epiris; Allergan / Actavis ($66 billion); Willis / Towers Watson (merger of equals); Royalty Pharma / Elan (hostile takeover); Questcor / Mallinckrodt ($5.6 billion); Medtronic / Covidien ($42.9 billion); Actavis / Warner Chilcott ($8.5 billion); Auxilium / Endo International ($2.6 billion).
Private Equity
George also acts for a range of Private Equity institutions across a range of industry sectors, in particular Energy, Infrastructure and Telecoms. Recent mandates include advising Asterion Industrial Partners; AMP Capital; Aurelius; Bain Capital; Carlyle Cardinal Ireland; EQT; GLIL Infrastructure; Insight Venture Partners; the Irish Strategic Investment Fund; Macquarie Asset Management; and Partners Group.
George previously worked in the London office of a leading international law firm and has been a partner in Matheson since 2003.
A) Private Equity / Growth Equity
Recent Private Equity/Growth Equity transactions on which George has advised include:
- GLIL Infrastructure on its acquisition of a majority stake in Invis Energy's portfolio of 11 operational wind farms (providing approximately 11% of Ireland's installed wind capacity).
- Asterion Industrial Partners on its acquisition of an 80% stake in National Broadband Ireland.
- The Irish 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.
B) Strategic M&A and other Corporate Transactions
Corporate transactions on which George has advised include:
- Cellnex on the EUR971 million sale of Cellnex’s business in Ireland to Phoenix Tower International.
- Radisson Hotel, Dublin Airport on its sale to the Dalata Hotel Group.
- An ad hoc crossover group of lenders on a $1.9 billion financial restructuring of Mallinckrodt plc (NYSE: MNK), which was implemented through a combined use of the US Chapter 11 bankruptcy process and an Irish examinership restructuring process.
- Aon, the global consulting and professional services firm, on its corporate re-domiciliation from the UK to Ireland and the listing of the new Irish holding company, Aon plc, on the NYSE.
- Weatherford International plc, the Irish NYSE listed parent of the Weatherford group of companies, on one of the largest and most complex cross-border corporate restructurings undertaken in Ireland. In a highly innovative legal structure, the transaction, which involved a $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.
- Orpea SA on the acquisition of a number of transactions resulting in Orpea being one of the largest nursing home providers in Ireland.
- Steris and Cimpress on their corporate migrations to Ireland and the subsequent listing of the Irish parent company on either NYSE or NASDAQ.
- 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 on its acquisition of The Asset Management Exchange from Willis Towers Watson and its acquisition of GAM's Luxembourg and Swiss third party fund management businesses
- Questcor Inc on its $5.6 billion merger with Mallinckrodt plc (NYSE).
- Actavis on its $8.5 billion acquisition of Warner Chilcott plc (NASDAQ).
- Royalty Pharma on its $6.5 billion hostile bid for Elan Corporation (NYSE).
George Brady is named a Highly Regarded Individual
Corporate and M&A: IFLR1000 2024
George Brady "inspires high level of trust from the client and all parties involved, very good at engaging with the other side to find solutions acceptable to everyone, anticipates issues and tackles them in a smooth manner, generally good at getting the deal done in a way that everyone is satisfied".
Commercial, Corporate and M&A: The European Legal 500 2022
"Extremely skilled, astute, trustworthy and much appreciated for his impressive conduct of negotiation and problem-solving qualities."
Corporate and M&A: IFLR1000 2022
George Brady “inspires high level of trust from the client and all parties involved, very good at engaging with the other side to find solutions acceptable to everyone, anticipates issues and tackles them in a smooth manner, generally good at getting the deal done in a way that everyone is satisfied.”
Commercial, Corporate and M&A: The European Legal 2022
George Brady "is very good at negotiating. He will tackle problems in a calm way and will look for the solutions" & "Even with difficult counterparties, he will find the best solution."
Commercial, Corporate and M&A: Chambers Global and Europe 2022
George Brady understands "the client needs and requests and providing adequate solutions. Strong negotiation skills. Friendly and easy to communicate with. Availability. Responsiveness.”
Corporate and M&A: IFLR1000 2021
George Brady "was helpful in negotiations".
Equity Capital Markets: Chambers Global and Europe 2021
George Brady is "very reassuring and very pragmatic".
Equity Capital Markets: Chambers Global and Europe 2021
George Brady is titled Hall of Fame.
Capital markets: The European Legal 500 2020
George Brady is "extremely commercial and a very straight talker".
Corporate/M&A: Chambers Global and Europe 2020
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)