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Gráinne "has provided excellent service" and is "very efficient, precise and fast".

Chambers Europe

Expertise

Gráinne Callanan, is head of the Matheson Cork office and is a partner in the Financial Institutions Group and specialises in corporate and regulatory insurance. Gráinne advises a wide range of leading domestic and international financial institutions doing business in and from Ireland including life and non-life (re)insurance companies, captive insurers and intermediaries on corporate transactions, regulatory and compliance and corporate governance. Gráinne has extensive expertise in the areas of new authorisations, portfolio transfers, cross-border mergers, corporate restructurings, product development, distribution arrangements and health insurance. She has advised on a wide range of innovative transactions in the insurance market and has taken a leading role advising clients on a number of significant acquisitions of closed books of life insurance businesses.

  • Gráinne is ranked in Band 2 by Chambers and as a leading individual by Legal 500 for Corporate Insurance.
  • Gráinne is Co-Chair of the IBA Insurance Committee.
  • Gráinne lectures at the Law Society of Ireland and the Insurance Institute of Ireland.
  • Gráinne is also a member of the Cork Financial Services Forum.

Experience Highlights 

  • Advised Octium Group on the cross border merger by acquisition and simultaneous portfolio transfer of Octium Assurance AG, a private limited company based in Liechtenstein, into Octium Life DAC, an Irish successor company, regulated as a life insurance undertaking by the Central Bank of Ireland;
  • Advised ALD Group on its acquisition of Leaseplan and the subsequent merger of ALD Re DAC (a reinsurer) and Euro Insurances Ireland DAC (a non-life insurer), both leaders in the field in the automotive industry;
  • Advised Utmost Group on a significant number of portfolio transfer arrangements including the acquisition of books from Quilter, AXA Life Europe, Athora together with a number of significant internal consolidating portfolio transfers;
  • Advised Generali on the acquisition and restructuring of the Liberty Seguros business;
  • Advised a leading intermediary on a significant number of acquisitions in the Irish broker market.Advised Credit Agricole, La Bank Postale, Utmost and others on regulatory change of control applications;
  • Advised AXIS Specialty Europe SE on the cross-border merger by absorption with a Belgian authorised non-life insurance undertaking;
  • Advised Partner Re on its acquisition of a book of insurance business from Compre Group;
  • Advised a leading domestic bank on all of its significant distribution arrangements in the Irish market.
Accolades
"Gráinne Callanan is very insightful and has a common-sense approach."
Insurance: Chambers Europe 2025

"Gráinne Callanan – passionate about successful delivery. Incredible stamina and tenacity. 100% record of success, even under the seemingly impossible circumstances of one particular insurance business transformation. All backed up with exceptional technical knowledge and experience. She has the ability to identify and exhaust all possible counter arguments and to foresee and forestall them before they amount to real issues."
Insurance: The European Legal 500 2024

"Gráinne Callanan has handled several S.13 IPTs for our company and she has done so in a highly-effective and professional way, ensuring that all legal requirements are addressed, every step of the way. Gráinne has an intuitive understanding of our business and the importance of these portfolio transfers to us, and she expertly managed each portfolio transfer for us in a clear and logical manner, unfailingly making herself available to us to answer any and all queries that we have had in a courteous and friendly way. Nothing phased Gráinne and she provided a calm, authoritative presence to guide us through the whole process."
Insurance: The European Legal 500 2024

"I deal mainly with Grainne Callanan and have done so for a number of years. Grainne is very knowledgeable and has extensive experience of the end-to-end regulatory experience for insurance. She brings that knowledge and experience to bear in a very practical and client-focused manner, which has always yielded excellent results."
Insurance: The European Legal 500 2024

"Gráinne Callanan is an expert in Insurance Regulation and a pleasure to deal with. Gráinne always gets to the crux of the issue and navigates a way through. This approach is a real asset to the firm and distinguishes Matheson from its peers in Ireland. Gráinne consistently goes the extra mile for her clients with no fuss or ceremony. Her goal is always to get to the best possible solution for the client."

Insurance: The European Legal 500 2023

"Gráinne Callanan always provides practical, real-world advice."
Insurance: Chambers Europe 2023

"providing excellent regulatory guidance on key principles" and "Gráinne Callanan is calm and methodical."
Insurance: Chambers Europe 2022

Gráinne Callanan has a "practical understanding"
Insurance: Chambers Europe 2021

Gráinne Callanan "knows how the regulator will react"
Insurance: Chambers Europe 2021

Sources have stated that Gráinne Callanan and her team "have a very personable approach", and "they really take their time to build relationships with you and make the legal experience enjoyable", ensuring the client is "very comfortable" if they ever have a question.
Insurance: The European Legal 500 2021

Education

University College Cork (BCL, Law and German)

University College Cork (LLM)

IPMA Certified Project Management Associate (Diploma in Project Management)

Law Society of Ireland