Financial and corporate
Established in 1825, Matheson is one of Ireland's oldest and most prestigious law firms. In August 2026, the firm appointed a new managing partner in Shane Hogan, who replaced Michael Jackson. The firm has two offices in Ireland - its main base in Dublin and an office in Cork, an office in London and three in the US in New York, Palo Alto and San Francisco. Matheson excels across banking and finance transactional and regulatory, and conventional and structured debt instruments, M&A, project development and finance and restructuring and insolvency. The firm sits in Tier 1 in all but one table.
During the research cycle, the firm was involved in the landmark acquisition by Pandox AB of Dalata Hotel Group. Matheson provided comprehensive legal advice on all Irish aspects of the acquisition and represents one of the leading market hospitality acquisitions in the Irish market.
In investment funds, the firm assisted HSBC in the launch of new ETF share classes for its existing HSBC Sterling Liquidity and HSBC Euro Liquidity Funds. This represents a significant development in the investment funds space in Europe, marking the first time an asset manager in Europe launch an ETF share classes within existing EU-regulated money market funds.
Testimonials 2026
Asset Finance
"They deliver a quality on time service consistently."
"Knowledge, industry expertise, responsiveness."
Banking and finance
"The partners are experienced and expert in a wide range of areas (including finance, capital markets, financial regulation, corporate etc). It means one partner can lead the matter without having a cast of thousands on every call."
"Responsive, technically strong, efficient, knowledgeable."
"Very experienced team, lots of partner involvement. Excellent expertise in their field, particularly in the Real Estate space. Very commercial, willing to be pragmatic to get transactions agreed. Good relationships with other law firms and other transaction parties."
"On the mixed use refinancing, the team handled a complex lender take‑out and refinancing efficiently, with clear advice on Irish security, enforcement mechanics, and redemption sequencing, and strong coordination with outgoing lender counsel. Their guidance on CPs, collateral warranties, and deliverables was practical and focused on lender risk rather than academic legal analysis."
Financial service regulatory
"Matheson offers best in class legal advice that is timely and commercial. They are industry experts who also provide excellent client service."
"In depth knowledge of the local market in terms of meeting regulatory requirements whilst maintaining a commercial and pragmatic lens."
"Matheson provide practical input and insights based on prior real world experience."
"Lawyers were responsive and adapted to the requests on the firm. The advice was delivered against tight timeframes and the workshops provided were very helpful."
Investment Funds
"The team is extremely responsive and absolutely has the appropriate level of expertise to guide clients through their decision making processes throughout the implementation process, as well as for on-going matters."
"Client knowledge, solutions orientated and deep regulatory expertise."
M&A
"Highly professional team, very responsive, and did a fantastic job getting the deal over the line with a tricky counterpart."
"Knowledgeable and diverse team, who are expert in M&A and Service agreements for Irish companies."
Project Development
"Practical and knowledgeable feedback from contract concept through to final negotiations with the contractors. They are solution focused providing a quick and responsive service."
Restructuring
"In depth knowledge of the market. Provides excellent advice and expert drafting of complex material."
Lawyer Testimonials
"Excellent regulatory knowledge, great on a complex query!" - Barry O’Connor
"Very well articulated solutions / alternatives addressing a full ranges of issues." - Barry O’Connor
"Excellent communication skills, able to grasp and explain complex issues immediately. Great at drafting documents." - Brendan Colgan
"Real Estate expertise. Provides an outstanding level of service. Very personable, coupled with technical expertise." - Cillian O'Boyle
"Manages the team and the relationship. Summarises the key points and provides overview guidance on the way forward." - Connor Blennerhassett
"Conor is very organised and pragmatic in the way he approaches transactions. He stays calm under pressure, keeps matters moving efficiently and focuses on practical solutions rather than overcomplicating issues. He is also very supportive and considerate in how he works with the wider team and clients, while remaining commercially switched on and highly responsive throughout the process." - Connor Blennerhassett
"Conor is an excellent listener and communicator, and provides an accurate response every time." - Connor Blennerhassett
"Excellent and coordinating / facilitating satisfactory agreement on key commercial points in advance of drafting documents which enables much faster agreement with all parties in large syndications." - David O'Mahony
"Grainne is a true professional with an extensive knowledge of the Insurance industry in Ireland. Grainne is solution focused with a real commercial lense and gives great insights into industry wide challenges and regulatory change." - Grainne Callinan
"Karen has very strong technical expertise with a comprehensive understanding of the commercial and regulatory environment. Advice is always clear, practical, and tailored to our needs." - Karen Reynolds
"Stuart is so responsive and is always willing to jump in where requested." - Stuart Kennedy
Key clients
JPMorgan Chase Bank, Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, Pandox, Allied Irish Banks, Fidelity International, Cellnex Telecom, Bank of Ireland
