Keavy is a partner within Corporate and M&A and is also Chair of the firm. Keavy specialises in corporate transactions including group reorganisations, mergers and acquisitions, shareholder agreements and joint venture arrangements. She advises Irish and international credit institutions, investment firms, listed companies and equity funds on financial services, banking and corporate matters.
In addition to her Corporate and M&A practice, Keavy leads the firm's executive remuneration and employee benefits group. She advises boards of credit institutions, investment firms and listed companies on all aspects of executive remuneration, including regulatory compliance with CRD/CRR remuneration requirements for regulated financial institutions, the design and governance of share incentive plans and the treatment of share incentives in M&A transactions. Keavy also advises on the corporate governance, regulatory and shareholder issues arising from remuneration structures.
Keavy regularly advises on matters involving significant legal, regulatory, reputational and public policy considerations. Her experience includes major corporate transactions, restructurings, governance frameworks, shareholder matters, executive remuneration, regulatory issues and complex stakeholder management.
As Chair of one of Ireland's leading law firms and a former seconded General Counsel, Keavy brings a combination of board-level judgement, commercial insight and legal expertise. She regularly advises directors, senior executives and governance bodies on fiduciary duties, decision-making, crisis management, compliance and risk management.
Keavy has particular experience advising financial institutions, regulated businesses and international investors operating in Ireland and is recognised as a trusted adviser on complex cross-disciplinary matters requiring the coordination of specialist legal and commercial advice.
Areas of Expertise
Corporate and M&A/Investing in Ireland/Pensions and Incentives/Commercial Contracts/Incentives/Corporate Advisory & Company Law
Experience Advising:
- Advising Five Arrows, the alternative assets arm of Rothschild & Co. on its investment into Shivo Medical.
- Purmo Group on the acquisition of Unitherm.
- Cairn Homes plc on all elements of executive remuneration, share incentives and related governance matters.
- Swiss Mobiliar on the wind-down of Insurtech Companjon.
- Five Arrows on the acquisition of Compucal Calibration Solutions.
- Neste Corporation on the acquisition of Walco Foods.
- Goldman Sachs on the acquisition of various loan portfolios.
- Natwest on its sale of Ulster Bank, Ireland's commercial lending business to AIB valued at €4.2bn.
- Deutsche Bank on the sale of various loan portfolios.
- Advises boards of listed companies, credit institutions and investment firms on executive remuneration, corporate governance frameworks, regulatory compliance (including CRD/CRR/IFD/IFR) and shareholder engagement.
Market Recommendations
"Keavy Ryan provides a very professional service, she is very engaged and as a client we have the sense that she is pro-active in considering our interests." (Legal 500 2021)
"Leading individual." (Legal 500 2019)
"Expansive knowledge of the effect of M&A on employee benefits." (Legal 500 2018)
"First class and knows how to get the right deal." (IFLR1000 2017)
Professional activities
Keavy is a non-executive director of NOW Group, a social enterprise supporting people with learning difficulties and Autism into jobs with a future.
Education
- Solicitor, Law Society of Ireland
- LL.M. European Economic Law, Humboldt University, Berlin
- LL.B. Law and German, Trinity College, Dublin
Keavy Ryan
Partner,
Corporate and M&A
Dublin