Ronan Lyons is a partner in the firm’s Corporate and M&A Group, specialising in M&A, equity capital markets and corporate advisory work. Ronan advises many leading Irish and international companies on all aspects of Irish corporate and securities laws, across a range of industry sectors. He has advised on many of the largest corporate transactions in Irish history, including for many leading international companies.
Ronan also frequently advises US and other international companies who are establishing operations in Ireland for the first time, with a particular emphasis on the life sciences sector. Ronan is a member of the firm's Talent Group and the partner with responsibility for the firm's Graduate Program. He is also a member of the firm's China Group, having previously undertaken a secondment at a leading Chinese firm in Beijing.
Areas of Expertise
Corporate and M&A/Capital Markets – Equity/Commercial Contracts/Investing in Ireland/Life Sciences/Hospitals & Healthcare/Companies Act 2014/PLC Advisory & Governance
Experience Advising:
- Pilgrim's Pride Corporation on its pending $952m acquisition of Kerry Group's meats and meal business.
- Xeris Pharmaceuticals Inc on its pending acquisition of Strongbridge Biopharma plc.
- US technology company Akamai Technologies Inc. on its acquisition of Asavie Technologies.
- Standard Chartered Bank on its strategic investment in CurrencyFair, an Irish payment platform company.
- A large number of US life sciences companies on the establishment of their European operations in Ireland.
- Nabriva Therapeutics on its acquisition of Zavante Therapeutics, the redomicile of Nabriva from Austria to Ireland, its listing on NASDAQ and subsequent underwritten equity offerings.
- Morgan Stanley, as AbbVie's lead financial advisor and lender, in connection with AbbVie's $63bn acquisition of Allergan.
- Johnson Controls on its $20bn merger with Tyco and migration to Ireland.
- Elan Corporation plc on Perrigo Company's recommended $8.6bn takeover offer and migration to Ireland. (Global M&A Deal of the Year 2014 - American Lawyer); its successful defence of the hostile $6.7bn takeover offer by Royalty Pharma; the $1bn merger of its Elan Drug Technologies business with Alkermes Inc and Johnson & Johnson’s US$885mn equity investment in élan and related $500mn investment in élan's Alzheimers Immunotherapy Programme.
- IBM on its acquisitions of Curam and of The Now Factory.
Market Recommendations
"Highly professional, responsive and extremely knowledgeable." (IFLR1000 2019)
"Recommended Lawyer." (Legal 500 2019)
"Ronan Lyons is an excellent lawyer." (IFLR1000 2017)
Professional activities
Ronan has been a contributor to publications on European M&A law and European securities law. He is a member of the Law Society of Ireland and the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association.
Education
- Solicitor, Law Society of Ireland
- BCL, University College Cork
Ronan Lyons
Partner, Corporate and M&A
Dublin