Philip O’Connor

Managing Partner

Commercial Property

Philip is the managing partner of the firm and the lead partner in the Commercial Property Department.  He qualified as a solicitor in Ireland in 1987.  Philip has started and contributed greatly to the growth of a number of successive firms in Ireland, including the merger of a predecessor firm with an international law firm, while retaining his client base throughout.

His clients include regulated property funds, local authorities, property developers, property funders, property investment partnerships and asset managers in addition to acting for insolvency practitioners.

Philip has significant expertise acting for developers on the purchase, development and sale of both commercial and residential developments.  His specific area of expertise is linking the various aspects of a property development and management project to ensure the best alignment of legal requirements with the commercial objectives.

Philip is named in the recent editions of the Legal 500 as leading “a formidable team on real estate assignments” as vouched for by his clients and contacts.

This attribute has been apparent in the various projects that Philip has lead, including the following:

  • Leading the team in acting for Singapore based investors in the setup of a QIAIF and advising on the development of their property portfolio within that structure.
  • Leading the team acting for and advising non-resident investors in the setup of separate ICAVs for the acquisition and development of their property portfolio in Ireland.
  • Leading the team in providing legal services to asset managers of multiple commercial property investments within regulated fund structures.
  • Leading the team in selling the various property assets of a QIAIF and of an ICAV, bringing to the end the natural cycle of the property investment for the non-resident investors.
  • Leading the team in acting for Irish based lenders joining with non-resident-based investors providing mezzanine finance for the acquisition of property portfolios in Ireland.
  • Advising and assisting the team on various Local Authority property and development projects.
  • Advising and assisting the team acting for Credit Unions providing mortgage loans to their members.
  • Advising and assisting the team acting for receivers on the disposal of multiple residential and commercial properties within fixed asset receivership sales.
  • Advising and assisting promoters of new and alternative funding models for housing projects.
  • Recent highlight involves advising regulated property fund transitioning to new investment models.

 

Memberships

Law Society of Ireland

 

Education

BSc UCG Galway