EXPERTISE 

Donal specialises in general and commercial litigation. He has extensive experience in property related disputes and litigation and extensive expertise of dispute resolution including advising clients in arbitration and mediation arising from property, building contract and commercial disputes. He acted in a number of matters before the Commercial Court and under case management of the High Court including large scale discovery applications. Donal has acted in large scale funds related litigation involving multi-jurisdictional legal issues and has acted in both the prosecution and defence of professional negligence actions against professionals.

Donal has extensive experience in all aspects of Intoxicating Liquor licensing including advising receivers with regard to licensing matters in general.

Recent experience includes advising:

  • The liquidators of two separate Cayman Island hedge funds in large-scale professional negligence claims against a third-party service provider valued at €280m and €600m respectively.
  • Since 2009 acting for Irving H Pickard, the court-appointed trustee under the Securities Investor Protection Act (SIPA) for the liquidation of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC arising from the largest known fraud in relation to all aspects of litigation in Ireland against Custodians, Sub-Funds and other parties. Such advice and services included potential recovery claims by the Trustee, the service of US Court processes in Ireland and in taking depositions from Irish based witnesses in US Complaints relating to Madoff.
  • Civil engineering contractors and house builders including Pierse Contracting, McInerney Homes and M&B Construction in prosecutions by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) arising from fatal workplace accidents and other alleged breaches of health and safety regulations. Also acting for a multi-national supplier of industrial and speciality gases in an HSA investigation arising from a patient fatality.
  • Tifco Hotel Group, Staycity Group, SuperValu franchise holders, Walsh Whiskey Distillery and Marks & Spencer (Ireland) Ltd in advising on alcohol licence requirements and all related court applications for licences.
  • AXA XL in an arbitration involving their insured who is an Irish based contractor of complex engineering projects relating to alleged defects in a wind farm.