Skip to main content
Link to Walkers homepage

Walkers wins four awards at the 'Finance Dublin Deals of the Year Awards 2025'

Jun 4, 2025

Announcement
Blue and purple smoke swirled in the water.

We have once again won multiple awards for deals at this year's 'Finance Dublin Deals of the Year Awards' which acknowledge excellence within the financial services sector in Ireland.

Our Ireland and Cayman-based teams won four awards across the categories of Mergers & Acquisitions, Debt Capital Markets and Financial Services for the following deals:

  • Aviation Finance, Debt Issuance: Airborne Capital Investment Grade Corporate Note financing
  • CLO: Barings Euro Middle Market CLO 2024-1 DAC and Debut CLO
  • Inward FDI Investment: Apollo's investment in Intel's Irish Fab 34
  • Issuance: Victory Street CLO I DAC 

Our award-winning teams included:

  • Matt Bernardo, Partner (Investment Funds), Cayman Islands
  • Eimear Burbridge, Of Counsel (Tax), Ireland
  • Miriam El Ofir, Associate (Investment Funds), Cayman Island
  • Clare Mannion, Senior Associate (Finance & Capital Markets), Ireland
  • Killian McSharry, Partner (Asset Finance), Ireland 
  • Padhraic Mulpeter, Consultant (Tax), Ireland 
  • Paddy Rath, Partner (Finance & Capital Markets), Ireland
  • Noeleen Ruddy, Partner and Co-head of Finance & Capital Markets, Ireland 
  • Therese Redmond, Head of Listings, Ireland 
  • Jonathan Sheehan, Tax Partner & Managing Partner, Ireland 
  • Joanna Taylor, Director of Fiduciary Services, WPS Ireland 
  • Daniel Walford, Senior Counsel (Investment Funds), Cayman Islands

Quoted in Finance Dublin on the Airborne Capital deal, Killian McSharry commented: 

“The debut investment-grade corporate note offering by Airborne Capital Limited highlights the continued strength of demand for investment within the aviation financing and leasing sector amongst sophisticated institutional investors and, in particular, the confidence that such investors have in Airborne Capital to continue expanding its asset management business."

In relation to the Barings Euro Middle Market CLO, Paddy Rath said: 

“We are thrilled to have assisted Barings with this groundbreaking CLO transaction. The European CLO Market has been waiting for a breakthrough on middle market CLOs for some time and we were delighted to see Barings, a deeply experienced and market leading CLO manager, lead the way."

Matt Bernardo, who led on Apollo's investment into Intel's Irish Fab 34, commented: 

“It was a pleasure to support our longstanding client Intel on a transaction of this scale and significance. As Cayman Islands counsel, we’re proud to have played a role in delivering a complex and highly structured deal as part of Intel's transformation strategy. Congratulations again to everyone involved.”

On the Victory Street CLO deal, Noeleen Ruddy said: 

"We were delighted to assist CIC Private Debt on the successful placement of its inaugural €305 million CLO (Collateralised Loan Obligation), Victory Street CLO I. In this milestone transaction, CIC Private Debt, the private debt specialist firm of La Française, capitalized on its solid track record and recognized expertise in the European Leveraged Loans and CLO markets."

Congratulations to our award-winning clients, to our colleagues who advised on these deals and to our fellow winners.

Finance Dublin have published a report detailing the winning deals with accompanying commentary by the lawyers who worked on them here.

 
Asset Management & Investment FundsFiduciary ServicesFinanceListing ServicesTaxCayman IslandsIreland

media contact

Chloe Ainsworth

Chloe Ainsworth

Communications Manager - Europe/Jersey

T/+44 (0) 1534 700 759
M/+44 (0) 7797 855 270
E/Email Chloe Ainsworth

Key contacts

Get in touch with our team

Matt Bernardo
Matt Bernardo

Matt Bernardo

Partner

Cayman Islands

T

+1 345 914 4268

M

+1 345 936 4268

E

Email Matt Bernardo
View profile
Killian McSharry
Killian McSharry

Killian McSharry

Partner

Ireland

T

+353 1 470 6696

M

+353 86 812 5656

E

Email Killian McSharry
View profile
Paddy Rath
Paddy Rath full portrait

Paddy Rath

Partner

Ireland

T

+353 1 470 6657

M

+353 87 271 0676

E

Email Paddy Rath
View profile
Noeleen Ruddy
Noeleen-Ruddy

Noeleen Ruddy

Partner

Ireland

T

+353 1 470 6650

M

+353 86 028 2340

E

Email Noeleen Ruddy
View profile
Jonathan Sheehan

Jonathan Sheehan

Managing Partner

Ireland

T

+353 1 470 6639

M

+353 87 676 9170

E

Email Jonathan Sheehan
View profile
Padhraic Mulpeter
Padhraic Mulpeter

Padhraic Mulpeter

Tax Consultant

Ireland

T

+353 1 863 8595

M

+353 86 440 6040

E

Email Padhraic Mulpeter
View profile
Therese Redmond
Therese Redmond

Therese Redmond

Head of Listing Services

Ireland

T

+353 1 470 6645

M

+353 87 737 5530

E

Email Therese Redmond
View profile
Joanna Taylor
Joanna Taylor

Joanna Taylor

Director, Fiduciary Services (Ireland)

Ireland

T

+353 01 470 6668

E

Email Joanna Taylor
View profile
Daniel Walford
Daniel Walford

Daniel Walford

Senior Counsel

Cayman Islands

T

+1 345 914 4213

M

+1 345 938 4213

E

Email Daniel Walford
View profile
Eimear Burbridge

Eimear Burbridge

Of Counsel

Ireland

T

+353 1 470 6627

M

+353 86 040 3799

E

Email Eimear Burbridge
View profile
Clare Mannion
Clare Mannion

Clare Mannion

Senior Associate

Ireland

T

+353 1 863 8528

M

+353 86 796 7001

E

Email Clare Mannion
View profile
Miriam El Ofir
Miriam El Ofir

Miriam El Ofir

Associate

Cayman Islands

T

+1 345 814 4607

M

+1 345 923 4607

E

Email Miriam El Ofir
View profile

Get the latest insights and expertise in your inbox 

Fluid ink image
Sign up
logo footer

Connect with us

FacebookFacebook
InstagramInstagram
LinkedInLinkedIn

Employee login

Self Service Password ResetWalkers AnywhereWalkers Sharefile
Legal notices/Cookies policy

All rights reserved - © 2025 Walkers Global