Irish financial services law firm Dillon Eustace has appointed Kate Curneen as a new Partner in its Banking and Capital markets group. In her new position, Ms Curneen will be working closely with lead partner Conor Houlihan and the specialist team  on structured finance, corporate and asset based lending, acquisition finance, debt capital markets and securitisation. Since she joined Dillon Eustace in 2012, Ms Curneen has been advising a wide range of sellers, purchasers and financiers of both distressed and non-performing loan portfolios and debt restructuring – including US funds, Irish and UK real estate funds, commercial real estate finance companies. 

Financing transactions

The firm's Banking and Capital Markets practice has completed over €30 bln in domestic and international financing transactions between 2014 and 2016, thus leading the market in big-ticket cross-border loan and bond financings. Examples include acting for Goldman, Sachs & Co. and other banks on the loan and bond financings (in excess of US$3 billion) of the acquisition of the Amdipharm Mercury Group by Concordia Healthcare, and acting for the issuer and initial guarantor in the EUR300 million senior secured notes and EUR100 second lien notes issued by N&W Global Vending.  

NAMA

The team’s appointment as lead counsel to NAMA on the recently completed project Emerald and Ruby loan sales (€4.7 bln combined par value) joins other recent appointments including  acting for FBD Insurance plc (one of the largest, and the only public traded, insurer in Ireland) on its debut Solvency II compliant, tier 2 convertible bond, and acting for a global banking and financial services company on its financing of the Treasury Building, a landmark commercial building in Central Dublin. 

Credit servicing legislation

Ms Curneen was involved in formulating the Association’s response to the introduction of credit servicing legislation in Ireland in 2015,  is a Council member of the Ireland Japan Association and also holds a Diploma in Aviation Finance and Leasing from the Law Society of Ireland.