David Fitzgibbon provides "experience, directness and efficiency".
Chambers Europe
Expertise
David is a partner and Co-Head of the Firm’s Corporate Department and Head of the M&A Group advising private and public companies on corporate and securities laws, including mergers and acquisitions and equity capital markets transactions. He has extensive experience advising international clients on doing business in and from Ireland including advising on acquisitions/disposals, compliance and governance rules, corporate migrations, cross-border mergers, joint ventures and reorganisations. He has worked extensively with listed companies (Euronext Dublin/LSE, NASDAQ and NYSE) providing ongoing strategic and compliance advice on matters of Irish company law and securities regulation.
He has a broad-based practice reflecting his considerable experience across the agri-food, financial services, healthcare / life sciences and manufacturing sectors.
Prior to joining Matheson, David was a partner at another Irish law firm for over a decade. He has advised on many of Ireland’s headline transactions and regularly acts for well-known Irish and international companies on domestic and cross-border transactions.
- Advising Smurfit Kappa Group plc on its pending merger with WestRock Company to form Smurfit WestRock.
- Advising Horizon Therapeutics on all aspects of its proposed acquisition by Amgen for aggregate consideration of $28 billion.
- Advising Novo Nordisk A/S on its acquisition of Neotope Neuroscience Limited for $100 million upfront and up to $1.2 billion in development and sales milestones payments
- Advising Horizon Therapeutics on its $960 million underwritten public offering of ordinary shares
- Advising Willis Towers Watson plc on its proposed $80 billion business combination with Aon plc
- Advising Smurfit Kappa Group on its €660 million Share Placing
- Advising Glanbia Co-operative Society on the formation of a dairy processing and consumer goods joint venture with Glanbia plc
- Advising Horizon Therapeutics on its acquisition of EirGen Pharma’s manufacturing facility in Waterford
- Advising placing agents on a €134 million placing of ordinary shares by a listed REIT
- Advising the Minister for Finance on all aspects of the capital reorganisation and IPO of one of Ireland’s leading banks
- Advising Smurfit Kappa on its successful defence of two unsolicited takeover proposals from International Paper
- Advising a leading interactive entertainment company on its re-domiciliation into Ireland, its US$7.2 billion listing on NYSE and subsequently its takeover by way of scheme of arrangement.
"David Fitzgibbon and Enda Garvey are an excellent team."
Commercial, Corporate, and M&A: The Legal 500 2023
"David Fitzgibbon is a superb lawyer who gets on with a diverse range of managers and board directors, and is well capable of dealing with awkward people when he comes across them."
Commercial, Corporate, and M&A: The Legal 500 2023
"David Fitzgibbon has been a delight to work with. David is always available and responsive, has great demeanour with our Board of Directors and takes a practical approach to his advice."
Commercial, Corporate, and M&A: The Legal 500 2023
"Exceptional relationship management. Gets on at all levels within our business without sounding overly legal."
IFLR1000 2022
David Fitzgibbon is an "incredibly technical lawyer who is very highly respected."
Corporate/M&A: Chambers Global 2022
"David Fitzgibbon is one of Ireland’s top commercial lawyers who can engage in a pragmatic way in the client boardroom. He has a good understanding of people and that the differentiating factor is rarely the legal advice itself, rather it tends
to be how the advice is communicated to diverse stakeholder groups".
The Legal 500 2021
David Fitzgibbon provides "experience, directness and efficiency".
Chambers Europe 2021
David Fitzgibbon is named a Highly Regarded Individual
IFLR 1000 2020
David Fitzgibbon is recommended.
European Legal 500 2020
"David explains things in a way that is easy to understand".
Corporate: Chambers Global 2020
David is praised for being "thorough, very knowledgeable and very practical".
Chamber Global 2019
"In-depth expertise and comprehensible explanation. He is commercial and practical in his application of the law."
IFLR 1000 2019
Market commentators praise David and note that he "understands the internal processes of the client and adds value over and above legal advice".
Chambers Global 2018
David is "very good in front of a board of directors".
Legal 500 EMEA 2018
David is listed in Best Lawyers 2019 under 'The Best Lawyers in Ireland' for work in Capital Markets Law, Corporate Governance & Compliance Practice and Corporate Law.
Trinity College Dublin (LLB with German)
Law Society of Ireland, admitted as a solicitor