Practice Areas

Vincent & Beatty brings a pragmatic and business focused approach to negotiating every type of commercial contract, from standard terms and conditions of sale to complex outsourcing agreements or privatisation processes. Our wealth of business knowledge coupled with our expertise in legal drafting results in a better deal for clients and minimises the potential for disputes. We provide practical commercial advice based on a solid understanding of each client’s specific needs in their respective industry.

We routinely advise on the following:

• Commercial contracts and agreements,
• Agency agreements,
• Outsourcing arrangements,
• Joint ventures and start ups,
• Distribution and franchise agreements,
• Confidentiality agreements,
• Trading terms and conditions for supply of goods and services,
• Share Options, and
• Manufacturing and services arrangements.

Vincent & Beatty regularly advises on the complex legal issues that arise out of corporate transactions and arrangements, covering restructurings and reorganisations, demergers and related issues, schemes of arrangement, capital reductions and share buy-backs, joint ventures and strategic alliances. We offer in-depth knowledge of corporate governance issues, advising boards, directors and shareholders of listed, unlisted and public sector companies on their obligations and rights under the Corporate Governance Code and related regulatory and company law requirements including compliance with Stock Exchange listing and disclosure obligations.

We have extensive experience on merger and acquisition transactions and can advise buyers, sellers and financial advisers of both public and private companies throughout the merger and acquisition process.

Other areas of expertise include:

• Private equity and venture capital investments,
• Privatisations,
• Directors’ liabilities and responsibilities,
• Board structure,
• Corporate responsibility,
• Shareholder rights,
• Handling director/shareholder conflict,
• Company secretarial, and
• Irish corporate compliance issues.

Vincent & Beatty has garnered a reputation for excellence in this area, offering a comprehensive, top-quality service to clients on all aspects of the property market. With continuous exposure to the market over many years, we have a deep understanding of the industry enabling us to add value to our clients.

We regularly advise on the acquisition and disposal of commercial, industrial and retail property. Our continuous exposure to the property market in conjunction with our knowledge of key trends, enables us to provide our clients with a comprehensive service and commercial solutions at all times.

Our areas of expertise include the following:

• Sale, purchase and refinancing of commercial properties,
• Leasing,
• Site development and development funding,
• Project finance and secured lending transactions,
• Joint venture developments, and
• Planning law and regulation.

Vincent & Beatty provides advises in all key areas of banking and financial services, working on significant financial transactions and advising on regulatory compliance issues.

We have extensive expertise and experience in all forms of secured and unsecured lending including leveraged and acquisition finance, asset finance and leasing, debt restructuring, property and development loans and general working capital facilities.

Vincent & Beatty advises clients on the full range of complex regulatory and compliance issues that arise in the area of financial services including:

• Lending and Security
• The administrative sanctions process,
• Insider dealing and market abuse issues,
• Consumer credit matters, and
• Anti-money laundering issues.

Vincent & Beatty often deals with specialised tax aspects of the full range of corporate, commercial and financial transactions, combining tax law expertise with commercial insight to create integrated solutions for our clients.

We provide advisory services in connection with the following:

• Property transactions,
• Corporate reorganisations,
• VAT and other indirect taxes, and
• CGT, CAT and Stamp duty.

Vincent & Beatty provides specialist advice on all aspects of Intellectual Property and Technology law. We have substantial experience of advising clients in the acquisition and effective exploitation of intellectual property through licensing, franchising, technology transfer and other commercial arrangements as well as assisting with a range of pharmaceutical regulatory inquiries.

We advise clients on the enforcement and protection of their intellectual property rights, which include the following:

• Naming rights,
• Inventions,
• Discoveries,
• Patents,
• Copyright,
• Databases,
• Brands,
• Trade marks,
• Trade secrets,
• Know-how, and
• Designs.

Our intellectual technology expertise includes advising on Intellectual Property  issues arising out of online transactions/e-commerce generally and all kinds of  Information Technology contracts including supply, licensing, services, procurement, development and outsourcing agreements from both the supplier and user perspective.

We also offer guidance on all aspects of technology protection and privacy issues, as well as assisting clients on closely related employment matters such as drafting employment and consulting contracts ensuring confidentiality.

Vincent & Beatty takes a strategic approach to resolving commercial disputes that focus on the underlying business interests of, and optimise the benefits to, our clients.

Examples of the commercial disputes we most frequently handle include:

• Banking & financial services disputes,
• Commercial real estate disputes,
• Competition and regulatory disputes,
• Construction disputes,
• Corporate disputes,
• Insurance disputes,
• Employment disputes,
• Professional indemnity disputes, and
• Aviation and maritime disputes.

We understand the importance of maintaining and advancing business relationships which is why resolving clients’ disputes in the quickest and most effective way is our priority.

We advise on all aspects of alternative dispute resolution, promoting the vehicles of negotiation and mediation as methods to resolve disputes in the appropriate circumstances. If litigation is necessary, we have strength of skills and expertise to vigorously represent our clients in Court.

Vincent & Beatty advises on a broad range of both contentious and non-contentious employment law issues. We understand that good employment working relationships are a vital component of successful business and we work closely with our clients to find the best solution to their problems.

We advise human resource teams and management teams on more traditional employment management matters, such as the preparation of employment contracts, dismissals, employer liability, all forms of employee claims including personal injury and trade union consultations and employment disputes.

We provide regular updates to our clients on domestic/EU legislation and case law developments and their effect on existing policies and practices.

Our expertise lies in the following areas;

• Employment advisory and update service – domestic and EU legislation and case law update,
• HR policies and procedures,
• Compensation and benefits,
• Pensions,
• Confidentiality, know-how protection, data protection, confidentiality, IP and freedom of information,
• Diversity, equality, discrimination in employment and in goods and services,
• Industrial relations and trade unions,
• Bullying and harassment,
• Discipline and termination,
• Health and safety,
• Change management, organisation and reorganisation including voluntary and compulsory redundancy schemes,
• Alternative dispute resolution,
•  Representing clients before the Labour Relations Commission, the Labour Court, the Equality Tribunal and the Employment Appeals Tribunal, and
• Advising in the context of management of change, particularly on negotiation and conciliation methods and in mergers, acquisitions and transfer of undertakings.

Vincent & Beatty provides a comprehensive legal service in a wide variety of areas relevant to the individual need of our clients.

We offer specialist advice on the taxation implications of the following:

• Wills,
• Estate planning and trust management,
• Succession and probate,
• Enduring powers of attorney ,
• Wardships, and
• Residential conveyancing and property transactions.

We advise on the creation of settlements and trusts, on the obligations and duties of trustees and on the rights of the beneficiaries; on changes of trustees, on the restructuring of trusts and on the winding up or dissolution of trusts.

We are professional advisors on residential leases and letting agreements and matter of residential landlord and tenant law.

Vincent & Beatty has an excellent reputation in corporate restructuring and insolvency work, providing effective solutions and advice to insolvency practitioners, creditors/bondholders, directors and shareholders in all corporate recovery and insolvency situations.

Our services include:

• Acting for liquidators of solvent and insolvent companies,
• Advising creditors, debtors and directors or creditors meetings,
• Petitioning for the winding up of companies,
• Acting for companies, directors, creditors and receivers in the context of receiverships,
• Examinerships,
• Voluntary schemes of arrangement,
• Advice on fraudulent trading and reckless trading,
• Advice on the disqualification and restriction of directors, and
• Advice on personal insolvency and bankruptcy.

Vincent and Beatty has years of experience in successfully collecting debts which has enabled us to establish procedures and practices to ensure each case is dealt in a time efficient and cost effective manner. Our specialist services include debt collection right through to litigation in all Irish courts, subsequent enforcement of judgments and bankruptcy.

Vincent & Beatty has a long history of involvement in the community and voluntary sector in general, and advises on all legal issues relating to voluntary bodies, charities and not for profit organisations.

We understand that many of these organisations operate in the commercial world and are aware of many of the practical issues facing charities ranging from statutory compliance to mergers, from property matters to trusts and from employment matters to procurement.

We advise on the legal aspects of setting up and operating charities and on obtaining charitable status for taxation purposes

Our services include;

• Advice on appropriate legal structures, incorporated and unincorporated,
• Advice on new legislative proposals for regulation of charities,
• Establishment of charities,
• Estates and trusts,
• Property transactions,
• Re-organisation and restructuring of charities,
• Tax advice, and
• Advice in relation to the Charities Act, 2009.

Vincent & Beatty has expertise in all stages of a construction/engineering project, from project inception and procurement through to project execution. We co-ordinate our knowledge and experience to deliver tailored advice to our clients, with a strong focus on commercial objectives. We advise on all forms of alternative dispute resolution including mediation, conciliation, expert determination, adjudication, arbitration as well as advising in High Court and Commercial Court proceedings. We take a proactive approach to the management of disputes and seek to promote and facilitate effective resolution strategies to our clients.

In addition we advise clients on health and safety issues that may arise, including satisfying statutory requirements in respect of construction works and defending enforcement actions brought by the Health and Safety Authority.

The breadth of our services in this area includes:

• Project procurement,
• Contract advice,
• Drafting and negotiation,
• Contract management,
• Dispute avoidance, and
• Dispute resolution.

Vincent & Beatty understands the needs of the educational community, in particular those of boards of management and the relationships between educational establishments and the State. We offer specialist advice on all legal aspects that relate to this sector including second level and third level institutions.

Areas of expertise include;

• Employment contracts and disputes,
• Equality and disability issues,
• Enrolment issues,
• Disciplinary proceedings/employment litigation,
• Governance, structures and finance,
• Health and safety legislation,
• Preparation of policy documents, and
• Student conduct issues.

Vincent & Beatty take a practical approach to providing strategic expert solutions in the following areas;

• Competition/anti-trust law,
• Merger control,
• Public procurement law,
• State aid, and
• EU law.

Vincent & Beatty has a depth of expertise in this field and can advise on any issue pertaining to the marine and shipping industry. Our extensive experience in this area reflects Ireland’s rapidly growing shipping sector and we provide high quality commercial advice paying particular attention to risk analysis and early identification of issues relevant to clients.

Our services include;

• All means of enforcement of marine mortgages and other maritime security; including arrest of vessels and the appointment of receivers,
• Port/harbour construction, procurement, and planning disputes,
• Salvage claims,
• Damage to cargo claims,
• Shipbuilding, ship conversion and ship repair disputes,
• Ship management agreement disputes,
• Destruction / reconstruction of port and infrastructure by vessels,
• Off shore pipe line construction disputes,
• Marine insurance claims,
• Bills of lading,
• Ship finance transactions,
• Construction contracts for port development,
• Tonnage tax and related taxation issues,
• Maritime regulatory issues,
• Drafting and negotiation of shipping contracts, and
• Registration of vessels on Irish registry.

Vincent & Beatty offers a wide range of pension advices, covering issues that relate to the establishment and operation of pension schemes and also dealing with the pension aspects of commercial transactions.

We also advise employers and trustees generally on all regulatory and compliance aspects of pension scheme administration including the handling of complaints and Pension Board enquiries and investigations.

Our expertise is in the following areas;

• Administration and governance of schemes,
• Interpretation of trust deeds,
• Amendment to schemes,
• Conversion from defined benefit to defined contribution,
• Pensions litigation and dispute resolution,
• Investment management and custody agreements,
• Winding up of schemes,
• Pensions Board investigations,
• Documentation review services,
• Customised trustee training,
• Pensions Acts 1990-2002 and related Regulations,
• Revenue queries,
• Trust law issues, and
• Scheme transfers, mergers and reorganisations.

Data protection has become a challenging management issue for all businesses and in light of the significant reputational and legal liability at stake it is important to have experienced practitioners to advise you on all aspects of data protection law. Vincent & Beatty’s data protection work extends across the firm’s wide client base and includes the provision of advice in respect of;

• Compliance with the Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003,
• The right to privacy established by the Irish Constitution,
• The European Convention on Human Rights,
• Dealing with investigations, Information Notices and Enforcement Notices issued by the Data Protection Commissioner,
• Direct marketing regulations,
• Handling data subject access requests,
• Data protection in the workplace,
• Lawful use of Biometrics, CCTV and other processing equipment,
• Data protection registration/notification with the Data Protection Commissioner,
• Legal support for client’s subject to audits by the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, and
• Data protection training.

Health & Safety impacts upon every aspect of the employment relationship and ensuring compliance with statutory and common law obligations has become a growing concern for all businesses. There is an increased emphasis on potential corporate and individual liability for breaches of Health & Safety legislation and non-compliance can potentially lead to enforcement action taken by the Health and Safety Authority.

Vincent & Beatty advises clients on what is required of their respective undertakings so as to ensure full compliance with statutory responsibilities and secure effective health and safety management in the workplace.

We offer comprehensive advice on all aspects of Health and Safety issues including;

• Due diligence and environmental/health and safety warranties,
• Claims for injuries made against employers for breaching legislation,
• Workplace accidents,
• Compliance procedures, including safety statements and risk/hazard analysis,
• Obligations in construction projects relating to designers, contractors and developers,
• Defence of prosecutions under the legislation,
• Interpretation of EU and Irish legislation, and
• Food safety.