Martin Phelan

Mr Phelan, who joins from William Fry, is the latest senior hire in the firm’s Dublin office following the recruitment of commercial real estate partner Peter McKeever in September and the recruitment of banking and corporate partners Rachel Stanton and David Brangam last January.

A prominent tax lawyer, Mr Phelan has been head of tax at William Fry for two decades, is secretary-general of CFE Tax Advisers Europe and has served in the past as president of the Irish Tax Institute.

Fionán Breathnach, country head for Simmons & Simmons in Ireland, said: “I am so pleased to welcome Martin to the Simmons Dublin team. He brings with him a tremendous reputation, being both a leading international tax expert and the only qualified tax lawyer in Ireland who is also a qualified arbitrator.

“These enhanced qualifications add a focus to his practice on international tax disputes arising from the global tax policy agenda now being pursued. He will be a fantastic asset to our growing team in Ireland.”

Darren Oswick, head of Simmons’ international tax practice, said: “It is fantastic to have Martin and his team on board. In addition to providing tax support to the transactional work being done by the wider Simmons Dublin office, we are looking forward to working with Martin on tax advisory and disputes mandates, particularly those with a cross-border nature.

“Ireland was the missing piece in our European tax network, and we are delighted we will now be able to offer our clients best in class tax coverage across all the major European financial centres.”

Mr Phelan added: “Joining Simmons at this time presents great opportunities to provide clients with a seamless international tax service across the firm’s key sectors - asset management and investment funds, financial institutions, TMT and healthcare/life sciences.

“As we deal with Britain’s exit from the European Union and continue to manage the challenges of Covid-19, there will be plenty of issues and opportunities for clients, where responsive tax guidance will play a crucial role in the decision-making process.”