ByrneWallace seminar ‘dispels myths’ around company IPOs

ByrneWallace helped to dispel “common misconceptions” about company IPOs at a recent seminar hosted in association with the Irish Stock Exchange and stockbrokers Goodbody.

Guests at the event in the law firm’s offices heard from two panels of speakers, one representing public companies with successful IPOs, and the other comprising key investors who have backed IPOs.

The speakers shared their insights and lessons learnt on the merits of going public, and the pitfalls to avoid in the process.

Panellists included Feargal Mooney, CEO of Hostelworld Group plc; Brian Caulfield, managing partner at Draper Esprit plc; David Kennedy, CFO and company secretary at Datalex plc; Eimear Moloney, associate director of global equities at Zurich Life Assurance plc; James Brennan, head of venture fund investments in Ireland Strategic Investment Fund; and John Mattimoe, senior fund manager at Appian Asset Management.

The event was moderated by Gerry Beausang, corporate partner and head of capital markets at ByrneWallace.

Orla O’Gorman, head of equity at the Irish Stock Exchange, described how companies can access the capital markets to fund their ambitions. Goodbody’s Linda Hickey, head of corporate broking, and John Flynn, corporate finance director, outlined the roles of broker and corporate finance adviser on a typical IPO transaction.

Mr Beausang said: “The purpose of this event was to dispel the common misconceptions around a company going public. It is more achievable than most companies in that space might appreciate. Over the years, ByrneWallace has advised a number of clients, across various sectors, in relation to IPOs.

“As it is a process companies will only live through once in their lifetime, the management team may have limited knowledge of what the process entails, as well as the potential benefits of listing on the stock market and the pitfalls to avoid when carrying out an IPO, and we aimed at this event to clarify some of those issues.”

He added: “ByrneWallace are delighted to have had this opportunity to work closely with the Irish Stock Exchange and Goodbody to facilitate this seminar, and bring together such an array of prominent business leaders and investors of successfully listed Irish companies to share real insights and practical tips with corporates considering an IPO as part of their future strategy.”