Moore Ireland sold to London-based Moore Kingston Smith

A majority stake in Irish accounting firm Moore Ireland has been acquired by London-based Moore Kingston Smith in a deal financed by Waterland Private Equity.

Arthur Cox advised the partners of Moore Ireland on the sale.

Moore Ireland managing partner Ned Murphy said the deal “will provide us with the funds we need to make investments in strategic acquisitions in the Irish marketplace, as well as in infrastructure and people”.

The Arthur Cox team was led by corporate and M&A partners Michael Twomey, Maeve Moran, senior associate Lesley-Ann Perera and associate Niamh Gunning.

The team also included corporate and M&A lawyer Colm Honan; tax lawyers David Kilty, Rachel Coyle and Ciara Murphy; competition and regulated markets lawyers Patrick Horan, Simon Breen and James Dowling; real estate lawyers Brian O’Rourke and Conor Keegan; pensions lawyers Sarah McCague and Ross Neill; employment lawyers Louise O’Byrne, Grace-Ann Meghan and Sarah Faulkner; and technology and innovation lawyer Olivia Mullooly.

Farm specialist ofac acquires Friel Stafford

Farming, food, and agri-business specialist professional services firm ifac has acquired Friel Stafford, specialists in corporate recovery, forensic accounting, and corporate finance.

Mason Hayes & Curran advised ifac on the transaction, while BHSM advised Friel Stafford.

Friel Stafford was founded in 1994 by Jim Stafford, who continues to run the business alongside co-director Tom Murray. In a statement, they said the “integration of our teams will create a very powerful offering”.

ifac is a farmer owned co-op specialising in tax advisory, accountancy, pension planning, succession planning, corporate finance, consulting, and a myriad of other financial services.

CEO John Donoghue said: “We are delighted to have Friel Stafford join the ifac Group. Their expertise in corporate recovery will greatly complement our existing capabilities, enabling us to offer an even more compelling proposition in the Irish market.”

The Mason Hayes & Curran team advising ifac was led by corporate partner Robert Dickson.

The BHSM team was led by corporate partner and head Joe McVeigh and employment and benefits partner and head Richard Lee.

Propylon acquired by RWS Group

Propylon, a Dublin-based provider of content creation, management and publishing solutions for government and legal industries, has been acquired by RWS Group.

Philip Lee advised Propylon on the acquisition, while the adviser to RWS Group has not been named.

Proplyon has 20 years’ experience helping governments standards bodies, legal publishers and regulated firms to solve the complex content challenges involved in drafting, amending, publishing and updating legislation, regulation and guidance.

Founded in 1958, RWS is headquartered in the UK and publicly listed on AIM, the London Stock Exchange regulated market (RWS.L).

The Philip Lee team advising Propylon was led by corporate partner Eoghan Doyle and corporate associate Keelin Gavagan.

The team also included Inez Cullen, Simon O’Neill, Patrick Butler and Patrick Egan.