Corporate Governance

Lavelle Partners’ corporate and commercial team has a dynamic reputation for providing advice on corporate governance issues for both Irish and international companies.

Our team can assist with:

• Company formations and registrations in Ireland (both from domestic and overseas clients)
• Company secretary duties and responsibilities
• Companies Registration Office filings and compliance
• Board meetings
• Company re-structures
• Strike-offs
• Dissolutions
• Restorations
• Director’s duties

As one of Dublin’s most respected and established law firms, our clients include start up enterprises, SMEs, banking and financial institutions, global asset management companies, State bodies and multi-national corporations. 

What is corporate governance?

Corporate governance refers to the rules, policies, and procedures by which corporations are directed and controlled.  It is an exercise in balancing the interests of all company stakeholders, including shareholders, directors, management, suppliers, customers, lenders, the government, and the wider community.

What are the main laws and regulations relating to corporate governance in Ireland?

Several key pieces of legislation underpin corporate governance in Ireland, including, but not limited to:

• The Companies Act 2014 – coming into force in 2015, this was the largest piece of substantive statute law in Irish history.  It completely modernised company law and has been amended several times.  The most significant amendment is the Companies (Accounting) Act 2017 which came into force on 9 June 2017.  The main purpose of the Accounting Act was to transpose EU Accounting Directive 2013/34/EU into Irish law.
• The European Union (Anti-Money Laundering: Beneficial Ownership of Corporate Entities) Regulations 2016 – this act requires most companies to collate and maintain information on their main beneficial owner.
• The European Union (Disclosure of Non-Financial and Diversity Information by certain large undertakings and groups) Regulations 2017 – transposed the EU Non-Financial Reporting Directive (2014/95/EU) into Irish law, introducing mandatory sustainability reporting for large companies using a “comply or explain” model. 
• Regulation (EU) 596/2014 on market abuse (Market Abuse Regulation) – introduced stringent rules concerning insider lists and insider information.

Our corporate law team has an in-depth understanding of these and all other laws relating to corporate governance and directors’ duties in Ireland.  This means we can provide sharp, commercially astute, pragmatic legal advice to assist you in both domestic and international corporate governance issues.

Why choose Lavelle Partners to advise and represent you on corporate governance?

• We are alive to changes to corporate governance at both a national and international level and pass this information onto our clients, so they are always ahead of the game.
• When it comes to risk management/corporate compliance challenges, our team can conduct audits and reviews of your compliance processes.  We can also develop and assess reputational risk management policies and conduct due diligence reviews.
• We are a partner-led firm, providing our clients with confidence that complex matters such as corporate governance are being managed by highly experienced senior lawyers.

What our clients say

‘Great breadth of expertise. If a particular partner doesn’t have the expertise then effective handover to the appropriate partner who does. Very much a can-do attitude.’

The Legal 500, 2022

‘Lavelle Partners bring a very partner led and hands on approach to transactions which is why I like using them.’

The Legal 500, 2022

‘Direct and prompt access to the “right” person in the practice was a major feature of the process, particularly as we did not have any internal experience of the process. Lavelle Partners provided us with the advice and comfort we needed to complete the same.’

The Legal 500, 2022

‘Griana O’Kelly has great listening skills, really makes sure she understands the brief before launching into the work … also very open to client input at the drafting stage so that legals reflect the nuances of the commercial arrangements agreed.’

The Legal 500, 2022

‘Griana O’Kelly is very good to deal with and she is very efficient in getting transactions closed.’

The Legal 500, 2022

‘The process was lead by Griana O’Kelly who led her team at all times. It was also very comforting to see that Griana had full oversight of the complete process and her five colleagues who complemented each other in delivering a comprehensive and complete conclusion to the process.’

The Legal 500, 2022

For further information on how we can help you with corporate governance matters in Ireland and the EU, please contact Lavelle Partners in confidence on (01) 644 5800.