28 February 2023

Gary McSharry appointed to prestigious role at the American Bar Association

The ABA M&A Committee is the world’s largest forum for M&A lawyers with more than 5,000 members, and is the leading forum for ABA members to discuss legal issues, best practice and emerging trends in domestic and cross-border M&A transactions.

It works with law schools, the judiciary, investment banking, private equity, corporate and other professionals and includes M&A practitioners from the USA and Canada and more than 40 different countries.

Gary will be the first Irish Vice Chair of the International M&A sub-committee, where American and non-US lawyers working on cross-border M&A transactions share issues of common interest and examine the latest legal developments, and best practice for international transactions and country-specific issues.

Gary and McCann FitzGerald are joining a leadership team that includes M&A Partners from some of America’s most prestigious law firms including Skadden, Sullivan Cromwell, Weil Gotshal, Morrisson & Foerster, McDermott Will & Emery, Greenberg Traurig, Covington & Burling, Hogan Lovells and K&L Gates.

“This is a tremendous honour for me personally and professionally, but also for McCann FitzGerald and the firm’s reputation in the American market and at home,” Gary said.

“I have been involved with the ABA for a number of years and it is great to receive this opportunity to play a role in helping the ABA achieve its objectives and in sharing learnings, developments and best practice through our extensive experience of international transactions.”

Gary advises on complex corporate transactions including public and private M&A, private equity, reorganisations, corporate governance and joint ventures. As head of our U.S. Office, Gary has also developed particular expertise in advising U.S. and international clients on M&A, Private Equity and the establishment of operations in Ireland.

Notably, he has counselled Pfizer on the Irish aspects of its $11bn Acquisition of Biohaven Pharmaceuticals (NYSE), advised Beckman Coulter Life Sciences/Danaher Corporation on its acquisition of ValitaCell, and worked with Vista Equity Partners-backed Four Winds Interactive on its agreement to merge with Ireland-based Poppulo.

Gary also advised Sysco Corp, the global leader in food service distribution, on its acquisitions of Classic Drinks, Pallas Foods and the Brakes Group; he worked with EQT on the Irish aspects of its $2.5bn acquisition of EdgeConneX and TA Associates on the Irish aspects of its acquisition of The Insight Software Group, and its $1.15 billion acquisition of Russell Investments.

Gary also counsels a number of great Irish multinationals such as WorkHuman and a number of the largest Private Equity Funds in the World including Apollo, KKR, EQT, TA Associates and Vista Equity Partners.