Experience

Clare specialises in financial regulation and has over 14 years’ experience. Clare advises on regulatory issues at an Irish and European level and has particular knowledge of the MiFID, IFR/IFD, CRR/CRD, UCITSD, AIFMD, EMIR, IDD and Solvency II regimes.

Clare has significant experience in managing Central Bank of Ireland authorisation applications and has recently worked on applications for MiFID investment firms as well as AIFMs and UCITS management companies with MiFID “top-up” permissions.

Clare also provides bespoke advice on technical regulatory issues, in particular in relation to regulatory capital, as well as the drafting and negotiating of a wide range of commercial agreements for financial institutions.

Clare has a particular interest in the impact of technology and innovation in the delivery of financial services in Ireland and sits on the Irish Funds FinTech working group.

Before joining McCann FitzGerald LLP Clare was a supervisor in the Banking Supervision Division of the Central Bank of Ireland.

Key highlights include advising:

  • A large Spanish bank on its establishment of a branch in Ireland and the cross-border merger of its regulated Irish subsidiary into the Irish branch.
  • FNZ Group on the authorisation of its Irish subsidiary as a MiFID firm and the subsequent (i) domestic merger of two Irish MiFID subsidiaries, and (ii) cross-border merger of an Irish subsidiary into a licenced German credit institution within the FNZ Group. She continues to act as Irish regulatory counsel to FNZ.
  • MetLife on the authorisation of its Irish super ManCo MetLife Investment Managers Europe Limited. She continues to act as Irish regulatory counsel to MetLife.
  • Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A. on the sale of Generali PanEurope DAC (since renamed as Utmost PanEurope dac) to Life Company Consolidation Group (LCCG) and as Irish counsel for Generali on the sale of Generali Worldwide Insurance Company Limited and Generali Link Limited.
  • Bankinter S.A. on the Irish aspects of the acquisition of the banking operations of EVO Banco S.A.U. and its Irish consumer credit card subsidiary Avantcard.
  • Irish Life on the acquisition of (i) Platform Capital Holdings Limited, a holding company for two insurance and investment broker businesses,(ii) Acumen & Trust group, an Irish financial services planning business, (iii) Harvest Financial Services Limited, a private wealth management business, (iv) Conexim Advisors Limited, and (v) APT Wealth Management Limited.