Michael Hanley is the Head of the firm’s Banking and Finance team. He advises on a broad range of domestic and cross-border finance transactions. His primary focus is acting for corporate, mid-cap, SME borrowers, banks, and direct funders on leveraged/acquisition finance and dry and development real estate finance transactions. Michael and his team have extensive experience in restructuring and portfolio/bilateral off-market loan sales and acquisitions.

Experience

  • Leveraged/Acquisition finance - acting for borrowers (supporting the corporate department), banks and direct funders on cross border and domestic M & A transactions.
  • Corporate, mid-cap and SME finance - Michael and his team are actively involved in this area assisting companies, partnerships and individuals with all forms of corporate secured lending, capex, term loans, acquisition finance and other business debt requirements. They also have extensive experience of dealing with and acting for the established main clearing and lending banks, major direct funder participants in the market on both domestic and cross-border facilities.
  • Real Estate Finance - Michael's team has extensive experience advising domestic and international borrowers and lending institutions on domestic commercial and in recent times a specific focus on residential development finance involving private, PRS and social and affordable residential projects.
  • Loan Sales/Acquisitions - Michael has managed and participated in multi-departmental teams on loan sale projects involving large portfolio sales and bi-lateral off market sales and acquisitions, acting for vendors and bidders/acquirers.
  • Regulatory Advice – Michael and his team primarily assist in-house counsel and principals in banks, fintechs and direct funders entering and participating in the Irish transactional financing market.

Recent

  • Advised a leading healthcare group operating in residential disability services on a group refinance of facilities with a pillar bank.  
  • Advised a global mechanical solutions provider in relation to the refinancing and amendments to facilities with a pillar bank.  
  • Advised an international early education and care provider in respect of funding provided by the leading direct funder in the acquisition finance space in the country.
  • Advised a pillar bank on a series of fundings to an international institutional PRS investor on multiple PRS acquisitions of residential developments.  
  • Extensive involvement in the social and affordable funding space acting for AHBs, pillar banks, government agencies and direct funders on multiple projects involving social and affordable residential developments.
  • Acting for a pillar bank on an acquisition finance transaction involving a prominent private equity firm in the acquisition of a lending supplier in clinical diagnostics.  
  • Advice to leading North American Bank in respect of the Irish Law matters relating to a Canadian law acquisition financing transactions with further bolt-on financing for supplemental acquisitions and updates to reflect a corporate restructuring.  
  • Acting for a pillar bank on the acquisition of a regional retail shopping centre.
  • Acting for a pillar bank in respect of a series of fundings to a limited partnership (sitting below an ICAV) on several primary care centre projects.
  • Continued advice to a pillar bank on its refinancing of a leading company in the sustainability sector with additional funds being made available to fund new capex spend.

Education

  • Bachelor of Arts - National University of Ireland Maynooth
  • Diploma Financial Regulation – City Colleges
  • Diploma Legal Studies - Dublin Institute of Technology
  • Diploma Corporate Governance - Law Society of Ireland
  • Diploma Finance Law - Law Society of Ireland
  • Professional qualification as a solicitor, Law Society of Ireland, 2002.

Memberships

  • Dublin Solicitors Bar Association
  • Member of the Law Society of Ireland Business Law Committee Brexit Working Group

Michael provides excellent advice underpinned by many years' experience in financial services. He offers both prompt and well-considered opinions

Chambers Global, 2024

“From the outset and through the growth pattern of my business Tritonlake, Mick Hanley and more recently his FOD colleagues have been my trusted advisors, they are innovative, practical, responsive and serve as an invaluable sounding board.”

Conor Smyth, CEO of Tritonlake

"Michael Hanley is an excellent partner who gives clients time and access. He is very approachable and has a very strong business acumen."

Chambers Europe 2023

Highlighted for his “attention to detail and commercial head”.

Chambers Global 2020

“Always available for a call to chat through a proposal. Very knowledgeable, Good commercial acumen.’

Legal 500 EMEA 2022

“Possesses an acute commercial acumen and deep expertise in this field”

Chambers Europe 2022

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