On 4 June 2020 the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) issued welcome guidance for directors of companies that ultimately become insolvent because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This guidance is welcome and is in line with representations made by Philip Lee at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 has affected almost every […]

On Wednesday, June 17th, The British Irish Chamber of Commerce will host a panel discussion on Infrastructure and the Economy, How Infrastructural Investment can fuel the Recovery: A UK and Irish Perspective. This webinar will also explore the role of the private sector in financing public infrastructure following the COVID-19 outbreak. Construction Partner Angelyn Rowan will […]

Businesses should always engage with their financial advisers and bank or financial institution in the first instance but should be aware that there are a range of other supports available to Irish businesses affected by COVID-19, including: 1. SBCI Credit Guarantee Scheme – The Government has repurposed the Credit Guarantee Scheme (CGS) to provide counter-guarantees […]

The Government has published a Return to Work Safely Protocol – a series of measures that employers should take when reopening their premises. It is no exaggeration to say that the present COVID-19 pandemic presents unprecedented challenges for employers. At first glance, the rules may appear daunting – but with a little preparation, and a […]

On 8 May 2020, the Courts Service website published a statement setting out plans to extend the use of virtual remote hearings and arrange more physical hearings, to allow more cases to be heard by the courts in the coming weeks. When lockdown measures were first introduced, the courts undertook to scale back court activity in […]

Whilst lawyers and their clients invest significant time in refining and negotiating legal contracts, it is often in the hope that the need to rely on the protections contained therein does not arise. In a similar vein, the first time we consult our insurance policy is only likely to occur when we have suffered financial […]

Further to previous updates, a new Order has been made pursuant to section 251A(5) of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (“the Act”). By Order dated 9 May 2020, the timelines and specified/appropriate periods under the Act and associated legislation have been extended until 23 May 2020, bringing the extension of these time […]

A €2 billion fund administered by ISIF (the Irish sovereign development fund) to support medium and large enterprises in Ireland affected by COVID-19; Medium and large enterprises eligible which employ > 250 employees or with annual turnover > €50 million (businesses below this threshold may qualify if of sufficient scale or nationally or regionally significant); […]

As published in The Currency, 27 April 2020. Philip Lee knows more than most about working in challenging circumstances. As a young lawyer, he worked in Honduras and Latin America in the late 1980s and early 1990s as Irish firm Fyffes was trying to gain a foothold in the banana market there. At the time, […]

Outsourcing by financial institutions has become commonplace; the current COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated the significance of having comprehensive business continuity processes in place. Social distancing restrictions have affected the business and operations of regulated firms as well as the rest of the economy. Some banks have had to close branches, staffing has been under pressure […]