David Lawless is head of the Taxation team. He specialises in Financial Services and Structured Finance transactions.
David advises on all taxation aspects of financial services – including structured finance transactions, investment management, capital markets, real estate, private equity, banking, treasury and reinsurance.
He established the Dillon Eustace tax practice in 2004 after joining the firm from PwC where he was a tax partner since 1996.
David has written and spoken extensively on tax topics and has participated in public/private tax committees in Ireland focused on making Ireland an attractive tax location. He is a member of the international and VAT tax committees of Irish Funds and the tax committees of the Alternative Investment Management Association, the Irish Debt Securities Association and the Law Society of Ireland.
David represents the Law Society of Ireland on the TALC (Tax Administration Liaison Committee) Indirect Taxes Committee and has represented the Law Society on various TALC subcommittee's.
David’s representative transactions include advising:
- On the innovative and complex acquisition of the real estate business of Kutxabank (Neinor Group) in Spain. David acted as tax counsel on the transaction, which won the 2016 European Private Equity Deal of the Year awarded by International Tax Review.
- Acting as Irish tax expert for US insurance group in an ongoing US court case involving the tax treatment of cross-border Repos.
- Numerous purchasers of Irish and non-Irish loan portfolios using Irish vehicles.
- Hedge fund vehicles and private equity vehicles on moving their tax residence from Cayman to Ireland.
- On the acquisition and sale of numerous Irish commercial properties and on tax-efficient structures for residential development.
- On Irish structures involving loan origination in particular US, UK, Dutch and Spanish loan origination.
- On the establishment of Irish structures to acquire US life settlements.
- Bermuda insurance funds using Ireland to trade insurance derivatives involving US insurance risks.
- On the establishment of various holding company structures to acquire companies in various jurisdictions.
- On significant FATCA and CRS projects for clients in respect of both Ireland and Cayman Islands reporting requirements.
- The successful refund of Irish taxes in respect of various Competent Authority cases.
- Numerous Asian (with a Japanese focus) private equity funds using Ireland as a gateway to invest in the region
