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Cian Fenton

Partner, Cork Office

Cian is a Partner, practising as part of the Banking and Finance team. Cian is highly skilled with considerable experience advising on finance transactions including acquisition finance, real estate and development finance, debt restructuring and loan portfolio sales. Cian delivers successful results by partnering with clients to strategically guide them through challenges.

Cian’s particular strength and focus is on lending to corporate groups for expansions (whether acquisitions or developments).

He acts for a number of domestic and international banks, alternative finance providers and non-bank lenders. He also acts for a wide range of corporate borrowers, particularly in the construction, healthcare and hospitality sectors.

Experience

  • Advised University College Dublin on a new €350 million facility with the European Investment Bank to fund campus development.
  • Advised a leading Irish food group on its entry into syndicated banking facilities exceeding €200m to fund future growth and acquisitions and a €35m facility with the European Investment Bank relating to the expansion of the group’s manufacturing facilities.
  • a private hospital group on its entry into syndicated banking facilities to fund development of the groups facilities and acquisition of a new hospital
  • Advised University College Cork on its entry into €100m facility with the European Investment Bank
  • Advised an Irish pillar bank on the provision of acquisition financing to a large waste disposal business in excess of €20m and various overdraft, finance lease and guarantee facilities.
  • Advised Beechbrook Capital, an established UK SME lender, on its establishment of an Irish SME lending fund and on the provision of acquisition financing, growth capital and MBO financing facilities to various borrowers.
  • an Irish bank on the provision of development financing relating to a number of residential and student accommodation developments
  • a prominent property developer on its entry into a €70m development financing facility relating to the construction of a number of office blocks
  • a hospitality group on the restructuring of its existing operations, the refinancing of eight hotels, new equity raises and investor loan note issuances
  • Castlehaven Finance on the provisions of facilities to the O’Brien and O’Flynn Group to allow it to exit both liquidation and examinership and to provide development finance for two residential development sites
  • Advised O’Callaghan Properties on its entry into development financing with a pillar bank relating to development of two blocks of apartments at Lancaster Gate, Cork City.

Education

BCL (University College Cork and Friedrich-Alexamder Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg)

LLM by research (University College Cork)

Diploma in Finance Law (Law Society of Ireland)

Professional

Admitted as a solicitor in Ireland.

Accolades

Cian has been recommended by Whos's Who Legal for his work in the Hospitality Sector.

Cian is a very high-quality lawyer who is very good at working the nuances of transactions into the documents.
– Chambers Europe (2024)
‘Cian Fenton is very knowledgeable and is able to offer great advice and guidance on complicated matters. He is our go-to lawyer for real estate finance matters’
– Legal 500 (2023)
Cian is responsive, very helpful and extremely hands-on.
– Chambers Europe (2024)