Business Law and Corporate Law

Corporate governance encompasses the internal policies and procedures that control, direct, and manage corporate entities, serving to protect and enhance a business's most valuable asset - its name and reputation. This framework includes legally mandated requirements, voluntary best practices, and strategic measures that span from accurate financial record-keeping to board management and director training.

The European Commission updated its State aid review timetable (PDF 440 KB), confirming that work is ongoing on revisions to key State aid instruments, including the General Block Exemption Regulation, the State Aid Guarantee Notice, the Rescue and Restructuring Guidelines, the ETS State aid guidelines and the aviation State aid framework.

The European Union has introduced sweeping reforms to foreign direct investment screening that will fundamentally reshape how Member States, including Ireland, review cross-border transactions for security and public order concerns. These changes establish a harmonised baseline for mandatory notifications, introduce coordinated timelines for multi-country deals, and create enhanced information-sharing mechanisms across all 27 Member States. Ireland's recently implemented FDI screening regime will need to ad

Corporate governance encompasses the internal policies and procedures that control, direct, and manage corporate entities, serving to protect and enhance a business's most valuable asset - its name and reputation. This framework includes legally mandated requirements, voluntary best practices, and strategic measures that span from accurate financial record-keeping to board management and director training.

As a continuation of Part 2 in this series, which addressed some themes we commonly encounter relating to the process requirements of public inquiries and the handling of documentary evidence in particular...

Regulations introduced in 2025 impose new board gender balance obligations on many Irish companies listed on certain EU markets, with gender balance targets for both executive directors and non-executive directors (“NEDs”) to be achieved by 30 June 2026.

The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment has launched a public consultation on targeted reforms to Ireland's limited partnership regime, seeking views on measures to modernise a legislative framework still largely governed by the Limited Partnerships Act 1907. The proposals aim to increase the maximum number of partners from 20 to 149, introduce a statutory whitelist of permitted activities for limited partners, and provide greater flexibility regarding capital contributions.

A leading Irish law firm's Competition and Regulated Markets Group provides comprehensive merger control advisory services, handling complex cases before the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) and European Commission. The team also navigates Ireland's foreign direct investment screening regime, assisting international investors and Irish businesses with national security and public order considerations in cross-border transactions.

This monthly legal update from William Fry explores critical developments across technology regulation, AI transparency obligations, and commercial litigation frameworks. The edition examines emerging challenges in data centre connectivity, merger control threshold changes, and the evolving landscape of warranty insurance in M&A transactions, while addressing novel legal arguments in nervous shock claims and regulatory consultations on crypto-asset markets.

The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment has launched a public consultation on targeted reforms to Ireland's limited partnership regime, seeking views on measures to modernise a legislative framework still largely governed by the Limited Partnerships Act 1907. The proposals aim to increase the maximum number of partners from 20 to 149, introduce a statutory whitelist of permitted activities for limited partners, and provide greater flexibility regarding capital contributions.

Ireland's EU Council Presidency from July to December 2026 brings an ambitious financial services agenda centered on European competitiveness.

The European Commission's EU Inc proposal promises to revolutionize startup formation with 48-hour digital company registration across Europe. But could this streamlined framework inadvertently erode Ireland's competitive advantage in attracting founders, and what role will Ireland's 2026 EU Council Presidency play in shaping the final outcome?