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Colm Rafferty

Partner Legal Services Dublin
Email Icon Send an email T: +353 1 619 2058 M: +353 87 230 9506

OVERVIEW

Colm is head of Maples and Calder's Corporate team in the Maples Group's Dublin office. Colm has extensive experience in company law and corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, venture capital, cross-border mergers and private equity investments. He has been involved in many of Ireland's most significant equity financings and transactions involving Irish private technology companies. Colm also has extensive experience advising institutional financial investors and private equity investors investing in and acquiring Irish assets. His practice includes Irish inward investment projects and other cross border transactions. Colm is a sought after advisor to many of Ireland's most successful venture-backed technology companies, having represented such companies as AMCS, Movidius and Web Reservations.

BACKGROUND

Colm joined the Maples Group in 2007. He previously worked for a large Irish corporate law firm. Colm has been ranked as a leading corporate lawyer and recommended by a number of directories, including Chambers Global, The Legal 500 and IFLR 1000.     

"His commercial awareness is a massive asset to any transaction. His practical and logical arguments give him the ability to mediate between the various parties which really speeds up the process and adds a lot of value."  (Chambers Global 2022)

"Excellent and provides high-quality, right on the button advice."  (The Legal 500 EMEA 2021)

"Acted on the other side of a transaction to me, but he was results focused, dedicated and high quality"  (The Legal 500 EMEA 2021)

"Very good understanding of the Irish tech scene.”  (Chambers Global 2020)

"Very sharp, engaged and hands-on in transactions."  (Chambers Global 2019)

“Superb – commercial, personable, capable, and tough.”  (IFLR 1000 2018)

Recent transactions

  • 3D4Medical on its sale to Elsevier/RELX plc
  • Altify on its sale to Upland Software
  • Altocloud on its sale to Genesys
  • AMCS Group on its investment led by Insight Venture Partners and numerous acquisitions by AMCS Group
  • Asavie on its sale to Akamai Technologies
  • Boxever on its sale to Sitecore
  • Brightflag on its equity fundraising led by One Peak Partners
  • Cardinal Capital Group on its investments in Luzern eCommerce, Mowlam Healtcare and Sim Local
  • Carlyle Cardinal Ireland on various Irish investments including Abtran and Carroll's Meats
  • Clavis Insight on its sale to Ascential plc
  • CurrencyFair on its acquisition of Convoy Payments
  • Digital Marketing Institute on an investment led by Spectrum Equity
  • Draper Esprit on its investments in Sweepr and Roomex
  • LearnUpon on its investment by Summit Partners
  • MML Capital Partners on its investments in IdentiGEN, Agenda Communications and Irish Homecare
  • Movidius on its sale to Intel Corporation
  • NearForm on its investment led by Columbia Capital
  • Safefood360 on its sale to LGC
  • Scopely on its acquisition of Digit Games
  • Sky Aviation Leasing International on its sale to Goshawk Aviation
  • SportCaller on its sale to Bally's Corporation
  • Sysnet Global Solutions on the investments by FTV Capital and True Wind Capital
  • Taoglas on its acquisitions of ThinkWireless, Firmwave and ThinkSmarter
  • Taxamo on its acquisition by Vertex
  • Teamwork on its investment from Bregal Milestone
  • The Icon Group on its sale to Tracsis plc.

View all recent corporate transactions

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Corporate

BAR ADMISSIONS

2002 - Admitted as a solicitor in Ireland

EDUCATION

University College Dublin, Ireland

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Colm is on the Steering Group for Scale Ireland. Scale Ireland is an independent non-profit providing the bridge between the start-up ecosystem and government.

It's mission is to secure a more supportive policy environment that empowers Ireland’s innovation-driven enterprise to succeed and scale. Supporting Ireland’s innovative companies to scale is essential to safeguarding our collective economic future. The Steering group is made up of a diverse group of respected leaders from across Ireland’s start-up ecosystem.

Colm was a founder and director of the Fintech and Payments Association of Ireland (FPAI).

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KNOWLEDGE

NEWS & DEALS