OVERVIEW
Stephen is a partner of Maples and Calder's Funds & Investment Management team and leads the Financial Services Regulatory team in the Maples Group's Dublin office. His practice primarily involves representing investment firms and financial institutions in connection with Irish regulatory matters. Stephen's specialist areas include the regulation of investment services in Ireland under the MiFID regime and the UCITS / AIFMD regimes for management companies.
Stephen is a key member of the team at Maples focussed on sustainable finance and assists a wide range of financial institutions on the introduction of SFDR, the Taxonomy Regulation and associated EU sustainable finance measures.
His regulatory expertise captures matters of EU law including IFD / IFR, EMIR, SRD II, SFTR and the Securitisation Regulation.
From an Irish perspective, Stephen assists clients with various regulatory matters such as new entity authorisations and advisory work in areas including fitness and probity (and SEAR), client asset rules, AML / CFT and Central Bank of Ireland engagement across the supervisory spectrum. Stephen has extensive experience advising clients on the establishment and operation of Irish regulated investment funds with a particular focus on UCITS regulation as well as significant experience in AIFs authorised under the Irish AIFMD regime.
BACKGROUND
Stephen joined the Maples Group in 2010 from a large Irish corporate law firm, where he was partner and head of investment funds. He was also previously a partner in a leading Irish law firm, during which time he managed the firm's Tokyo office, with responsibility for Asia. Stephen has spent time on secondment working for a leading US law firm and in a leading law firm in Australia.
Stephen has been ranked in The Legal 500 as a "Leading Individual" and in IFLR 1000 as "Highly Regarded". He has also been recommended by Chambers Global where clients report that Stephen: "has exemplary technical knowledge, great communication skills and delivers very clearly and succinctly" "is an excellent problem solver who thinks outside the box" "is very pragmatic and commercially focused" and "is excellent in providing technical advice in a commercial way".
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
Stephen regularly publishes in various financial services and legal periodicals. He also presents at international conferences on Irish financial services regulatory matters. He is the Irish Funds representative on EFAMA's Fund Regulation Standing Committee.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
BAR ADMISSIONS
2002 - Admitted as a solicitor in Ireland
EDUCATION
Trinity College, Dublin, 1998
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KNOWLEDGE
- Central Bank Fintech Supervisory Priorities 2024 06 March 2024
- Regulatory Focus on Undue Costs in UCITS and AIFs 12 February 2024
- ELTIF 2.0 in Ireland - the 24-hour ELTIF 08 February 2024
- PRIIPs KID - New Requirement to Submit to the CBI 06 February 2024
- Funds and Investment Management Update Ireland and Luxembourg Q4 2023 30 January 2024
- Irish Credit Servicing - Transposition of the EU Credit Servicing Directive 18 January 2024
- EU Removes the Cayman Islands from EU AML List: Considerations for Clients 18 January 2024
- Central Bank of Ireland Letter on 2022 ESMA Common Supervisory Action on Asset Valuation 16 January 2024
- Positive Development for the Cayman Islands: EU AML Delisting Process Commences 19 December 2023
- IAF Update: Finalised Guidance Published Ahead of Year-End Introduction of New Framework 24 November 2023
NEWS & DEALS
- Maples is Ireland's Leading Funds Practice for 11th Consecutive Year 14 February 2024
- Maples Group Named Top Legal Adviser to Irish-Serviced Funds for 10th Year 23 February 2023
- 2022 In the Spotlight Webcast Series 31 March 2022
- Maples Group Retains Position as Leading Legal Adviser to Irish-Serviced Funds 24 February 2022
- Maples Group appoints Peter Stapleton as Head of Irish Law Firm 03 December 2021
- Maples Group Ranked as Top Funds Legal Adviser for 8th Year in a Row 02 March 2021
- Maples Group Strengthens Financial Services Regulatory Practice with New Partner Hire 13 January 2021
- Maples Group Ranked as Top Funds Legal Adviser for 7th Year Running 24 February 2020