June issue: The 2020 Deals of the Year Awards recognise 36 winning Deals across Ireland's capital markets
A major theme that emerges is that clear evidence now exists that the practical advantages of Ireland as a leading common law jurisdiction in the EU27 is crystallising in terms of deals done. The Deals identify seven major deals that took place during the year notable as involving international recognition and use of Irish Law and the Irish justice system as a global reference point for deals with no specific grounding in the jurisdiction.

The deals also recognise Ireland's debt capital markets, and in Equity Capital Markets, while only one Irish IPO was launched in 2019, the Equity Capital Markets Deal of the Year was a spectacular success, that of Uniphar. Also recognised are the Bank of China acquisition of Goodbody, I-RES Reit, Greencore RCF and financing, and the Dublin Landings property finacing

Amongst the range of other deals are green Sustainability-linked deal awards, and a number of deals involving the financing of housing, and social housing, a major issue that was highlighted during the General Election earlier this year.

The 2020 Deals of the Year Awards provide inspiration regarding the potential of the markets to assist the recovery, and placing Irish Law on an international pedestal, there is clear evidence from the Awards that global recognition is being given to Ireland as an international legal hub for a range of capital markets deals and restructurings for multinational businesses with no direct connection to the jurisdiction.

This issue also continues to feature Finance Dublin's evolving picture of developments regarding Covid-19 and the FS industry, while the Finance Dublin Yearbook, new edition, will present a consortium of post- crisis forward looking views by industry thought leaders. It will focus on the imperatives that were there before, but which now will be shaped by our experiences of the pandemic. It will be a compilation of the lessons of the crisis to date, providing leadership for the recovery.