Empty Link Skip to Content

Gráinne "has provided excellent service" and is "very efficient, precise and fast".

Chambers Europe 2018

Expertise

Gráinne Callanan leads Matheson’s Cork office and is a partner in the Financial Institutions Group. Gráinne advises a wide range of leading domestic and international financial institutions doing business in and from Ireland including life and non-life (re)insurance companies, captive insurers and intermediaries on corporate transactions, regulatory and compliance and corporate governance. Gráinne has extensive expertise in the areas of new authorisations, portfolio transfers, cross-border mergers, corporate restructurings, distribution arrangements and health insurance. She has advised on a wide range of innovative transactions in the insurance market in recent times and has taken a leading role advising clients on a number of significant acquisitions of closed books of life insurance businesses.

Gráinne lectures at the Law Society of Ireland and the Insurance Institute of Ireland.

Gráinne is also a member of the Cork Financial Services Forum.

Experience Highlights 

Gráinne has advised:

  • On a significant number of authorisations for insurers and intermediaries  as a result of Brexit contingency plans.
  • AXIS Speciality Europe SE in relation to a cross border merger with Belgische Maatschappij Voor Luchtvaart Verzekeringen NV Compagnie Belge D’Assurances Aviation SA (“Aviabel”), a Belgian authorised non-life insurance undertaking.
  • A large domestic bank on its key non-life distribution arrangements, which include its arrangements with AXA in respect of home, motor and payment protection insurance.
  • LCCG on the consolidated transfer of three of its life assurance portfolios to Harcourt Life Ireland dac as part of its internal re-organisation.  This was the first ever consolidated transfer of insurance business approved by the Irish High Court.
  • Utmost Ireland dac, an Irish authorised insurer, on the acquisition of a close book life-insurance portfolio from Athora Ireland dac and management of the related Schemes in Jersey and Guernsey.
  • DubliMont dac on the disposal of its closed book insurance business to a Finnish entity.
  • Laguna Life on its acquisition of a life insurance portfolio from MetLife dac.
  • National Grid Insurance Company Ireland, an Irish authorised insurer, on the transfer of its insurance business to Zurich Insurance plc.
Accolades

Gráinne Callanan is recommended.
European Legal 500 2020

Gráinne Callanan is recommended.
European Legal 500 2019

Gráinne is very "knowledgeable on that side of the Irish regulatory landscape, a very good communicator".
Chambers Europe 2019

Gráinne Callanan is recognised in the Influential Women in Re/Insurance Report
Intelligent Insurer 2018

Gráinne "has provided excellent service" and is "very efficient, precise and fast".
Chambers Europe 2018

Education

University College Cork (BCL, Law and German)

University College Cork (LLM)

IPMA Certified Project Management Associate (Diploma in Project Management)

Law Society of Ireland