Alan is the Managing Partner of Eversheds Sutherland Ireland and Head of the Tax Group.
Prior to his appointment as Managing Partner, Alan was Head of our Commercial Department. Alan is a lawyer with extensive experience in corporate tax law and has advised on some of the largest inward investment and restructuring projects in Ireland. He primarily advises international corporations (including Fortune 100 companies) doing business in and from Ireland.
Alan practices all aspects of corporate tax with particular emphasis on, and expertise in, inward investment projects, cross border tax planning, corporate restructurings, public and private mergers and acquisitions, demergers, flotations, private equity, joint ventures, as well as transfer pricing. He also advises on Irish stamp duty matters, particularly in the context of global reorganisations. Alan is standing tax counsel to numerous international corporations in respect of their Irish operations. Prior to joining Eversheds Sutherland, Alan was a partner in the tax department of a large Irish corporate law firm and prior to that, he was a tax associate with Mayer Brown LLP in their London office.
Across a range of industry sectors, Alan has in-depth experience in:
- advising international and domestic companies on the structuring of tax effective (pre and post) corporate mergers, acquisitions, divisions, reorganisations and integration projects, particularly regarding existing supply chain and product flows, contractual infrastructure, aligning substance with contractual arrangements/transfer pricing
- advising leading international corporations on establishing operations in Ireland and providing ongoing strategic tax advice (including in relation to Irish captive finance, principal IP and sales structures, as well as cash and dividend repatriation strategies) advising on the establishment of joint ventures on a multi-jurisdictional basis
- advising on the structuring of management buy-outs and venture capital transactions
- advising multinationals on Irish principal structures in international transfer pricing disputes and defending the Irish tax base, including negotiating advance pricing agreements and correlative relief adjustments
- advising on the tax aspects of property transactions in Ireland, for sellers, purchasers (of property loan portfolios), developers, financial institutions, lenders and insolvency practitioners
- advising international and domestic companies on share incentive schemes for Irish employees
- Author, Foreign entity classification for Irish tax purposes (2023)
- Author, Non-Resident Landlord Withholding Tax: A look at the recent legislation (2023)
- Author, Irish Revenue publishes guidance on DAC7 (2023)
- Author, Social Security Framework Agreement (2023)
- Author, Key points regarding the Tax Strategy Group 2023 corporation tax paper (2023)
Alan is recognised and ranked as a leading practitioner by a number of leading legal directories and publications including Chambers and Partners, Legal 500, World Tax and Who's Who Legal.
"Alan is great at explaining complex issues and understanding his clients' needs and concerns". - Chambers Europe
"Alan always delivers exceptional advice with class and a keen eye to detail" - Chambers Europe
Clients single Alan Connell out as being “very knowledgeable on tax” and who “poses different ideas to work with and understands multinational needs of US operations and various structures".
Alan Connell is described by interviewees as ‘an excellent partner who makes complex issues clear. We appreciate him for his strategy and insights.‘ He is singled out by clients as ‘very knowledgeable, client-focused, and practical in his approach. It is a pleasure to work with him.‘ - Legal 500
‘Alan Connell and his team have a great focus and always come prepared to help solve the issues.‘ - Legal 500
"We were very fortunate to have him lead the project from a tax perspective as well as co-ordinate the entire transaction; he was direct, explained everything thoroughly and gave us options when needed." - Chambers Europe
Alan Connell is highly regarded for “advising international corporations on conducting business in Ireland. He has particular expertise in inward investment projects, cross-border tax planning and public and private M&A.” – Chambers Europe
“Corporate tax specialist Alan Connell advises predominantly on tax issues relating to international M&A and works with many multinational companies with business interests in Ireland.” - Chambers Europe
Alan Connell provides solid advice on all corporate tax matters, including inward investment projects and restructurings. Clients praise Alan as being “extremely knowledgeable of how his work will impact our company. He is also friendly and cordial and always available”. - Chambers Global and Chambers Europe
In addition to being a member of the Law Society of Ireland, the Law Society of Northern Ireland and the Law Society of England and Wales, Alan is an active member of a number of international tax bodies, including the International Bar Association and the International Fiscal Association. Alan is a frequent speaker on taxation law topics and has written on Irish tax issues for many professional publications including, the International Tax Review, the International Comparative Legal Guide and the Irish Tax Review.
- University College Dublin (B.C.L.)
- Law Society of Ireland (2001)
- Law Society of England & Wales (2008)
- Law Society of Northern Ireland (2021)