Gemma Forde is a Partner in the Byrne Wallace Shields LLP Corporate Team and Head of the Galway office.

Gemma advises corporate and commercial clients and has been involved in the sale and acquisition of companies across numerous sectors. She acts for several corporate clients and has advised on shareholders’ agreements, corporate restructurings, joint ventures, and venture capital and private equity investments.

Gemma regularly advises C-Suite clients on management incentive schemes, ESOP’s, corporate governance, Companies Act compliance and directors duties.

Gemma sits on the corporate governance oversight committee for the ARC Hub for Health Tech which accelerates the transition of MedTech and connected health research to commercial success and is supported by RCSI, University of Galway and Research Ireland. Gemma is also a Council member and Director of Galway Chamber of Commerce and sits on the Audit and Governance, Business and Infrastructure and Housing Committees.

Gemma also has a strong commercial property background and has acted in the acquisition and disposal of commercial property, the property aspects of corporate and M&A transactions, the sale and acquisition of multi-property investments, and commercial landlord and tenant matters.

Experience

• Acted for RBK Business Advisory Limited in its mergers with O’Malley & Company Accountants and MCP Accountants.
• Acted for the Brockley Group in a corporate restructuring.
• Acted for a well-known wholesale and distribution business in the sale of its business to BWG Foods.
• Acted for the sellers in the sale of JFW Renewables Limited, a company specialising in the sale and supply of domestic and commercial solar panels.
• Acted for the sellers in the sale of Harris Heating and Plumbing Limited, a company specialising in retrofitting properties.
• Acted for the Swedish buyers, the Alcadon Group AB, in the purchase of Lewralos Limited, a company specialising in cabling infrastructure for data centres.
• Acted for KinetikIQ Precision Sports Technology in numerous fundraising transactions and employee incentivisation schemes.
• Acted for EI Electronics on the Irish aspects of the acquisition of Brooks Australia.
• Advised the Tribe Hospitality Group on its expansions and re-structuring.
• Acted for Culligan Investment Holdings Limited in its acquisition of numerous Irish entities and subsequent corporate re-structuring.

Qualifications

• Diploma in IP and Tech Law, Law Society of Ireland, 2023
  
• Diploma in Commercial Property, Law Society of Ireland, 2008
  
• LLM in Commercial Law, University College Dublin, 2001
  
• Bachelor of Corporate Law and Legal French, National University of Ireland, Galway, 2000