Lisa O'Neill

Primary Focus & Experience

Lisa advises companies on a wide range of corporate and M&A transactions with a focus on the energy, infrastructure and transportation sectors. Lisa advises on large public and private mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, re-organisations and commercial contracts.

Lisa's experience includes advising:

• Amber Infrastructure on its strategic combination with Boyd Watterson to create an investment manager with $35.7 billion assets under management.
• Public Power Corporation S.A. in connection with the acquisition of all of the equity interests held by Enel S.p.A. and its subsidiaries in Romania for a total consideration of approximately €1.9 million.
• Italgas S.p.A., a leading gas distributor listed on the Milan Stock exchange, in connection with its Euro733M acquisition of 100% stake in DEPA Infrastructure S.A., a predominant natural gas distribution operator in Greece. Italgas S.p.A was selected as “Preferred Bidder” following a competitive tender process.
• The shareholders of BETA CAE Systems International AG, a leading provider of multi-domain engineering simulation solutions, on the sale to Cadence Design Systems, Inc. for $1.24 billion.
• Hartree Partners on several complex cross-border group reorganisations.
• A consortium led by Apollo Global Management Inc. and its subsidiaries in connection with the long-term strategic investment entered into with The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company for an underlying real estate portfolio valued at $5.5 billion.
• Actis, a global emerging markets investment firm, on their sale of Zuma Energía, an energy generation development platform.
• SKY Leasing, a portfolio company of M&G, on the auction sale of Sky Fund I Irish to Dubai Aerospace Enterprise. SFI owns, or is committed to own, a portfolio of 366 aircraft on lease to 14 airlines in 11 countries.
• Maverick Aviation Partnership LP, an investment vehicle managed by Carlyle Aviation Partners, in connection with an agreement to acquire AMCK Aviation’s portfolio of aircraft. The total appraised value of the existing fleet is in excess of $4 billion, not including the order book.
• Centricus on establishing a multi-billion alternative investment platform and on its fee arrangement with SoftBank in connection with the establishment of the US$100 billion Vision Fund.
• Actuant, a NYSE listed diversified industrial company, on the multi-jurisdiction sale of the Viking Sea Tech business to Acteon and acquisition of the Mirage Business from Acteon (a portfolio company of Kohlberg Kravis & Roberts & Co. L.P.).
• The Al-Thani family on the acquisition of Claridges, the Connaught and the Berkeley hotels.
• Shell on the sale of its liquefied petroleum gas businesses in eight European countries.
• Vale SA on the USD$4.9 billion sale of bauxite, alumina and aluminum mining and smelting assets to Norsk Hydro ASA.
• RWE Dea as the target in the sale by its parent company, RWE AG, for €5.1 billion, and, separately, in a joint venture with BP on a US$10 billion development agreement with the Egyptian government.

Recognition & Accomplishments

In recent years, Lisa has received multiple awards and accolades for her work on Corporate transactions, including:

• Recognised for Corporate Law by The Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom 2023, 2024 and 2025.
• Named for Corporate/M&A in the UK in the World’s Leading Women in Business Law Guide 2022.
• Leading Lawyer – M&A: Upper Mid-market and Premium Deals, 500m+ by Legal 500 2022.
• Leading Corporate/M&A Practitioner in the UK- Euromoney's Women in Business Law Expert Guide 2021.
• Recognised for Commitment to Client Service in the BTI M&A Client Service All-Stars Guide 2021.
• Corporate Law Award Winner – UK 2020 by International Advisory Experts Awards.
• Leading Corporate/M&A Practitioner in the UK – Euromoney's Women in Business Law Expert Guide 2020.
• Corporate and Commercial: Individual (London) of the year by Legal 500 UK 2020.
• Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Year 2019 in Mergers and Acquisitions by Law360.
• Best in Mergers and Acquisitions by the 2019 Women in Business Law.

Lisa has also received:

• M&A Team of the Year (Large Deal) by Legal Week British Legal Awards 2018 (shortlisted)
• Lexology Client Choice Award for Excellence in Service 2017
• Rising Star in Legal Services: 40 under 40 2016
• Rising Star in The Lawyer Hot 100 2016

Lisa is recommended among a variety of journals including in Corporate M&A by Legal 500 and in Financial & Corporate by IFLR1000.