Simmons & Simmons financial-markets partner Rachel Stanton has been named as new country head in Ireland.

Outgoing country head Fionán Breathnach is to retire from legal practice next year, after leading the establishment of Simmons in Ireland in early 2018.

He said: “We have gone from a single practice firm in 2018 to now servicing our Irish and international clients in the areas of asset management, banking and finance, corporate and M&A, financial-services regulation, real estate, dispute resolution, and tax.

“I am delighted with Rachel’s appointment, and am very confident that the Dublin office will continue to go from strength to strength under Rachel’s leadership,” he said.

Structured-finance practice 

Rachel Stanton joined Simmons Dublin in early 2020 and has since led the firm’s banking and structured-finance practice in Dublin.

She has over 20 years of experience advising international and domestic financial institutions and borrowers.

She will also take over from Breathnach as leader of the firm’s financial-markets practice, with partner Niamh Ryan taking over as head of the investment-funds practice.