Paddy McKillen

McKillen launched his first major legal action to stop NAMA when it attempted to seize his loans and assets during Ireland’s banking crisis. In February 2011 he won a landmark Supreme Court Case in Ireland and blocked NAMA from seizing some €3 billion of loans associated with companies he had a shareholding in. McKillen lined up Nobel Prize winning economist Professor Joseph Stigliz as an expert witness in the case which was unusually heard before all seven Irish Supreme Court judges. Professor Stiglitz stated that McKillen’s international portfolio of prime property assets was run to pension fund standards and that his profitable and fully performing loans, were exactly what the Irish economy needed to recover and stimulate growth and jobs, and that it would be detrimental to Mr McKillen’s businesses and the Irish economy to transfer them to NAMA. The seven Irish Supreme Court judges unanimously ruled in McKillen’s favour essentially because the decision acquire the loans was made before NAMA had been formally established. They also found that McKillen has a right to be heard before acquisition of his loans. McKillen’s Supreme Court victory marked the beginning of a series of high profile international legal battles taken to protect his businesses from corporate raids that came about because of Ireland’s banking crisis. His Irish Supreme Court case, Dellway vs NAMA is recognised as a landmark legal decision and is used internationally as an example of how Government’s cannot over-ride citizen’s rights during national emergencies.

The British Barclay Brothers launched a vicious hostile takeover attempt on the Maybourne Hotel group in January 2011. McKillen fought back and spent over £50 million in legal fees on one of the largest commercial legal actions taken in London Courts to prevent the brothers from seizing the hotels. The battle caught the attention of world media as McKillen fought to protect his business. In 2015 McKillen and the Barclays both accepted defeat and sold their entire shareholding in the hotels to the Qataris. McKillen no longer has any shareholding in Maybourne and is now paid to oversee the running and major redevelopment of the hotels.[12][13][14][15]

Paddy McKillen owns and has been developing Chateau La Coste, a biodynamic vineyard and international destination for art, architecture and natural beauty in Provence, for the past 15 years.[16] It was named by Newsweek as one of the Top 100 Destinations to ‘Visit in the World’. In 2017 McKillen opened a luxury hotel, Villa La Coste, on the 600-acre estate.

The estate and hotel have received some of the world’s leading awards and accolades. Within the first year of opening, Villa La Coste was placed on Conde Nast Traveler USA Gold List, received The Grand Award 2018, Andrew Harper Hideaway of the Year, 2018 Mr & Mrs Smith – Best Smith Hotel, Tatler Magazine – World Best Hotel Design 2018, Town & Country Magazine – Best New Hotel in the World and Tablet Hotels – Top New European Hotel.

McKillen has always been noted for his high-quality work and attention to detail which is strongly influenced by his deep understanding, interest and appreciation of art and architecture. He counts some of the world’s greatest architects as personal friends such as Lord Rogers, Tadao Ando and Jean Nouvel.[17]

McKillen is continuing to expand his global business and has commenced developing a Tadao Ando designed Japanese Inn in Gion, Kyoto.

In June 2015, Calvin Klein bought McKillen's house on the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles for $25 million (purchased $6 million in 2012).[18]