Denise Kiley KC is the new chair of the Bar Council of Northern Ireland. She commences her two year term today succeeding Donal Lunny KC who took up the role in September 2024. Ms Kiley served as vice-chair of the Bar Council during the previous two legal years and sat on various committees includin
Appointments
See all articlesMcCann FitzGerald LLP has appointed partner Megan Hooper as the head of the firm's litigation and dispute resolution group, effective 1 September 2026. Ms Hooper joined the firm in 2002, having relocated from Australia, and was appointed partner in 2014. She practises in commercial litigation, inves
Maura Dineen has been appointed as country managing partner at DLA Piper succeeding David Carthy. Ms Dineen joined the firm in 2019 and advises Irish and international clients on tax matters across local and cross-border transactions. She is also a member of the Council of the Irish Tax Institute.&n
McInnes Dunne Murphy has announced the appointment of Alva McDermott as associate. McInnes Dunne Murphy is a specialist boutique employment law firm which has grown significantly in the past number of years, with seven specialist employment lawyers now at the firm.
Dillon Eustace has announced the appointments of Cillian Bredin as head of asset management & investment funds and Peter Bredin as head of commercial litigation. Mr C Bredin succeeds Etain de Valera and Mr P Bredin succeeds John O'Riordan.
O’Flynn Exhams LLP Solicitors has announced the appointment of two new lawyers to its team. Sarah O’Keeffe has been appointed as senior associate to the firm’s banking and commercial real estate department. She has 18 years experience in a wide range of property and banking transac
Pinsent Masons has promoted three lawyers in its construction and infrastructure practice in Belfast reflecting the growth in its integrated projects and construction offering across Ireland and the UK. Jennifer Lee has been promoted to legal director and Meghan Kirk to managing senior associate wit
Northern Ireland
See all articlesDenise Kiley KC is the new chair of the Bar Council of Northern Ireland. She commences her two year term today succeeding Donal Lunny KC who took up the role in September 2024. Ms Kiley served as vice-chair of the Bar Council during the previous two legal years and sat on various committees includin
A member of the Parades Commission, Mr Billy Gamble, has resigned following a High Court judgment that found decision making at the Commission “sloppy”. Judicial review proceedings were brought by a member of the Portadown Orange Lodge in relation a determination of the Commission to ref
Northern Ireland secretary, Sir Chris Bryant, met with the chair of the Parades Commission, Professor Evelyn Collins, yesterday in the wake of the High Court decision that described decision making processes at the Commission as “sloppy”. During their discussion, the Secretary of S
The Bar of Northern Ireland has partnered with local digital agency, Eyekiller, to produce a new website which includes a searchable barrister directory.
Former chief executive of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has said that she will “vehemently contest” her conviction on charges of deleting or attempting to delete an email to prevent disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Ms Anne Donaghy, 56, became chief executi
Universities
See all articlesUCD has announced that it will host a milestone reunion celebration for BCL graduates of years ending in 6 on Friday 20 November. UCD will welcome back graduates to celebrate the BCL classes of 1986, 1996, 2006, the BBLS classes of 1996, 2006 and their affiliated alumni.
Research from Queen’s University Belfast is shining a light on the role of AI and bots in the music industry, warning that consumers and musicians are being shortchanged because of technology that’s out of control. Dr Katherine Pittalis used her PhD to examine the fast-changing technolog
Whether you simply love all animals or have a more analytical curiosity about legal protections for animal welfare – Dr Maureen O'Sullivan has the course for you! Ireland’s first animal law module is proving a hit at the University of Galway, with student numbers more than doubling. Dr
Professor Oonagh Breen of UCD Sutherland School of Law has been appointed to the Royal Irish Academy’s Ethics, Politics, Law and Philosophy Committee for the 2026 to 2030 term.
Trinity Women in Law is seeking mentors to join its 2026 mentorship programme.
Interviews
See all articlesIreland’s role as one of the world’s leading aircraft leasing hubs dates to 1975, when the billionaire businessman Tony Ryan founded Guinness Peat Aviation (GPA) in 1975. Ryan, of course, was also one of the co-founders of Ryanair in 1984. His venture created a pool of experienced aviati
When Majella Walsh was announced as the recipient of the Munster Regional Sole Practitioner of the Year award at the LEAP Irish Law Awards last month, she says her first reaction was one of some surprise. Those who know her professionally would not have been startled at the news. Noted by clients fo
Colin Cardwell
Many parents have long had ambitions for their children to pursue careers in medicine or law, professions that are perceived as being synonymous with prestige, intellectual challenge and public service. John Magee, a partner at DLA Piper in Dublin, was seriously considering a career in medicine unti
Colin Cardwell
For solicitors who started their career just before the financial crisis of 2008 struck, the timing was both daunting and defining. Newly qualified lawyers were entering a profession gripped by uncertainty in an Ireland faced by economic turbulence. However, there emerged from that singular event a
Colin Cardwell
For Anne-Marie Linehan, the past couple of years at J.W. O'Donovan LLP have resembled the proverbial situation when three buses arrive at the same time. First, in 2024 and after 93 years the firm relocated to new premises in Cork's South Mall, reflecting its ongoing commitment to supporting clients
Colin Cardwell






