The inaugural conference for the In-House Lawyers Group Northern Ireland (IHLGNI) was organised by DWF and took place on Thursday 16 October at the Law Society of Northern Ireland’s headquarters.

Attendees heard from keynote speaker Ciaran Fenton and discussions from panellists including Leeanne Whaley of BT Group, Priscilla Rooney of Translink, Gillian Shaw of Cirata Plc, Ciaran O’Kelly of QUB, and David Lavery of the Law Society of Northern Ireland.

The conference agenda including the changing in-house landscape and the impact of technological innovation, ESG and the career aspirations of Gen Z; lessons learned following the Post Office Horizon scandal, and how to balance regulatory obligations against duties owed to your employer; and how to influence, manage and negotiate effectively.

Julie-Ann McCaffrey, director in construction at DWF and previously an in-house lawyer at Greentown Companies, said: “We are delighted to have organised this important conference, bringing together in-house lawyers to collaborate and learn from one another.

“It was a privilege to offer the platform for such a vital conversation within the growing Northern Ireland in-house legal community.”

Ciaran Fegan, chair of the In-House Lawyers Group Northern Ireland and group general counsel for Graham Group, added: “We’re grateful to DWF for their involvement and for curating an informative and engaging agenda.

“The lively discussions that took place will have a positive impact on all attendees and we look forward to working with DWF to deliver future iterations of this conference for the continued benefit of our members.”