Highest-earners from criminal legal aid scheme named

Highest-earners from criminal legal aid scheme named

The names of the barristers and solicitors who earned the most from the criminal legal aid scheme in 2022 have been published.

John M. Quinn was the highest-earning solicitor and highest earner overall, with €664,247.77 in income through the scheme.

Among barristers, the highest-earning senior counsel was Michael Bowman SC with €563,745.50, while the highest-earning junior counsel was Keith Spencer BL with €529,076.82.

The figures were revealed in response to a parliamentary question from Fine Gael TD Michael Ring.

The top-earning solicitors in 2022 were:

  • John M. Quinn — €664,247.77
  • Michael Hennessy — €652,736.64
  • Wayne Kenny — €626,510.56
  • Aonghus McCarthy — €602,162.73
  • Kenneth Cunningham — €545,556.10
  • Cahir O’Higgins — €502,238.54
  • Yvonne Bambury — €477,368.43
  • John O’Doherty — €457,775.11
  • Sarah Ryan — €435,603.53
  • Frank A. Buttimer — €435,476.78

The top-earning senior barristers in 2022 were:

  • Michael J. Bowman — €563,745.50
  • Colman Cody — €478,458.03
  • Michael O’Higgins — €380,016.62
  • Séamus Clarke — €349,674.25
  • Padraig Dwyer — €349,603.52
  • Mark Nicholas — €311,092.34
  • Dominic McGinn — €296,886.61
  • Damien J. Colgan — €286,876.60
  • Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha — €280,886.50
  • Anne-Marie Lawlor — €278,543.34

The top-earning junior barristers in 2022 were:

  • Keith Spencer — €529,076.82
  • James O’Brien — €264,940.77
  • Justin McQuade — €255,875.67
  • Marc Thompson Grolimund — €255,807.00
  • Conor Roberts — €247,515.36
  • Sarah-Jane O’Callaghan — €240,385.37
  • Luigi Rea — €213,613.86
  • Cathal McGreal — €210,808.47
  • Oisín Clarke — €207,997.20
  • Simon Matthews — €198,354.30
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