Mr Lynam was elected to succeed Dermot Kelly in the top role at the association’s recent AGM and will be supported by Barry Kelleher as vice-president.

The Law Society’s newly-elected president, Rosemarie Loftus, and director-general, Mark Garrett, joined SLA members at the AGM on Thursday 20 November.

Mr Lynam is managing partner of Murphy Lynam Solicitors, with offices in Cork and Dublin, where he manages the corporate and the banking and finance departments.

Having qualified as a solicitor in Ireland in 2009 and as an attorney-at-law in New York in 2011, he has extensive expertise across all areas of company and commercial law, including mergers and acquisitions, intra-group reorganisations, joint ventures and private equity investment.

He also advises clients on a broad range of financing options including real estate acquisition and development financing, and private equity loans.  

Mr Lynam has served on the SLA Council since 2017 and sits on the SLA’s commercial practice committee. He is also a Law Society Council member and sits on the Law Society’s business law committee.

Speaking at the 2025 AGM after his election, Mr Lynam told members: “It is evident that we are in a period of rapid evolution, driven by developments in new technology, regulation, and the wider community itself.

“From e-conveyancing to artificial intelligence, from hybrid learning to succession planning, the numerous projects currently underway reflect a profession adapting, modernising, and preparing for the years ahead.

“Our ability to respond to change — thoughtfully, collaboratively and proactively — will determine our success.

“As we look ahead, we must all work together on a local, regional, and national basis to ensure our profession do not become passive observers but remain as active contributors to this change, ensuring that reforms are workable in practice, and that innovation is balanced with practicality.”

He concluded: “Crucially, we must be mindful of our wellbeing as practitioners.

“As demands increase, as expectations rise, and as technology accelerates, supporting each other — through associations like ours — becomes more important than ever.

“The Southern Law Association has always strived to navigate our ever-changing landscape to the benefit of its members, and we must now act together to ensure that those efforts and progress will continue in the year ahead.”