Ms O’Higgins spent two decades with Arthur Cox and led the firm’s construction and engineering group until her retirement in July 2024, after which she continued to work as an adjudicator in construction disputes.

Colleagues were notified of her passing yesterday.

Ms O’Higgins grew up in Cambridge, where her father, the late Professor Paul O’Higgins, had established himself as an internationally-renowned legal academic at the University of Cambridge.

She graduated from the University of Sussex before relocating to Dublin to begin her legal career in the 1990s, working for a number of years in Masons. She also held a Master’s degree from the University of Salford.

In a statement today, Arthur Cox said: “Niav joined the firm in 2004 and, under her leadership, our construction and engineering group became one of the most renowned construction practices in Ireland.

“She made an enormous contribution to the firm, and retired from the partnership in 2024. 

“We send our deepest condolences to her family and friends. She will be very sadly missed by all of us who knew her. May she rest in peace.”