The two will significantly strengthen the Commission’s capacity to deliver on its work keeping the law under review and making recommendations for reform.

Professor Breen is a renowned academic and a qualified barrister, specialising in regulation and governance, with a particular focus on the legal regulation of charities.

She holds a BCL and LLM from University College Dublin (UCD), an LLM and JSD from Yale Law School, and teaches NGO law and governance and equity and the law of trusts at UCD Sutherland School of Law.

In 2021, she was appointed chair of the independent review of charity regulation in Northern Ireland.

Professor Breen is the co-editor of several significant publications, including Regulatory Waves: Comparative Perspectives on State Regulation and Self-Regulation Policies in the Nonprofit Sector (2017) and co-author of Law of Charities in Ireland (2019).

She has held both Fulbright and Government of Ireland research fellowships.

Owen O’Sullivan is a highly experienced solicitor and a consultant in the litigation and investigations department at William Fry. He was the managing partner of the firm from 2020 to 2024 and led the litigation and investigations department from 2005 to 2020.

A graduate of University College Dublin and the Law Society of Ireland, Mr O’Sullivan specialises in large-scale commercial and financial sector disputes. His expertise extends to regulatory proceedings, tribunals, inquiries, and investigations.

He is consistently recognised as a leading lawyer in international legal directories. He also served on the Law Society’s litigation committee and was a founding committee member and chair of the Commercial Litigation Association of Ireland.

William Fry managing partner Stephen Keogh said: “On behalf of all at William Fry, I extend my warmest congratulations to Owen on his appointment as a Commissioner to the Irish Law Reform Commission.

“This prestigious role is a testament to Owen’s exceptional legal acumen, integrity, and unwavering commitment to the advancement of justice.

“We are immensely proud to see his expertise recognised, and I have no doubt he will make a significant contribution to law reform in Ireland.”