Appointments

Belfast solicitor Maria McCloskey has been selected to chair the Law Society of Northern Ireland's new human rights and equality group. Ms McCloskey, an experienced immigration solicitor with the Children's Law Centre and a prominent campaigner for the protection of refugees, will help the group to

Human rights expert Professor Caroline Fennell has been appointed to lead a new independent anti-racism committee tasked by government ministers with drawing up a new action plan against racism for Ireland. Professor Fennell, a professor of law at University College Cork and a member of the Irish Hu

Solicitor Brenda King has been named as the interim Attorney General for Northern Ireland following the end of John Larkin QC's second term. Mr Larkin will step down at the end of this month, 10 years after he became the first Attorney General for Northern Ireland since its functions were taken over

Irish barrister Sunniva McDonagh SC has been elected as the next vice-chairperson of the EU's Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA). Ms McDonagh has served on the agency's management board since October 2016 and will take up her role as vice-chairperson on 13 July 2020.

Legal rights group FLAC has announced the promotion of Ingrid Colvin to national volunteers and clinics manager. Ms Colvin takes up the newly-created post just over a year after her appointment as volunteer and clinics co-ordinator.

Mason Hayes & Curran (MHC) has announced the appointment of David Gunn as a partner in the firm's construction, infrastructure and utilities team. Mr Gunn specialises in project development and finance and advises developers, banks and contractors in the public sector across a range of areas inc

Cork solicitor Philip O'Leary has been appointed as chairperson of the Property Services Appeal Board (PSAB). Mr O'Leary, head of commercial law at FitzGerald Legal & Advisory LLP, will hold the position for a four-year term.

Legal services firm Johnson Hana has announced the appointment of barrister Niamh O'Mara as chief operating officer. Ms O'Mara, previously chief of staff at EY, will drive the transformation of the firm's business operations, improving efficiency and building upon its foundation for growth.

NUI Galway School of Law has announced the appointment of Professor Guénaël Mettraux as adjunct professor of international criminal justice and international criminal law. The prestigious human rights expert is a judge of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers and presiding member of the EU's Hu

Drogheda and Ashbourne firm Tallans Solicitors has announced the promotion of Orla Shevlin to partner. Ms Shevlin, who joined the firm last year after nine years with William Fry, will lead the firm's medical negligence and commercial litigation team.

Hewitt & Gilpin Solicitors has promoted Craig Russell to director in the firm's private client department. Mr Russell joined the Belfast and Holywood firm in September 2015, having qualified as a solicitor in 1997.

Sir Nigel Knowles, the former head of DLA Piper, has taken over the reins of global legal business DWF from Andrew Leaitherland. Mr Leaitherland has led DWF since 2006, overseeing its expansion from two offices in the UK to 33 offices across four continents, including in Belfast and Dublin, as well

LK Shields has announced the appointment of Simon Mahon as an associate solicitor in the firm's banking and finance team. Mr Mahon joins from a boutique commercial law firm in Dublin. Prior to this, he practised at the leading Irish law firm where he trained as a solicitor, as well as spending two y

Major Irish law firms including Matheson, William Fry and Eversheds Sutherland are continuing to make strategic hires and welcome newly-qualified solicitors, trainees and interns in spite of the COVID-19 crisis, Irish Legal News can reveal. Top-level hires completed in recent weeks have included con

Personal injury and road traffic accident specialist firm JMK Solicitors has welcomed six new solicitors across Belfast and Newry. Caroline Cahill, Amy Goss, Karen McKee, Ailis McKeown, Karen Reavey and Ryan McKeegan have joined the firm in the last six months.