Appointments

Taylor Wessing Ireland has appointed Patricia McCarvill as the firm's first dedicated tax partner. Ms McCarvill, who previously co-founded the tax practice at Simmons & Simmons' Dublin office, joins the firm from 15 April 2024 and will establish its new tax practice.

Professor Caroline Fennell, professor emerita of law at University College Cork, has been appointed as chairperson of Cuan. The new statutory agency tasked with tackling domestic, sexual and gender-based violence was formally opened in February 2024.

Multinational law firm Pinsent Masons has promoted Dorian Rees and Karen Gallagher to partner in its Dublin office. Mr Rees has been appointed as a partner working across the firm's real estate, technology, science and industry, and corporate teams.

Professor David Kenny has been elected as the next head of Trinity College Dublin School of Law. An expert in constitutional law, Professor Kenny joined the faculty in 2012. He was elected as a Fellow of Trinity College Dublin in 2021 and promoted from associate professor to professor last year.

IP law firm Powell Gilbert has promoted Bryce Matthewson and Peter FitzPatrick to partner, bringing the total number of partners across the UK and Irish firms to 15. The London-headquartered firm opened a Dublin office last summer to support its work in advising and representing clients before the n

Irish lawyer Michael O'Flaherty has formally taken up his role as the Council of Europe's new commissioner for human rights. The first Irish person to hold the post, Mr O'Flaherty will serve a six-year term after being elected by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in January.

Belfast firm Edwards & Co has appointed Tara Clements as a solicitor in the firm's employment team. The firm says it has seen an increase in demand for specialist employment law advice and advocacy from employers and employees over the past year in particular.

Deloitte partner Róisín Fitzpatrick has been appointed as interim chairperson of legal rights charity FLAC. Ms Fitzpatrick, a solicitor who works in Deloitte's corporate immigration team, takes the reins from David Fennelly BL, who has served as chairperson since 2021.

LK Shields has appointed Siobhán Lafferty as a senior associate in the firm's employment, pensions and employee benefits team. Ms Lafferty, who has over five years' experience as a solicitor, advises clients on a broad range of employment law issues, both contentious and non-contentious.

Kane Tuohy LLP has appointed Adrian Burke as chair of the firm's partnership. Mr Burke is a corporate finance lawyer with a distinguished career spanning over 30 years in A&L Goodbody, where his practice focused on strategic advice to Irish and international corporate and financial institution c

Northern Ireland's most senior government lawyer, Hugh Widdis, has been appointed as permanent secretary of the Department of Justice. Mr Widdis is currently the head of the Government Legal Service for Northern Ireland and the Departmental Solicitor for the Northern Ireland Executive.

Mark Connaughton SC has been appointed as the independent chair of the new Paediatric Spinal Taskforce. The government has established the multi-stakeholder taskforce in a bid to cut waiting times for children who need spinal surgery.

Belfast-based commercial law firm Davidson McDonnell has appointed Raymond Duddy and Barbara Creed as directors. The independent law firm said the senior strategic appointments will bolster its strength in corporate practice and commercial dispute resolution, and follow a period of continued growth.

Two women have made company history by becoming the first newly-qualified solicitors to complete Lewis Silkin's training programme in Belfast. The firm first offered its two training contracts in 2022 to Sarah Mohan and Megan Kerr, who now hold the historic position of being the firm's first home-gr

DWF has appointed Lisa O'Brien, Sarah Falvey and Rory Dunne as senior associates in its insurance, global risks and professional indemnity team in Ireland. The trio have joined the global legal business to supplement the global speciality and financial risks and major injury and casualty practices.