Clonakilty solicitor Niall Geaney has been elected to the judicial bodies of motorsport's governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Mr Geaney was elected at FIA's 2025 general assembly in Tashkent, Uzbekistan as a new judge of the FIA International Tribunal a
Appointments
See all articlesClonakilty solicitor Niall Geaney has been elected to the judicial bodies of motorsport's governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Mr Geaney was elected at FIA's 2025 general assembly in Tashkent, Uzbekistan as a new judge of the FIA International Tribunal a
Northern Ireland firm Tughans has expanded its real estate team with the appointment of Catriona Sharkey as of counsel. Ms Sharkey joins Tughans from Sheehan in Dublin, bringing more than 15 years’ specialist experience advising on a broad range of commercial property matters across both
Ann Lalor has been appointed as group general counsel at Bank of Ireland. Ms Lalor will join Bank of Ireland in 2026 from multinational law firm Pinsent Masons, where she is currently partner and head of the Dublin office.
Global law firm Baker McKenzie has appointed Helena Woodward as executive director of its centre in Belfast. The firm's Belfast centre provides business and professional services support to its clients and offices around the world. Established in 2014, it now employs around 500 people.
RDJ LLP managing partner Jamie Olden has been appointed as a lay member to the governing body of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI). The RCPI Council sets the College’s mission, vision, and strategic direction, approves general policies, and ensures accountability by monitoring
Byrne Wallace Shields LLP has recruited Kevin Harnett as partner in the firm's construction law practice. Mr Harnett has 20 years’ experience advising on all aspects of construction law, encompassing both transactional and contentious matters.
Northern Ireland
See all articlesA law graduate from Queen's University Belfast has spoken about going from childhood prison visits to interning at the US Congress. The university is sharing the story of Ellie-Jo Taylor, 21, who graduated with a law degree earlier this month.
Northern Ireland’s Court of Appeal has allowed an appeal against a decision of the Parole Commissioners for Northern Ireland to direct the release of a prisoner on licence. Delivering judgment for the Court of Appeal of Northern Ireland, Mr Justice Adrian Colton explained: “What is not l
Gillian O'Hanlon BL
Northern Ireland's Pro Bono Choir has raised £8,000 for charity at its annual carol service in Belfast. Senior legal and judicial figures were in attendance for the service on Tuesday 9 December at the Good Shepherd Church, Belfast, held under the musical direction of Sheelagh Greer, accompani
Northern Ireland firm Tughans has expanded its real estate team with the appointment of Catriona Sharkey as of counsel. Ms Sharkey joins Tughans from Sheehan in Dublin, bringing more than 15 years’ specialist experience advising on a broad range of commercial property matters across both
Global law firm Baker McKenzie has appointed Helena Woodward as executive director of its centre in Belfast. The firm's Belfast centre provides business and professional services support to its clients and offices around the world. Established in 2014, it now employs around 500 people.
Universities
See all articlesA law graduate from Queen's University Belfast has spoken about going from childhood prison visits to interning at the US Congress. The university is sharing the story of Ellie-Jo Taylor, 21, who graduated with a law degree earlier this month.
A pair of aspiring lawyers have been awarded the Gateley Legal Northern Ireland prize by Queen’s University Belfast’s School of Law. Students Robin Clarke and Tara McFeely split this year’s award, which is given to the student from the Masters in Law course who scored the highest o
A legally comprehensive study of Lord MacDermott, former law lord and Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, has been published for the first time. Lord MacDermott was first appointed to the bench in 1944 and retired from Northern Ireland's top judicial post in 1971, though continued to sit in vari
Irish human rights activist Brian Dooley has been recognised with the University of Oslo's annual human rights award. Mr Dooley, a senior advisor to Washington DC-based NGO Human Rights First, was named winner in September and this month travelled to Oslo to collect the award.
Children's ombudsman Dr Niall Muldoon has been awarded an honorary doctor from University College Dublin. A clinical psychologist from Donegal with nearly 20 years’ experience in child protection, Dr Muldoon holds a PhD from the UCD School of Psychology, where his research focused on psychothe
Interviews
See all articlesAdam Synnott has the felicitous capacity to combine brisk efficiency with engaging affability. It’s a useful admixture that undoubtedly facilitates his career at EY Law Ireland, a stand-alone, regulated law firm which forms part of the global EY network. Mr Synnott, partner and head of corpora
The word that regularly recurs in Constance Cassidy’s vocabulary is “busy”. Often augmented to “busy, busy, busy”. It’s hardly surprising. The senior counsel’s day has begun some five hours before our mid-morning interview and the number of appointments in h
Colin Cardwell
October is European Cybersecurity Month (ECSM), the EU's annual campaign dedicated to promoting cybersecurity among its citizens and organisations, and to providing current online security information. Ironically, it has coincided with Amazon Web Services (AWS) experiencing a recent major outage in
Colin Cardwell
The view from Andrew McGahey’s home office south of Navan in Co Meath is an idyllic one. The vista of tranquillity that takes in the Hill of Tara and the River Boyne ends here, though — the EMEA managing partner of Kennedys Law LLP is responsible for seven offices, where daily life is di
Colin Cardwell
The quest for knowledge has advanced beyond imagination in the millennia since Plato and Aristotle first proposed their theories of epistemology. For legal firms at the leading edge of meeting today’s exacting demands, ‘knowledge’ now involves a multitude of practical applications,
Colin Cardwell






