John Breslin SC

Mr Justice David Barniville, president of the High Court, will address the launch of the new specialist bar association in the Distillery Building today at 4.30pm.

The FSBA aims to promote members’ expertise in all areas of financial services law, as well as encouraging and educating junior colleagues who want to grow their practice in financial services law, and proactively engaging with relevant legislative developments and consultations.

Speaking ahead of the launch event, Mr Breslin said: “Specialist bar associations are an integral part of the action required to combat market conditions which challenge the ability of the independent referral bar to thrive.

“There is massive expertise at the bar across the full spectrum of financial services law. We have found that there are many talented junior colleagues who face insurmountable difficulties in finding a platform upon which to hone their professional skills.

“It is a particular focus of the SBAs, as it will be for the FSBA, to address this issue.”

The FSBA’s first annual conference, taking place in November, will focus on the senior executive accountability regime (SEAR) due to be introduced through new legislation, making individual directors and managers of banks and financial services companies personally liable for regulatory breaches by the firm.

The Bar of Ireland has 16 specialist bar associations, and the FSBA joins a number of new associations in the field of taxation, insolvency, tort and insurance, which are currently under development.