Appointments

Lewis Silkin has appointed Emma Wightman as a senior associate and Megan Kerr as an associate in its Belfast office. Ms Wightman brings extensive expertise and experience as a commercial litigator in managing complex legal cases and providing strategic counsel to a diverse range of business clients.

Flynn O'Driscoll has appointed six new senior associates and two new associates across the firm's corporate, litigation and banking teams. The new senior associates are Claire Atkinson, Cian Mannion, Alison Kenny and Danny Heffernan, while the new associates are Éanna Bane and Ryan Hunt.

Belfast-based O'Reilly Stewart Solicitors has named Stuart Gilmore as its new managing director and welcomed Aine Tyrrell as a partner in its healthcare department. Mr Gilmore, a solicitor with almost 30 years' experience, has been a partner within the practice since 2012.

Philip Lee has promoted Niall Donnelly, Alison Murray, Patrick Kane and Jennifer Darcy to partner. Mr Donnelly, in the energy and natural resources team, specialises in advising clients on complex projects and regulatory matters in the energy sector, in particular renewable energy transactions.

Maples and Calder (Ireland) LLP, the Maples Group's law firm, has appointed Stephen Gardiner as a partner in its Irish asset finance practice. With 15 years' experience, Mr Gardiner is a highly-regarded advisor in the aviation leasing and finance sector in Ireland.

Walkers has appointed Dermot Casserly as partner and head of its employment law team in Ireland. Mr Casserly joins from DWF, where he led the employment team, having previously held roles at Beauchamps and KPMG.

Patrice O'Keeffe has been appointed as managing partner of Comyn Kelleher Tobin (CKT), taking the reins from Deborah Moore, who has led the practice for the past 16 years. Having headed the firm through a period of significant growth — including an 85 per cent increase in practising solicitors

Solicitor Maura Kiely has been appointed as a Revenue Commissioner. Taoiseach Micheál Martin appointed Ms Kiely to succeed Gerry Harrahill, who recently retired from the Revenue Board.

IP law firm Bristows has appointed Naoise Gaffney as of counsel and UPC director in Dublin. The London-headquartered firm opened its Dublin office in September 2023 in response to the establishment of the Unified Patent Court (UPC).

Addleshaw Goddard Ireland has appointed Joseph O'Rourke as a corporate and commercial partner and Killian Maher as a construction partner. The two appointments come as the international law firm settles into its new 28,000 sq ft office at Fitzwilliam No.28, Dublin.

Former European Court of Human Rights president Dr Síofra O'Leary has joined UCD Sutherland School of Law as adjunct full professor. An alumna of the university, Dr O'Leary served as a judge of the Strasbourg court from 2015 until 2024.

Lawyer-turned-banker Davinia Conlan has been appointed as chair of the Federation of International Banks in Ireland (FIBI) for a two-year tenure. Ms Conlan, a solicitor, spent over 16 years as a banking lawyer prior to her appointment in 2023 as country head for Citi Ireland, where she was previousl

Irish lawyer Róisín Culligan has joined the London office of global law firm Orrick as managing associate in its technology transactions group. Ms Culligan, who is dual-qualified as a solicitor in Ireland and in England and Wales, was previously an associate in William Fry's technology

Professor Niamh Moloney has been appointed to the UK's Prudential Regulation Committee (PRC) for a three-year term. The PRC takes the most important decisions of the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), one of the UK’s financial regulators.

Fianna Fáil TD Niall Collins has been appointed as a minister of state in the Department of Justice, with Fine Gael TD Colm Brophy set to follow. Mr Collins, an accountant before entering politics, has been given special responsibility for international law, law reform and youth justice.