News

The first half of 2018 was a "notably buoyant" period for Ireland's merger and acquisition (M&A) market, according to new analysis by William Fry. The firm's Mid-year M&A Review 2018, produced in association with Mergermarket, records 76 deals with a combined value of €70.9 billion over

Almost 10 per cent of solicitors registered in Ireland are lawyers from England and Wales, a figure in part attributable to the Brexit vote. The Financial Times reports that since the beginning of 2016, 1,644 solicitors from that jurisdiction joined the Irish roll.

The corporate M&A team at Matheson has advised a US private equity firm and a major US corporation on two transatlantic deals. The firm advised Follett Corporation, the world's largest single source of books, entertainment products, digital content and multi-media for libraries, schools and reta

Northern Ireland's Department of Justice has announced plans to gather information about victims' and witnesses' experience of the court system in sexual offence cases in the Crown Court. The Crown Court Observers' study is part of the 2018/2019 action plan published jointly under the Departments of

An organisation representing victims of thalidomide have welcomed a High Court ruling that they are entitled to discovery of State documents. Mr Justice Seamus Noonan handed down a ruling in 26 cases being brought against thalidomide manufacturer Grünenthal GmbH, Irish distributors TP Whelehan

Ciara Lagan, corporate partner at Belfast firm Tughans, writes on Brexit and diversity. Does Brexit mean a hard border, a watered-down Chequers’ plan, leaving the Customs Union, no deal? After more than 2 years of negotiations, plans and posturing we are still no clearer on what impact Brexit

Privacy International has this week filed an appeal challenging UK police forces' refusal to disclose information on their purchase and use of IMSI catchers. IMSI catchers are surveillance tools which mimic mobile phone towers, tricking phones into connecting with them and revealing personal informa

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined Lifecycle Marketing (Mother and Baby) Ltd, also known as Emma’s Diary, £140,000 for illegally collecting and selling personal information belonging to more than one million people. The data broking company, which provides advice

The practice of penal transportation as a form of criminal punishment used by the British began in the early 1600s and “did not formally cease until the penal settlement on the Andaman Islands was wound up in 1945” (Maxwell-Stewart, 2010). During the 330 years of penal transportation, Ir

A fisherman has been fined for lying to police about being attacked – so that officers would give him a lift home. Matthew McAtasney, 19, claimed to have been kicked and punched last year.

Following a ruling from the Court of Justice of the European Union that the High Court was justified in refraining to give effect to a European arrest warrant issued in Poland due to fears about fair trial rights, Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly has held that it is necessary to request further informatio

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has set out his opposition to independent legal representation for complainants in rape trials in an interview with the Irish Examiner. Mr Flanagan has proposed instead that counsellors will assist complainants through the trial process.

Irish judges have claimed €1.088 million in expenses in the first half of 2018, a 15 per cent increase on the same period last year, The Irish Times reports. The increase from €941,922 in the first half of 2017 appears to be driven by the appointment of new judges, who need to purchase rob

Eversheds Sutherland has announced plans to double the size of its Belfast office over the next 18 months. The global firm will bring its headcount to at least 30, up from the current figure of 15 including three partners.

More than 500 asylum seekers have been granted work permits under the new system introduced by the Government at the start of July. According to The Irish Times, 560 asylum seekers have been granted work permits and 326 have been refused on basis of eligibility.