Paul Gillen

Mr Gillen joins Lewis Silkin from Pinsent Masons, where he headed the firm’s island of Ireland employment law team.

Advising on both contentious and non-contentious matters, he advises on all aspects of Northern Ireland, Great Britain and Republic of Ireland employment laws.

He works with clients including SMEs and multinationals in IT and technology, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), manufacturing, energy, retail, universities and financial services, as well as public sector entities, on domestic and cross-jurisdiction employment issues.

Prior to training as a lawyer, Mr Gillen had more than a decade of experience working in in-house HR roles, including being head of HR, across sectors covering retail, construction, manufacturing and logistics.

He specialises in advising on issues relating to workplace diversity and inclusion, and acts on matters ranging from insolvency, mergers and acquisitions and TUPE, to employment tribunal cases and HR policy and procedure.

Taken together, Lewis Silkin now has nine partners across its offices in Dublin and Belfast, with Mr Gillen joining a 16-strong team in Northern Ireland.

Ciara Fulton, partner and head of the Belfast office, said: “Paul brings with him an outstanding track record and immensely valuable experience from his years of working in-house in HR management and leadership roles.

“Our offering across the island of Ireland has grown rapidly in a short space of time in line with growing demand, and Paul joining the team further enhances our ability to provide seamless, market-leading employment law advice to our domestic and international clients.”

Mr Gillen added: “It is an exciting time to be joining Lewis Silkin, with the firm growing its presence in Belfast, and Dublin, exponentially over recent years – which is a real testament to its dynamic client base and commitment to doing business on the island of Ireland.

“Employers and HR departments are continuing to face numerous challenges when it comes to their people, whether the implications of evolving work-life priorities, or regulatory hurdles stemming from the UK’s exit from the European Union, and Lewis Silkin is uniquely positioned to help businesses navigate these issues.

“I very much look forward to working with the team.”