Appointments

Legal services firm Johnson Hana has announced the appointment of barrister Niamh O'Mara as chief operating officer. Ms O'Mara, previously chief of staff at EY, will drive the transformation of the firm's business operations, improving efficiency and building upon its foundation for growth.

NUI Galway School of Law has announced the appointment of Professor Guénaël Mettraux as adjunct professor of international criminal justice and international criminal law. The prestigious human rights expert is a judge of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers and presiding member of the EU's Hu

Drogheda and Ashbourne firm Tallans Solicitors has announced the promotion of Orla Shevlin to partner. Ms Shevlin, who joined the firm last year after nine years with William Fry, will lead the firm's medical negligence and commercial litigation team.

Hewitt & Gilpin Solicitors has promoted Craig Russell to director in the firm's private client department. Mr Russell joined the Belfast and Holywood firm in September 2015, having qualified as a solicitor in 1997.

Sir Nigel Knowles, the former head of DLA Piper, has taken over the reins of global legal business DWF from Andrew Leaitherland. Mr Leaitherland has led DWF since 2006, overseeing its expansion from two offices in the UK to 33 offices across four continents, including in Belfast and Dublin, as well

LK Shields has announced the appointment of Simon Mahon as an associate solicitor in the firm's banking and finance team. Mr Mahon joins from a boutique commercial law firm in Dublin. Prior to this, he practised at the leading Irish law firm where he trained as a solicitor, as well as spending two y

Major Irish law firms including Matheson, William Fry and Eversheds Sutherland are continuing to make strategic hires and welcome newly-qualified solicitors, trainees and interns in spite of the COVID-19 crisis, Irish Legal News can reveal. Top-level hires completed in recent weeks have included con

Personal injury and road traffic accident specialist firm JMK Solicitors has welcomed six new solicitors across Belfast and Newry. Caroline Cahill, Amy Goss, Karen McKee, Ailis McKeown, Karen Reavey and Ryan McKeegan have joined the firm in the last six months.

Barrister Conall Patton, who was born in Derry and practices in England and Wales, has been appointed as Queen's Counsel. At 38 years old, Mr Patton of One Essex Court is the youngest person to be named a QC in the 2019 competition.

Armagh solicitor Hilary Singleton has been appointed as a non-executive member of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS). Ms Singleton, who spent two decades as a solicitor specialising in employment law before stepping back from private practice, already holds two other public appoint

Matheson will welcome dozens of newly-qualified solicitors and student interns this summer in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, managing partner Michael Jackson has said. The firm has over 700 employees working from home and has been working hard to translate its in-person training and development pro

Independent fund depositary and oversight business INDOS Financial has announced the appointment of Elaine Breen as head of legal and compliance in Ireland. Ms Breen was previously general counsel at BlackBee Investments, an investment firm in Cork, and has held senior roles at IFG Group PLC and Wil

TLT's former managing partner David Pester has started a new role as head of strategic growth at the UK firm, which has an office in Belfast. After 19 years as managing partner, he will work with the leadership team to deliver a strategic growth programme to support existing clients and develop new

William Fry has announced the appointment of Matthew Cahill as head of structured finance and debt capital markets. The appointment marks Mr Cahill's return to Ireland after over two decades of practice in Japan, the Middle East and the UK.

Barrister Mary Keane has been elected as chair of the Board of Governors and Guardians of the National Gallery of Ireland. Ms Keane, who is also deputy director general and director of policy and public affairs at the Law Society of Ireland, has served on the Board since 2014.