Appointments

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.

Human rights advocate Mary Lawlor has taken up her post as UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders. Ms Lawlor has decades of experience in human rights, having helped to grow Irish-based NGOs as a previous director of Amnesty International in Ireland and a founder of Front L

Two new associates have joined Arthur Cox's litigation and dispute resolution team in Belfast. Kristina Cunningham joins the firm from a high-profile personal injury practice, while Tomás Corrigan has joined the Belfast team from the firm's Dublin office.

Global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills has promoted Belfast office head Lisa McLaughlin to partner. Ms McLaughlin heads the firm's dedicated Alternative Legal Services (ALT) office and has overseen its expansion from 19 fee earners in 2011 to over 240 lawyers, technologists and legal analysts today

Corporate law firm BHSM has announced the appointment of Trea McGuinness as a senior associate in the firm's private client team. Ms McGuinness specialises in the areas of wills and estate planning, trusts and the administration of estates. She advises domestic and international clients, both privat

International law firm Simmons & Simmons has announced the appointment of Yvonne Quinn as a managing associate in Dublin. Ms Quinn joins the firm's real estate and finance team from Value Retail, where she worked as senior legal counsel.

Global business advisory firm FTI Consulting has appointed lawyer Gráinne Bryan to head up its technology practice in Ireland. Ms Bryan joins the firm as a managing director from a major corporate law firm, having worked for over two decades in the legal industry.

Solicitor MaryRose McGovern has been promoted to deputy financial services and pensions ombudsman. Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe yesterday appointed Ms McGovern to take up the new role as deputy ombudsman from 20 April 2020, as well as reappointing Ger Deering as the ombudsman.

Cleaver Fulton Rankin has announced the appointment of Brid McColgan as an associate director in the firm's private client team. She joins the team led by director Michael Graham after previously working for over 10 years at a large commercial law firm in Northern Ireland in their private client dep

International law firm Pinsent Masons has promoted three Belfast lawyers to legal directors in its 2020 promotion round. Lisa Early and Michael Hamill have been promoted to director in the corporate team, while Jane Boyd has been promoted to director in banking.

Solicitor Edel Coughlan has joined the legal team at the Asset Management Exchange (AMX), an institutional platform for investors and asset managers. Established by Willis Towers Watson in 2017, AMX negotiates with managers, transitions assets, provides reporting and adds an extra layer of oversight

Dr Ciara Fitzpatrick has joined the Transitional Justice Institute (TJI) at Ulster University as a lecturer in law. Having worked extensively on access to justice and social security law, she brings additional capacity to the institute's work on gender and on socioeconomic rights.

Specialist legal services firm Caytons has strengthened its Dublin office with the appointment of two additional solicitors. Mary Smith joins the firm as a senior associate while John Sparks joins as a solicitor, both from an international commercial law firm.

Maynooth University has announced the promotion of Delia Ferri to professor in the Department of Law. Professor Ferri, previously a lecturer, was promoted "in recognition of her significant leadership role in securing prestigious research grants and in her contribution to teaching, engagement and re

University of Limerick School of Law has announced the appointment of Patricia Gilheaney as an adjunct professor. Professor Gilheaney, who has a background in psychiatry and nursing, was appointed as Ireland's prisons inspector two years ago.