The Legal 500

Arthur Cox boasts one of Ireland’s largest dedicated employment teams with 12 lawyers led by Seamus Given. ‘True professional’ Kevin Langford is recommended, as is Cian Beecher for his ‘expertise, accessibility and practicality’. The firm was appointed as the lead adviser to the Health Service Executive following a tender process, and acts for five of the seven Irish universities.

ByrneWallace has a longstanding and eminent reputation in employment law, and it represents state bodies, quasi-state bodies and Irish plcs. The highly rated Michael Kennedy heads the team, which advises the Law Society of Ireland on all employment matters. Intel and AIB are also key clients. Michelle Ni Longain is also recommended. Duncan Inverarity joined A&L Goodbody in 2011.

The highly rated Barry Walsh heads the four-partner team at A&L Goodbody, which was significantly bolstered by the recruitment of Duncan Inverarity from ByrneWallace in 2011. The group advised Certus on industrial relations and employment law relating to outsourcing arrangements with Lloyds Banking Group. Other clients include Pfizer, Quinn Group and Cadbury.

Eversheds’ ‘excellent’ team is sole adviser to Microsoft on a wide range of contentious and non-contentious issues. Practice head Joanne Hyde ‘understands the practical aspects of running a business’, and David Fagan is ‘very knowledgeable and extremely helpful’.

Paul Glenfield heads the team at Matheson Ormsby Prentice, which provides ‘thorough and clear advice in a professional but personable manner’. Deirdre Lynch and Brian Buggy are recommended.

Mason Hayes & Curran’s ‘practical and business-savvy’ partners advise Facebook and the Irish Hotels Federation in Dublin on all employment matters. Melanie Crowley is able to ‘make the most complex of situations simple’, and Ronnie Neville is simply ‘outstanding’.

McCann FitzGerald advised the Irish Nationwide Building Society’s new board on conducting a legacy review as well as on industrial relations. Practice head Terence McCrann ‘gives confidence to hold one’s nerve in the face of opposition’. Mary Brassil has the ability to ‘get quickly to the nub of the matter at hand’.

William Fry advises in ‘a clear and pragmatic way’. Boyce Shubotham is ‘just amazing’, Alicia Compton has few peers, and associate Maryrose Dillon is ‘a rising star in Irish employment law circles’. Clients include Ernst & Young, Nortel Networks and B&Q.

Beauchamps Solicitors’ clients include BNP Paribas and Vision Consulting. Practice head Dermot Casserly is ‘extremely knowledgeable and supportive’.

Eugene F. Collins advised Vodafone Ireland on a number of employment matters including representing the client in a High Court case concerning restrictive covenants. Maura Connolly leads the team.

Hayes Solicitors’ Carol Fawsitt led advice to Ladbrokes concerning its outsourcing of engineers for certain services.

LK Shields Solicitors is particularly noted for its contentious practice, which is headed by Michael Kavanagh. It defended Fiat Group in a High Court case brought by a former managing director.

Peter McInnes’ team at McDowell Purcell acts as Matheson Ormsby Prentice’s employment adviser.

Ronan Daly Jermyn’s clients include PepsiCo, GlaxoSmithKline, RCI, EMC and Eli Lilly.

WhitneyMoore advised the Affordable Homes Partnership and Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency on the closure of the former and transfer of staff to the new agency. John Lynch leads the practice.

Holmes O’Malley Sexton’s practice head Pat Barriscale is ‘astute, straight-talking and knowledgeable’. The team advised a US parent company on winding down its Irish subsidiary.

The ‘excellent’ Lavelle Coleman advises Start Mortgages on employment matters. Marc Fitzgibbon is recommended.

Much of Ivor Fitzpatrick & Company’s practice involves redundancy issues, and the group acts for companies and individuals. Dympna Murphy heads the practice.

Tony Williams heads Simon McAleese Solicitors’ employment team, which has seen a rise in instructions regarding pension schemes and entitlements.