Team size: 40

What are the key projects that you have been involved in over the past 12 months?

I am General Counsel and Head of the Central Bank’s Legal Division. Our Legal Division is comprised of the Legal team, which advises across all aspects of the Central Bank of Ireland’s mandate including on regulatory, central banking and organisational matters and the Regulatory Decisions Unit, which manages the administrative sanctions Inquiries and certain other decision making processes of the Central Bank.

On the legal side, we have been responsible for advising and supporting on a number of recent legislative developments. For example, we were responsible for drafting the regulations arising from the Consumer Protection Code review, which were published earlier this year. These regulations update the consumer protection measures to reflect how consumers access financial services currently. The Legal Division was responsible for engaging with policy colleagues and the Department of Finance on legislative proposals including the Finance (Provision of Access to Cash) Infrastructure Act 2025, which seeks to ensure consumers have access to cash. We are also advising on various transpositions of EU Directives including for example CRD VI, IRRD and Solvency II. I am also a member of the Eurosystem Legal Committee (LEGCO), which advises the Governing Council on legal matters including for example on a possible digital euro. The Legal Division is also advising on a number of key Central Bank organisational projects including for example the Central Bank’s new cash centre.

The Regulatory Decisions Unit is currently supporting the Inquiry members in managing certain administrative sanctions procedure (“ASP”) Inquiries. The INBS Inquiry concluded this year, with the Inquiry members’ decision recently having been confirmed by the High Court. The Inquiry decision is an important milestone as it is the first decision of an inquiry concluded under the Central Bank Act 1942.

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

Given the current context in which we are operating, we, as with all central banks, face a rapidly changing environment. We have an important role in the Legal Division in supporting the Central Bank through this change and providing future-focused and agile advice. This supports the Bank not only in managing the policy initiatives necessary to manage this change, but also the day to day issues and urgent decision-making that can be required in this context. We are therefore part of and participate in all key decision-making fora so we can shape and influence the approach being taken to ensure legal aspects are appropriately managed. We are also structured in the Legal Division in a way that enables us to respond in a swift, proactive and agile manner and to re-prioritise our work on a daily basis.

Have you had any experiences during your career as a lawyer that stand out as particularly unique or interesting?

Since joining the Central Bank, there have been many interesting experiences and not so many dull ones! When I joined, my main role was to support the Bank through the aftermath of the financial crisis and all the new legislative developments and supervisory and resolution actions required in that context. This was a hugely interesting time, with new laws being made both through new legislation and by the courts. Since then, there have been many other significant events, which have brought up many novel and complex legal issues including Brexit, the management of the emergency triggered by COVID, the war in Ukraine and its impact on financial sanctions and, more recently, the changed macro-economic environment we are in.

What do you think are the most important attributes for a modern in-house counsel to possess?

In my view, it is increasingly necessary for in-house counsel to be able to think strategically, such that they can align legal strategies with their employer’s objectives. It is important for in-house counsel to be agile and innovative and being technologically savvy is increasingly an important skill. In-house counsel must also be effective communicators as well as practical and strong collaborators and relationship builders. Curiosity, integrity and impartiality are also important attributes to ensure an in-house counsel inspires the trust necessary to be a trusted advisor.