About

After a career in private practice culminating in partnership in the corporate and commercial department of Arthur Cox, a leading Irish firm, Rory Williams took up his first in-house role in 2001 as general counsel with Treasury Holdings, an international property developer. He joined Ervia, Ireland’s gas and water utility, as chief legal officer in 2014. When with Treasury Holdings, Williams was based in Shanghai for a period and was part of a team which created the largest Western-owned property company in China. He highlights that this taught him ‘the importance of persistence and of confirming to local norms when endeavouring to establish a business in a culturally different environment’. Additionally at this time he initiated and implemented a campaign to raise awareness among Irish law firms of the fact that they had fallen ‘well behind their peers internationally in their engagement with pro bono activities, and that they needed to treat pro bono with much more importance. This led to an increased focus on pro bono in the major Irish law firms. I have always felt strongly that law firms have a duty to serve the needs of the communities in which they operate, rather than just pursue clients and profits’. Williams is currently working with Irish Water’s legal team on ground-breaking environmental projects in Irish Water’s infancy as Ireland’s water utility. He has endeavoured to integrate a legal team which traditionally was separated by business unit and make them feel part of one team and spearheaded the introduction of a case management system across the group to increase our productivity. Lastly, in preparing for the renewal of its legal panel, bound by public procurement law, Williams has attempted to take advantage of the latest international thinking about law firm relationships and am introducing qualifications relating to pro bono, diversity and inclusion and sustainability, a first in the Irish market.