*This Law Society Skillnet discount is applicable to all practicing solicitors working in the private sector. The standard fee for this course is €280. 

Course 2: Employment Law Conference 2023  
CPD hours: 3.5 general (by eLearning)

Aim and objectives
This annual conference, recorded in November 2023, is designed in collaboration with the Law Society’s Employment & Equality Law Committee. It aims to provide a practical overview of recent employment legislative and case law developments. An interactive panel of experts will provide a practical guide to dismissal and disciplinary issues.

Topics include:

• Practical implementation of the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act 2022 
• a. Implementation of Gender Pay Gap Reporting
• b. The EU Directive on Pay Transparency 
• European Union (Transparent & Predictable Working Conditions) Regulations 2022
• Update on Employment Law Case Law
• Panel Discussion: A  Practical Guide to Dismissal & Disciplinary issues.  

Chairperson
Barry Walsh, Partner, Lewis Silken                

Speakers 
Jane O’Sullivan, Managing Solicitor at Community Law & Mediation. 
Jane O’Sullivan works with Community Law & Mediation as Managing Solicitor.  She qualified as a solicitor in 2007 and has worked with CLM since 2013.  She practises in employment and equality law, and broadly on access to justice and human rights.  She provides legal advice and representation to clients in employment and equal status cases and regularly provides training and other support to advocacy organisations.  She works on law reform and has addressed the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on social welfare issues as part of a shadow reporting delegation.  She holds a Masters in International Human Rights Law from NUI Galway Irish Centre for Human Rights and is a member of the Law Society Committee on Employment and Equality.  

Deirdre Malone, Partner, Head of Employment Law, EY Law Ireland.
Deirdre leads EY Law Ireland’s employment law team, working as part of the EY Law global network of law firms across 95 countries. Deirdre advises multinational and SME employer clients on strategic workforce planning, workforce restructuring and HR transactions. A significant part of Deirdre’s practice relates to non-contentious advisory support for People Managers in Ireland working across all sectors on day-to-day employment matters. Deirdre is highly regarded for her employment law expertise combined with a commercial, pragmatic and solution-driven focus. She is a CEDR accredited Mediator and is ranked by Chambers and Partners and the Legal 500 for her work in employment law. Deirdre is a member of the Law Society of Ireland’s Employment and Equality Committee. 

Catherine Jane O’Rourke, Associate, Hayes Solicitors 

William Maher BL
William Maher BL is a practicing Barrister in Ireland and in Northern Ireland. An employment law specialist, William regularly appears on behalf of both the employee and the employer before the Superior Courts and statutory employment law bodies. In particular, William has a longstanding interest in protected disclosures and has acted in numerous whistleblowing actions on behalf of both the employee and the employer. Of note, William represented the successful claimant in Baranya v Rosderra Irish Meats 2021 [IESC] 77, which remains the leading and (so far) only Irish Supreme Court decision on whistleblowing in Ireland. In addition to his work as a barrister, William has lectured on Employment Law, Public Law, Irish and EU Constitutional arrangements and on the Irish and European legal and political process. He also devised and delivered a certified 13 week employment law training course to senior officials of Ireland’s Department of Public Expenditure and Reform as well as training other government departments and state bodies on a range of employment law matters. William is a regular contributor on employment law matters. He recently spoke at the European Employment Lawyers Association (EELA) annual conference in Bucharest and later this week will speak at the American Bar Association’s Annual Labour and Employment Law Conference in Seattle, USA on the topic of “Whistleblowing in a Multinational Setting”. Previously, William worked as a lobbyist with IBEC influencing Irish and European decision makers on behalf of the Irish food industry as well as international trade affairs. Outside of work, William is married with a young family, is a sports coach for underage sports teams, is chairman of a social housing charity and is an International Election Monitor with European Union and United Nations missions on behalf of Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs. 

Maura Connolly, Partner, Head of Dispute Resolution and Employment, Addleshaw Goddard

Joanne Hyde,  Partner, Head of Employment Law and Head of Commercial Eversheds Sutherlands
Joanne is a Partner, Head of Employment Law, and Head of the Commercial department in Eversheds Sutherland LLP. Joanne is a pragmatic and business focused employment lawyer. Joanne has many years of experience advising both international and indigenous clients on a wide range of employment and industrial relations issues. Her comprehensive experience includes advising on employment law challenges arising from commercial transactions, employment disputes and litigation as well as providing strategic and proactive advice on HR issues. Joanne was nominated as a stand-out lawyer in the Acritas Stars Sharplegal study and was recently inducted into the Women in Business Law Hall of Fame.

Rachel Barry, Associate, Arthur Cox
Rachel Barry is an Associate at Arthur Cox LLP, specialising in employment law. She advises clients on various issues arising out of the employer-employee relationship including health and safety compliance, investigations, litigation, the termination of employment contracts, recruitment, redundancies, fixed-term and agency workers legislation, equality law, corporate immigration, GDPR compliance and employment aspects of corporate transactions.

Course 1: Employment Law Masterclass 2022
CPD Hours: 6 general (by eLearning)

Aim and Objectives
Since the start of the pandemic there have been many developments in employment law. The aim of this masterclass, recorded in October 2022, is to offer practitioners a practical update in procedure and practice and an understanding of the implications of new developments. 

Topics and Issues

• A practical guide to presenting cases in the Labour Court
• A practical guide to termination – dismissal and redundancies
• A practical guide to remote and flexible working
• A practical guide to cases involving harassment and sexual harassment in the workplace
• Zalewski v Adjudication Office & Others [2021] IESC 24 – practical implications for cases in WRC and Labour Court
• Protected Disclosures: new challenges in employment law practice

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this masterclass participants will be able to understand the practical approach to bringing cases in the Labour Court and will understand the implications of recent developments in employment law practice. 

Chairperson

The Hon. Ms. Justice Marguerite Bolger
Marguerite Bolger is a judge of the Irish High Court and currently sits in the non-jury and judicial review list. She was previously a Senior Counsel and practised extensively in employment law and equality law before the Irish and European courts.  She is the author of a number of legal articles and textbooks including the 2nd edition of ‘Employment Equality Law’ due to be published by Roundhall Thomson Reuters shortly.

Speakers
Claire Bruton B.L.
Claire Bruton is a practising barrister specialising in employment law. She is editor of the Employment Law Reports and Irish Employment Law Journal. She is the co-author of The Irish Legal System (2009, Tottel) and is a co-author of Employment Equality Law (co-authors Bolger and Kimber) published by Round Hall Press in November 2012.

Ronnie Neville, Partner, Mason Hayes & Curran
Ronnie is a partner in Mason Hayes & Curran’s employment law and benefits team. He provides strategic advice on restructuring, re-organisation and general employment-related matters. Ronnie acts for numerous clients in both the financial services and the retail and hospitality sectors. In addition, he is an experienced litigator in the various employment law fora. Ronnie frequently supports the corporate team in corporate transactions, including in the due diligence process and in drafting appropriate warranties and indemnities. Ronnie heads up the firm’s French Desk and was recently appointed as the “Avocat Conseil” (legal advisor) to the French Embassy in Ireland. 

Caroline Jenkinson, Former Deputy Chairman of the Labour Court
Caroline, Former Deputy Chairman of the Labour Court has over 20 years adjudication experience dealing with cases on employment law and industrial relations disputes throughout all sections of the economy in both the public and private sector. Adjudication on employment law cases involves an understanding and appreciation of both Irish and European law, which is reflected in the Determinations issued by Caroline. 
Prior to her appointment to the Labour Court, Caroline worked for Ibec for over 20 years dealing with industrial relations and social policy. During her time with Ibec, Caroline represented employers’ interests at both national and EU level. 

Richard Grogan, Principle of Richard Grogan & Associates
Richard is the principal of Richard Grogan & Associates. Richard is a recognised specialist in Employment Law, Capital Taxation and Litigation. Richard also has a strong knowledge of Taxation Law as it applies to Employers and Employees. Richard has been involved as the lead lawyer in some of the most challenging Employment Law cases. Richard acts for both employers and employees. 

Rosemary Mallon BL 
Rosemary commenced practice in 2003. She specialises in employment law and regulatory law. She also regularly acts in cases dealing with equality law and education law. Rosemary appears regularly before the Workplace Relations Commission and the Labour Court as well as the Superior Courts. She has appeared before a number of regulatory bodies including the Medical Council representing registrants in fitness to practice inquiries.  She has also appeared in a number of public/statutory inquiries including the Morris Tribunal and the Justice Clarke Inquiry. Rosemary is an accredited CEDR mediator and regularly represents parties in mediation and/or is appointed as a mediator in disputes including but not limited to employment and commercial matters particularly involving senior executives. Rosemary is frequently engaged to act as an independent investigator in workplace investigations concerning matters as diverse as allegations of discrimination to alleged protected disclosures. She has also been appointed as an independent 3rd party to hear internal appeals of disciplinary decisions. For the last number of years Rosemary has acted as the Chairperson of the Investigation Committee for the Certified Public Accountants of Ireland; the role of the Committee is to investigate complaints of professional misconduct made against members of the Institute. Rosemary is also engaged regularly to advise on non-contentious employment law matters. This work includes the preparation of contracts, senior executive service agreements and advising employers on internal processes including grievance and disciplinary procedures. Rosemary is an active member of the Employment Bar Association. She has lectured in the Advanced Diploma in Applied Employment Law at the King’s Inns since the inception of the course.

Des Ryan B.L. 
Des is a practising barrister in the Law Library, specialising exclusively in Employment Law since 2006, and a CEDR-accredited Mediator. He advises on all aspects of Employment Law. Des appears very regularly before the Workplace Relations Commission, the Labour Court, and the Superior Courts.  Des is an Associate Professor and Fellow at Trinity College Dublin where he lectures Employment Law and Tort Law. He is a founding member and current Committee Member of the Irish Employment Law Association.  He has published widely and internationally in book, journal article and conference paper form on all areas of Employment Law and gives CPD briefings regularly to members of the solicitors’ and barristers’ profession, to the judiciary, and to Human Resources professional.

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