• Data protection, mediation, employment law and emerging legal issues such as cybercrime to be discussed at Law Society Skillnet conference
• Opportunity for solicitors from across the Shannonside and North West region to be briefed on latest law changes and updates ahead of GDPR coming into force in two weeks’ time
• Conference being held at Landmark Hotel, Carrick-on-Shannon

As key GDPR advisors to businesses across Leitrim, Longford, Roscommon and Sligo, over 200 solicitors are attending a major legal conference in the Landmark Hotel in Carrick on Shannon today and tomorrow (Thursday 10 and Friday 11 May 2018).

Organised by Law Society Skillnet and local bar associations, data protection is high on the agenda that also includes mediation, employment law and cybercrime.

Local focus

Solicitor Kieran Ryan of Kelly Ryan Solicitors (Manorhamilton and Sligo) is the President of the Leitrim Bar Association. He is chairing the event on Friday 11 May 2018.

“Every aspect of the law is becoming more complex and in designing this conference we have focussed on ensuring that local solicitors have the most complete and up-to-date knowledge on these important topics for their clients.”

Data Protection

The new GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) rules come into force for everyone on 25 May 2018 – just two weeks’ time.

“There are in the region of 10,000 businesses operating across Counties Leitrim, Longford, Roscommon and Sligo. Every single one of those businesses must ensure that they are in total compliance with the new GDPR rules on 25 May. There is no grace period and there are potentially very severe penalties, including fines,” said Mr Ryan.

“Solicitors are already key advisors across various aspects of business operations and I would strongly encourage all business owners to chat to their solicitor about GDPR at an early stage.”

“Solicitors can advise on business-critical issues such as data protection audits, preparing for data breaches, and appointing a data protection officer within the business.”

Mediation

One of the other key topics on the agenda will be mediation, with an expert speaker providing updates on the Mediation Act 2017.

“Solicitors are at the front-line when people seek justice for injuries they received as a result of medical negligence, for example, which is sadly highly topical at the moment. While we have seen that public court cases can be a force for good in such cases, mediation can be a more private, often less stressful route to justice in complex cases such as these,” says Mr Ryan.

“This conference brings solicitors from across the Shannonside and North West region right up to date on this increasingly important area of law.” 

The Essential Practitioner Update 2018 is organised by the Law Society Skillnet in association with Leitrim, Longford, Roscommon and Sligo Bar Associations.

Photographs from the event

You can view or download pictures from the Essential Practitioner Update 2018 below. Click on an image to view it in a larger window.

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