A&L Goodbody appoints new Head of Employment in Northern Ireland
A&L Goodbody (ALG) has announced the appointment of a new Head of Employment Law at its Belfast office. Emma-Jane Flannery joins ALG after four years as in-house Senior Legal Counsel at a major global FMCG and consumer packed goods company, having recorded more than 22 years’ experience more widely advising domestic and international clients on all aspects of employment and equality law.
Working alongside fellow Employment Partner Gareth Walls, Emma-Jane will continue to drive the growth of the firm’s eight-strong specialist Employment team in Northern Ireland – the largest of its size in the local market.
Qualified in Northern Ireland, and England and Wales, Emma-Jane provides practical, commercially focused advice to employers across a wide range of sectors, supporting clients on day-to-day workplace issues alongside complex projects and disputes.
She advises on both contentious and non-contentious matters, including executive appointments, remuneration and severance, and TUPE considerations arising out of corporate transactions and outsourcing arrangements, complex industrial matters, contracts, policies and best-practice procedures. She regularly speaks at seminars on employment law developments and provides tailored client training across a range of workplace issues.
Emma-Jane commented: “ALG has long been reputed as a leading law firm in the local market, with an exceptionally strong depth and breadth of expertise across all aspects of employment law and key specialisms in areas such as corporate immigration.
“It is a privilege to join such a progressive firm of this calibre at a time when the employment law landscape continues to evolve more rapidly than ever in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain.
“Alongside contending with new legislation coming down the line through the Good Jobs Bill, employers are increasingly having to negotiate complexities brought about by the evolution of technology, including the use of AI in the workplace and the increasing prominence of Data Subject Access Requests (DSARs) – all challenges that the Employment team at ALG are proactively embracing head-on with a diverse portfolio of domestic and international clients.”
Michael Neill, Head of Office at ALG in Northern Ireland, welcomed Emma-Jane’s appointment saying: “Underpinned by her strong commercial focus and ambition for the firm, Emma-Jane’s experience across a number of leading law firms in GB and NI alongside her unique experience with a major global brand will undoubtedly prove to be a huge asset to ALG and our clients in the years to come.”
Photo L to R: Gareth Walls, Partner, Emma-Jane Flannery, Head of Employment and Michael Neill, Head of Office
Date published: 15 June 2026