Knowledge Seminar 2025

Paula Reid is a partner and Head of A&L Goodbody's Knowledge team. The Firm was the first law firm in Ireland to establish a dedicated knowledge function and Partner within its practice, signifying the Firm’s commitment to placing knowledge at the forefront of its business.

Mr Justice Peter Kelly was President of the High Court until his retirement in 2020. Prior to that he was a judge of the Court of Appeal. As a High Court judge, Mr Justice Kelly established and managed the Commercial List of that court for the first ten years of its existence. He is a member of the Bars of England and Northern Ireland and a Master of the Bench in Middle Temple London. Mr Justice Kelly chaired the Review of the Administration of Civil Justice which reported in October 2020. The report made practical recommendations for wide-ranging reform of the civil law some of which have already been implemented. The legislation required to implement other key elements of the report is expected to be published later this year. Mr Justice Kelly is a former chairman of the Investment Committee of the High Court and a former member of the Courts Service Board. He is a member of the Council of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

Tríona Sugrue is a Senior Knowledge Consultant in the firm’s Employment Practice Group. Tríona has extensive experience advising on all aspects of contentious and non-contentious employment issues and representing parties in employment disputes before the Workplace Relations Commission, the Labour Court and the civil courts. She provides professional support to the Employment Practice Group and clients in relation to all aspects of employment law. She is a lecturer in Employment Law at the Law Society of Ireland and regularly contributes to publications on employment law topics. She is co-author of Labour and Employment Compliance in Ireland.

Michelle has more than 20 years’ experience as a corporate transactions lawyer in Ireland. She has advised both domestic and international clients on mergers and acquisitions, equity fundraisings, joint ventures and reorganisations. Michelle has been supporting the firm’s corporate team as a Senior Knowledge Consultant since 2022, drafting legal documentation, providing updates regarding changes in company and corporate law and assisting with legal and transactional queries. Her work also involves developing and delivering internal and client training and producing client briefings.

Sinéad is a Knowledge Consultant in the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution department. She is a highly experienced commercial litigator having advised market leading corporate clients on complex commercial disputes and investigations with a particular focus on the financial services and aviation sectors. Sinéad also advised clients on their contentious engagement with regulators and other statutory bodies and provided strategic advice on risk management including in the context of regulatory and legislative developments.

Celine is the firm’s Knowledge and Client Solutions Manager, leading the development and implementation of knowledge and collaboration systems that support both our lawyers and clients. With a background in legal information management and postgraduate qualifications in IT and Fintech Innovation, Celine delivers user-centred, practical knowledge solutions. She advises on best practice in knowledge sharing, intranet design, information governance, search and KM processes. Celine has also worked closely with client legal teams on knowledge strategies that align with business goals and support team engagement.

Michael Doyle is a partner and Head of A&L Goodbody's Employment Law group. He advises domestic and international employers across a wide range of sectors on all aspects of contentious and non-contentious employment law and industrial relations matters. He provides employers with prompt and pragmatic advice on compliance with their legal obligations, the conduct of internal HR processes and the termination of employment.

Berni Hosty is a partner in A&L Goodbody's Corporate and M&A group. Berni advises a wide range of clients on corporate transactions, both in the domestic market and on international deals, across a variety of business and industry sectors. Her key areas of expertise include mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring and cross border amalgamations.

Nicholas Cole is a partner in A&L Goodbody's Disputes & Investigations group. His practice is focused on all aspects of commercial litigation and corporate crisis management including defamation, white collar crime, investigations, corporate fraud, and shareholder disputes. Nicholas is an exceptionally experienced commercial litigator, and has market-leading expertise in advising on complex contentious matters, particularly in the technology sector.