CIPD Ireland Employment Law Conference 2025
We were delighted to welcome 230+ delegates to this year's CIPD Ireland Employment Law Conference at the Aviva Stadium.
We brought together legal experts, practitioners, and policy makers to take a holistic view of governance and compliance in our organisations. With plenty of networking, Q&A, and practical insights, this conference is a must-attend for people professionals every February!
We've had some great sessions with engaging discussions and expert insights. A huge thank you to all our legal expert speakers from Byrne Wallace Shields LLP, all our expert practitioners, session chairs, exhibitors, delegates, staff and the CIPD Ireland team for making this event so engaging and valuable.
Looking forward to continuing the conversations and applying conference learnings in the year ahead!
Please find links to the 2025 conference presentations below:
Michelle has extensive experience in all areas of employment, equality and administrative law in three jurisdictions. Michelle qualified as a solicitor in Northern Ireland, practising there in employment and equality law from 1994, practising in England and Wales from 1996 to 1999 and returning to Ireland in 1999 when she joined the firm. Michelle advises public and private sector clients, primarily employers, on complex, novel and challenging areas of employment, equality and administrative law and provides strategic advice including on the resolution of intractable matters.
Michelle is the immediate past President of the Law Society of Ireland (2021- 2022) and has been a member of its Council since 2004. She has chaired many Law Society committees including Education, Finance, Audit subcommittee and Gender Equality Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce. She was a member of the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland from 2007-2013. Michelle has an invaluable perspective in advising clients from her experience in professional and regulatory bodies and from almost three decades of experience in advising and representing clients in significant internal and external matters. Michelle designs and provides comprehensive training.
In October 2024, Michelle was awarded a Patent of Precedence which entitles her to use the title of Senior Counsel. She is one of seven solicitors awarded the title in 2024. Patents of Precedence are granted by the Government, under the terms of the Legal Services Regulation, on the advice of the Advisory Committee on the grant of Patents of Precedence.
Liam has extensive experience and advises many leading employers, both private and public sector, scheme trustees and individuals. His expertise ranges from advising on the pensions aspects of corporate M&As and reorganisations, drafting and amending pension scheme documentation, restructuring pension schemes, the application of pensions regulatory and tax legislation, trusteeship and scheme governance, to advising on pensions disputes and pensions litigation.
Liam also works closely the Byrne Wallace Shields LLP Employment Law Team advising on the pension provisions of contracts of employment, the negotiation of settlement agreements, and the resolution of pension disputes.
Liam is a member of the Law Society’s Pensions Committee, the Association of Pension Lawyers in Ireland (APLI), the Irish Association of Pension Funds (IAPF) and an associate member of the UK Association of Pension Lawyers (APL). He has spoken on various aspects of pensions law at seminars hosted by the Irish Institute of Pensions Management, the Law Society of Ireland and the Life Insurance Association.
Loughlin represents and advises public-sector and private-sector clients across the full range of contentious and non-contentious employment law matters. He has advised and represented major Irish and multi-national companies, especially in the pharmaceutical and medical devices sectors.
He has also acted in many contentious employment matters and industrial disputes. Before joining the firm, he previously served as Special Adviser to the Attorney General and worked in the Employment Law Unit of Ibec, latterly as Acting Head of Employment Law.
Initially practicing employment law in Northern Ireland for 12 years before joining Byrne Wallace Shields LLP, Suzanne has a wealth of experience in her field.
Suzanne advises clients on best practice in employment law to safeguard business reputation, improve retention rates and minimise the risks of litigation. She has advised on a broad range of employment matters including; employment contracts, employment policies, disciplinary procedures, conduct issues, capability issues, management of sickness, terminations (including redundancies), termination agreements, grievances, restrictive covenants, dispute resolution, equality and diversity, whistleblowing, recruitment procedures, employee benefit schemes and Transfer of Undertakings for relevant business transfers.
In recognition of her work, Suzanne was named a finalist in the following awards:
With a strong background in litigation, Suzanne is well positioned to represent clients in employment disputes in courts and employment fora.
Michael has specialised in employment law for nearly 35 years and is consistently ranked as one of Ireland’s top employment lawyers.
Michael was Chairperson of the Law Society’s Employment and Equality Committee from 2010 to 2012 and is the former Secretary of the Irish Society for Labour Law. When Law Awards were introduced in Ireland in 2012, Michael was named as Ireland’s first Employment Lawyer of the Year.
With over ten years’ employment law experience, Emmet advises on all aspects of employment law and in particular specialises in contentious employment matters and employee benefits. Clients include senior executives and large public and private sector employers.
Emmet is co-author of Tottel's Employment Law in Ireland and the Law Society Employment Law Manual. He has also lectured on employment law issues and contributed to the Irish Employment Law Journal, the Employment Law Review and the Journal of Public Affairs Ireland.
Aoife Bradley is a partner in the Byrne Wallace Shields Employment Department. She has extensive experience in all aspects of employment law, both contentious and non-contentious.
Aoife provides ongoing support to a range of national and international clients on employment matters and regularly assists clients in developing risk management strategies in respect of employment and litigation issues.
She has significant experience in advising on complex and sensitive investigations, employment disputes and negotiating severance arrangements.
Ciara O’Kennedy is a partner in the Byrne Wallace Shields Employment Department.
She has significant experience in resolving complex disputes involving the removal of senior executives and employee shareholders, including providing strategic advice on managing the commercial, legal and reputational risks of implementing senior executive terminations, and negotiating and drafting severance packages.
Audrey Cahill joined the Workplace Relations Commission in February 2024 this year to lead the organisation in the post of Director General.
As a seasoned Chief People Officer with over 27 years of experience in the human resources field, she has successfully led strategic change initiatives that have significantly contributed to the organisational strategies and their effectiveness across industries such as Manufacturing, Retail, FMCG and most recently Private Healthcare.
With a proven track record in Industrial Relations, Strategic Planning, Team Development and Operational Excellence, she has been instrumental in developing and shaping HR policies and practices that prioritise and balance the well-being and growth of employees whilst serving the organisational goals.
Audrey holds an MSc in Human Resources Strategies from DCU since 2016 and is passionate about lifelong learning with her most recent undertaking being with the IMI IOD Chartered Directorship programme. Audrey is also an Associate member of the CIPD.
Audrey was a member of the Board of the Workplace Relations Commission from 2015 – 2021.
Dr Eamonn Cahill is the head of the AI and Digital Regulation Unit in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The Unit is responsible for leading the national implementation of certain EU Regulations, including the Digital Services Act and the Artificial Intelligence Act.
Prior to assuming this role, he led the Unit responsible for implementing EU Export Controls and Trade Sanctions. Eamonn joined the Department in 2014 from the State enterprise agency, orfás, where he had worked since 2003. Prior to that, he worked in engineering research in industry.
Joyce is the founder and former Managing Director of Voltedge Management, a leading Irish HR and Management Consultancy based in Dublin. A Psychologist by training, Joyce has extensive experience in Human Resources Management, strategy and organisational development.
She is currently a non-executive Director of CIPD Ireland Ltd., a member of the National Committee of CIPD Ireland, and is a Companion of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CCIPD).
Joyce has worked for many years in senior Human Resources positions in a number of significant multinational operations, including Ericsson, Marconi, and Glaxo Wellcome/Glaxo SmithKline, in both local and international positions. Her experience has spanned all areas of HR and has gained significant experience of worked in start‐up’s including the set‐up of a bio‐pharmaceutical European headquarters.
Joyce is passionate about the alignment of HR with business strategy and having an opportunity to address complex business issues relating to people progressing major change and providing HR advice to senior leadership teams and Boards of Directors.
Mary Connaughton is passionate about developing people and workplaces to be at their best.
Mary leads the growth, development and contribution of the people profession in Ireland. She pushes forward the CIPD agenda of people, wellbeing, inclusion and flexible working through research, policy and member engagement. She has a wealth of HR experience, supporting individuals and companies on the strategic people agenda, HR practice and organisation development. Previously she headed up HR Development at employers’ group Ibec, consulted widely across the public and private sector and held organisation development roles in the financial and consulting sectors.
Mary is on the Boards of the Public Appointments Service and the Retirement Planning Council and represents the people profession in Ireland at the European Association of People Management.
Meg is an experienced HR professional, previously working in HRBP roles for Irish public sector and global enterprises. She has a passion for showing the impact of the people profession through creating positive workplace culture. She is qualified to Masters level and is a lifelong learner in the field of people management.
Meg chaired the CIPD Southeast committee in Ireland for four years. During that time, she built strong networks providing key learning events and networking opportunities within her region and on the national committee. She began her role as HR Policy and Engagement Manager in August 2022, where she creates value for CIPD customers through the annual calendar of engagement, developing relationships with key stakeholders and wider business community.
Michael O'Neill is Head of Legal at the Irish Human Rights & Equality Commission. He leads a team of lawyers who represent both the Commission and private clients in strategic litigation before all levels of the Irish court system, as well as in its equality tribunals, and before the ECtHR and the CJEU.
He is also responsible for the exercise of the Commission’s compliance (non-litigation) powers. He has worked in the area of public law for over twenty years. Prior to that he worked at the Court of Justice of the EU and held a number of academic roles.
Niamh McNamara is an accomplished HR Leader with over 20 years’ experience gained in multinational organisations and shared services.
Niamh is currently VP, Employee Success Global Operations for Salesforce. Prior to joining Salesforce in 2023, Niamh was Global Head of People and Organisation for Novartis.
Niamh has also held a number senior HR roles in the FMCG, Financial Services, Telecoms and Recruitment industries for companies including Diageo and Canada Life and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
In 2022 Ruth Kennedy was appointed as Revenue Commissioner. Prior to her appointment, Ruth held various senior management positions in Revenue, including Assistant Secretary of Personal Division and Project Manager for PAYE Modernisation.
Ruth Kennedy is a member of the Revenue Board. Five divisions report directly to Commissioner Kennedy, namely Personal Division, Business Division, Collector General's Division, Accountant General's and Strategic Planning Division, and Information & Communications Technology and Logistics Division.
She joined Revenue in 2012 from Accenture where she was a senior manager in the Revenue and Customs Client Service Group.
