In her speech, Justice McGuinness said that her work with the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation, in the 1990s, had moved her the most, as someone originally from the north and with many connections there.
Dangers
“When I see the dangers that are facing Northern Ireland at the moment I think that what was done by the forum needs to be carried forward.”
Law firm of the year, sponsored by Travelers, was awarded to Philip Lee.
New categories
In this year's awards, new categories included diversity and inclusion law firm of the year, personal injury/medical negligence law firm/lawyer of the year, sponsored by MedLaw, and pro bono/community law firm/lawyer of the year which was awarded to PILA (Public Interest Law Alliance), a project of FLAC (Free Legal Advice Centres).
Beauchamps was presented with the corporate/commercial law team/lawyer of the year award sponsored by Courtsdesk while Tracey Solicitors brought home the award for excellence in client services, sponsored by Ormond Meeting Rooms.
The distinguished title of lawyer of the year was awarded to Sinead Lucey from FLAC (Free Legal Advice Centres).
Chief executive Terry Dinnegan of main sponsors Travelers Insurance said that the US arm of the business is the biggest employer of qualified lawyers in the United States.
“While we attach a lot of importance to actuarial and financial modelling and marketing and underwriting strategies, it is actually the settlement of claim that we regard as our core competency,” he said.
Lawyers are at the coalface of that process he said. He hoped that the partnership between the legal and insurance sectors, which is currently a little bit tarnished, would only get stronger.
Tough
He praised solicitors’ work in handling tough insurance claims, compensating people who have gone through terrible experiences.
Travelers is the third largest commercial property casualty insurer in the US. It recently established its EU headquarters in Dublin.
“The advice and support we got [from lawyers] through that process, was amazing,” he said praising the legal contribution to both civic society and commercial endeavour.
Presenter Ivan Yates told the audience that the legal profession is a vital sector of the economy.
Robust
“A strong, robust and resilient legal sector is essential for implementing and enforcing the law,” he said.
The Sunday Business Post sponsored the employment law firm team lawyer of the year award.
This was won by Anne O'Connell Solicitors in Dublin. The award was presented by the Sunday Business Post new chief executive, Colm O’Reilly.
Cashel, Co Tipperary solicitor Cian O’Carroll won a special merit award for his “unrelenting quest for right and justice for the women negatively affected by cervical cancer misdiagnoses”.
O’Carroll initially studied for a science degree before being admitted as a solicitor in 1996.
Brave
He said he accepted the award on behalf of “brave and terribly wronged clients.”
In his speech, he said that in January 2018 nobody yet knew about “what secrets lay beneath the national cervical screening service.
“And secrets they were, accompanied by repeated written instructions from Cervical Check, to its consultants around the country, not to inform the families of those who had already died.
“The instruction simply said ‘place the record of the misread smear on their chart’."
O’Carroll said the State denied in public and in court that it had any obligation to women in the running and management of the service, since the screening was outsourced.
Law firm of the year (sponsored by Travelers)
Philip Lee
Lifetime achievement award (sponsored by RSM)
Justice Catherine McGuinness
Special merit award
Cian O'Carroll
Corporate/commercial law team/lawyer of the year (sponsored by Courtsdesk)
Beauchamps
Criminal law firm/lawyer of the year
Michael J. Staines & Company
Diversity and inclusion law firm of the year
McMahon & Williams Solicitors
Employment law firm/team/lawyer of the year (sponsored by Sunday Business Post)
Anne O'Connell Solicitors
Connacht/Ulster & Munster employment law firm/team/lawyer of the year
Alastair Purdy & Co Solicitors
Leinster (incl. Dublin) employment law firm/team/lawyer of the year
Anne O'Connell Solicitors
Excellence and innovation in client service (sponsored by Ormond Meeting Rooms)
Tracey Solicitors
Excellence and innovation in client service/Dublin
Tracey Solicitors
Excellence and innovation in client service/Leinster
John A. Sinnott & Co Solicitors
Excellence and innovation in client service/Munster
JRAP O'MEARA
Excellence and innovation in client service/Connacht/Ulster
O'Donnell McKenna
Excellence in marketing and communications (sponsored by Financial Times)
Dillon Solicitors
Family law firm/team/lawyer of the year
Deirdre Burke, Burke Legal
Connacht/Ulster and Munster family law firm/team/lawyer of the year
MacSweeney & Company
Dublin family law firm/team/lawyer of the year
Keith Walsh Solicitor, Keith Walsh Solicitors
Leinster family law firm/team/lawyer of the year
Deirdre Burke, Burke Legal
In-House (non-civil service/public sector) legal team/lawyer of the year
Rachel Curran, Ulster Bank
Lawyer of the year
Sinead Lucey, Free Legal Advice Centres (FLAC)
Connacht/Ulster lawyer of the year
Davitt Geraghty, Geraghty & Co, Solicitors
Dublin lawyer of the year
Sinead Lucey, Free Legal Advice Centres (FLAC)
Leinster lawyer of the year
Alvaro Blasco, Blasco Solicitors
Munster lawyer of the year
Thomas Dowling, Hogan Dowling McNamara
Law firm innovation award (sponsored by Practice Evolve)
Richard Grogan & Associates Solicitors
Law school of the year
School of Law, NUI Galway
Law student of the year (sponsored by Bloomsbury Professional)
Mark O'Brien O'Reilly, UCD
Legal executive of the year
Deirdre O'Donovan, McCarthy + Co.
Personal injury/medical negligence law firm/team/lawyer of the year (sponsored by MedLaw)
Orpen Franks Solicitors (medical negligence department)
Pro bono/community law firm/lawyer of the year
Public Interest Law Alliance (PILA)
Public sector in-house legal team/lawyer of the year
ESB legal department
Service provider to the legal profession
LEAP legal software
Sole practitioner of the year (sponsored by LEAP)
Bernadette Barry, Bernadette Barry & Co
Sole principal of the year (sponsored by LEAP)
Susan Cosgrove, Cosgrove Gaynard Solicitors
Law firm of the year (regional recipients) (sponsored by Travelers)
Connacht/Ulster law firm of the year MacSweeney & Company
Dublin law firm of the year Reddy Charlton Solicitors
Leinster law firm of the year Poe Kiely Hogan Lanigan Solicitors
Munster law firm of the year Keating Connolly Sellors Solicitors
Law book of the year
Residential Tenancies, Laura Farrell
Litigation law firm/lawyer of the year
Ciarán Leavy, Lavelle Solicitors
Connacht/Ulster litigation law firm/lawyer of the year
Geraghty & Co, Solicitors
Dublin litigation law firm/lawyer of the year
Ciarán Leavy, Lavelle Solicitors
Munster litigation law firm/lawyer of the year
Sweeney McGann Solicitors
Property law firm/team/lawyer of the year
Philip Lee
Connacht/Ulster property law firm/team/lawyer of the year
Blake & Kenny
Leinster (incl. Dublin) property law firm/team/lawyer of the year
Philip Lee
Munster property law firm/team/lawyer of the year
Pierse Fitzgibbon Solicitors
Probate law firm/team/lawyer of the year
Sweeney McGann Solicitors