Aim and Objectives
The objective of this online seminar, presented by the Employment & Equality Law Committee in collaboration with Law Society Professional Training, is to provide practitioners with an update on recent changes to areas of employment law, practice and procedure and other topics of interest. This year’s seminar will include a panel discussion on remote working and the employment law and practice implications. Panellists will include members of the HSA and leading employment law practitioners.

Topics and Issues to be covered

• Redundancies – a practice update   
• A mindful approach to organizational management* Healthy organisations require healthy leaders who can build and develop healthy teams.  This session will address a mindful approach from three levels: leader; team; and organisation.  It will focus on providing practical tools that you can implement in your business.  At the end of this session you will:
  • Understand the role of the leader in developing organisations
  • Be able to use frameworks to develop your personal resiliency as a leader and those of your teams
  • Understand and develop team motivations
  • Understand the role of psychological safety in developing high-performing and high-value teams
  • Obtain a list of practical resources that you can share within your teams and organisations
  • Have a practical framework that you can implement within your organisation*This session will not focus on mindfulness breathing techniques 
• Remote working – the challenges from an employment law and practice perspective                             

Chairperson
Catherine O’Flynn, Partner, William Fry, Dublin

Speakers
Anne O’Connell, Principal, Anne O’Connell Solicitors, Dublin
Anne qualified as a solicitor in 2001 specialising in Employment Law and has over 17 years’ experience. Anne holds an LLB Degree together with Diplomas in Employment Law and International Litigation. She is also qualified as a New York Attorney. Having trained in Byrne Wallace, Anne moved on to practice in the Chief State Solicitors Office shortly after qualifying where she practiced for over 2 years in the area of Employment law and International litigation there. Anne acted in the largest International case taken by Ireland to date and also acted in a European case that led to the amendment to Ireland’s Constitution. In 2003 Anne moved to the Employment Law Department of William Fry solicitors’ where she remained dedicated for 11 years of practice. There she advised large multinational companies, semi-state companies, small businesses and employees in all areas of employment law, particularly issues that were likely to become contentious. During this period Anne was seconded to ESB Group to cover maternity leave for their In-House employment law solicitor. In 2014, Anne joined Sherwin O’Riordan solicitors as a salary partner Head of their Employment Law Department and left in early February 2017 to set up her own employment law firm.

Fiona McKeever, Executive Coach, Dublin
Fiona McKeever is an experienced lawyer, including 12 years (2007-2018) as a partner in Arthur Cox.  Chambers Europe recognised Fiona as one of Europe's leading competition lawyers between 2004 and 2014.  For five years, she was responsible for professional development in Arthur Cox, introducing new development and coaching programmes for partners, senior associates and newly qualified solicitors. In 2018, she retired from Arthur Cox to focus on people development and now works as an Executive and Leadership Coach. Since 2016, Fiona has typically worked with senior professionals at key career transitions and on different aspects of their leadership.  She has prepared leaders to take on new responsibilities by creating a greater understanding of the impact of their preferred behaviour and communication styles on others, and by experimenting with new ways of working with teams.  Her current coaching clients operate at a senior level, including CEO, MD, Partner and Head of Function, with a focus on confidence, resilience and team development. She has also developed several coaching and mentoring programmes in financial services and professional services.  Fiona is a mentor on the LSI’s Women in Leadership Mentoring Programme.

Barry Walsh, Partner, Fieldfisher, Dublin
Barry is a Partner and Head of the Employment Unit at Fieldfisher. Barry has significant experience advising a wide range of Irish and multinational corporate, public and institutional clients on all aspects of Irish employment law from recruitment to retirement including contentious, advisory and transactional work. Barry is experienced in acting for clients with respect to contractual and termination issues with senior executives. In addition to advising on employment law, he has also advised on industrial relations issues arising from mergers and acquisitions, outsourcing and redundancy situations. He has significant litigation experience and has directly represented clients before the European Court of Justice, the Irish civil courts and all specialist Irish employment tribunals.

Karen Killalea, Partner, Maples & Calder, Dublin
Karen is head of Maples and Calder's Employment team in the Maples Group's Dublin office. She has over 18 years’ experience advising clients on all aspects of employment law including contractual matters, sensitive investigations, employee privacy issues, GDPR, gender pay gap preparation, TUPE, HR aspects of corporate re-structuring and asset disposals, industrial relations, working time, equality issues, executive compensation, removal of directors and senior executives and the protection of confidential information. Karen’s recent cases include securing court orders to prevent the theft of confidential information, restraining a team move and defending a High Court challenge to the suspension and investigation of a senior employee. She regularly represents clients before the WRC and the courts and has extensive experience of successful mediation and dispute resolution.

Elaine Bowers, Occupational Health & Safety Executive, IBEC.
Elaine Bowers is an Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) professional with a wide range of experience in the medical device, semiconductor, and property management industries. She has an M.Sc. in Applied Environmental Science (QUB), a B.Sc. in Environmental Health (DIT and TCD), a Certificate and Higher Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety (UCD), and a Diploma in Employment Law (TUD). For the past three years, she has worked as an Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Executive in Ibec advising member companies on a wide range of OHS queries including remote working. Elaine has worked as a Tutor on the Certificate in Safety and Health and Work in UCD, and is now a Guest Lecturer on the Certificate and Higher Diploma in Safety Health & Welfare at Work programmes in UCD.

Alan Haugh BL, Deputy Chairman, Labour Court 
Alan Haugh BL was a practising barrister, specialising in employment and industrial relations law, until his appointment as Deputy Chairman of the Labour Court in September 2015. Alan was previously Head of Employment Law at IBEC, Legal Adviser to NERA, and a Senior Associate at A&L Goodbody.  He advised the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation during the course of the drafting of the Workplace Relations Act 2015.

IMPORTANT

• Your login information will be emailed to you 3 working days before the event. In this case, you must login and attend online in order to avail of the CPD hours on offer.
• This event will not be recorded, so if you have chosen to attend online and miss the live streaming you cannot play back the event. 
• Solicitors may now complete the entire 2020 CPD requirement of 20 hours online. For more information see www.lawsociety.ie/CPDscheme
• For full programme details download the Brochure
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• If you have technical or other queries, contact a member of the team on: LSPT@lawsociety.ie

* Applicable to Law Society Finuas Skillnet members