Application information

The deadline to apply for this course has now passed. If you would like to be added to the interested list for next year's course, please contact diplomateam@lawsociety.ie.

Solicitors and Trainees

To pay online click on the 'Book Now' button, otherwise please complete one of the application forms, containing our bank details, in the Download section below and send it to diplomateam@lawsociety.ie, indicating in your cover email should you need an invoice to pay by EFT (Electronic Fund Transfer) or if you wish to pay by card over the phone.

Other Professionals

We welcome applications for this course from suitably qualified professionals. Please note, for non-members this course is subject to a supplemental fee of €175 bringing the total course fee to €1,900. No fees are required prior to approval. To apply please email the following documents to diplomateam@lawsociety.ie :

1. Completed application form (see below)
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. Short cover letter setting out your relevant experience

Download

• Application form (word - for PC use)
• Application form (pdf - for handwritten use)
• Timetable
• Faculty booklet

Further information on this course including course structure, module scheme, faculty and workshop dates are set out below. Clicking on the links will bring you directly to that section or simply scroll through to read all the content.

• Programme structure
• CGI Professional Subscription
• Modules
• Workshops
• Assessments
• Who should attend?
• Faculty
• CPD

If you are interested in applying for a future offering of the course please register for our Interested List . 

Programme objectives

On completion of this training programme, participants will be able to:

• Identify the scope, role, and functions of the company secretary, and apply them in the employing or client organisation;
• Critically evaluate the role of company secretary as an advisor to the board;
• Ensure effective communication and dissemination of information to and from the board, both internally and externally, for the optimum benefit of the organisation;
• Discuss and report on the law and best practice in key functional matters (for example, meetings and share capital management);
• Identify required actions arising from statutory obligations and best practice in terms of financial, compliance and governance reporting and disclosure;
• Apply statutory requirements and good practice in relation to shareholder related communications;
• Ensure compliance with CRO filing requirements;
• Explain the company law framework in Ireland as governed by the Companies Act 2014 as amended.

Programme structure and approach to learning

Jointly awarded by the Law Society of Ireland and the Chartered Governance Institute (CGI) , this certificate offers a practical insight into company secretarial requirements in Ireland. The requirement in the Companies Act 2014 obligating the directors of a company to appoint a suitably qualified individual to the position of company secretary has enhanced the company secretary’s position as the principal legal administrative and compliance officer within a company. The duties and responsibilities of the company secretary vary depending on the industry in question and the type of company involved. With an increased focus on the need for effective governance in the current climate, the position has expanded in many companies, and the scope of the role has moved beyond corporate compliance to become a focal point for advice about governance, compliance, and the conduct of business. 

This established course focuses on the procedural requirements of company secretarial practice and aims to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of the company law framework and key corporate governance provisions under the Companies Act.

CGI Professional Subscription

Enrolment on the course entitles students to take up an offer of 12 months' professional subscription of CGI. The CGI professional subscription is designed for company secretaries, legal counsels, lawyers and everyone with responsibility for governance, risk and compliance in organisations of all sizes, including businesses, trusts and charities. It offers access to CGI’s supportive professional community where you will find expertise, guidance and development advice.

On successful completion of the course, students can apply to the CGI for affiliated membership. 

Benefits of Professional Subscription

• Access to the governance helpline,
• Issues of the industry leading Governance and Compliance magazine,
• Access to the full suite of guidance notes,
• Regular technical briefing emails,
• Subscriber discounts on training and events (average 10%),
• Communications to attend Irish Region-run members events of which CPD events are free.

CGI Exemption

Students who pass the Certificate in Company Secretarial Law and Practice will be eligible for an exemption from the 'Part One – Company Compliance and Administration' module of the CGI Chartered Governance Qualifying Programme .

Modules

The programme is based on the following module scheme and covers key themes as listed below:

Module 1: Company law, the secretary, the board and members

• The role and legal duties of the company secretary,
• The Companies Act – structure and key provisions,
• The company incorporation process.

Module 2: Corporate compliance

• Maintaining the statutory registers,
• Types of members’ and directors’ resolutions,
• Annual returns and financial statements,
• Corporate governance.

Module 3: Corporate compliance 2 - shares

• Summary approvals procedure,
• Share capital – allotment, variation and transfer,
• Redemption and buyback.

Module 4: Corporate compliance 3 - wind up

• Types of company wind-up,
• Strike-off and restoration.

Module 5: Public limited company

• An introduction to the company Secretarial requirements of a PLC.

Workshops

Workshops are interactive sessions that focus on group problem-solving and are designed to revise all modules covered to date and to consolidate the participant’s knowledge. 

Workshop	Title	Date	Time
1	Company Law, The Secretary, The Board And Members	23 March 2024	9.30am – 4pm
2	Corporate Compliance based on Course Sessions 4-6	13 April 2024	10am – 12.30pm
3	Corporate Compliance based on Course Session  8-10	20 April 2024	10am – 3pm
4	Exam Preparation	27 April 2024	10am – 12pm

Assessments

Three-hour written examination.

Who should attend?

This course is suitable for the following:

• Solicitors who offer company secretarial services or who advise clients in this area,
• In-house lawyers,
• Those looking to develop their company secretarial skills and knowledge with a view to developing new opportunities and offering new services to existing clients,
• Company secretaries and their teams, and
• Suitably qualified corporate governance and compliance professionals looking to develop their legal knowledge and practical skills in this growing area.

We welcome applications for this course from suitably qualified non-members. Please explain your interest and set out any relevant experience in a cover letter and a brief CV. Please note, for non-members this course is subject to a supplemental fee of €175 bringing the total course fee to €1,900. No fees are required prior to approval.

Faculty

Lecturers and tutors will be drawn from those with expertise in the field of company secretarial law. Previous lecturers have included the following:

• Ruairí Cosgrove, PwC,
• Eleanor Daly, FEXCO,
• Tracy MacDevitt, A&L Goodbody,
• Salvador Nash, KPMG,
• John Darby, Flynn O’Driscoll,
• Conor Sweeney, CLS Chartered Secretaries,
• Fiona Barry, PwC,
• Bob Semple, Consultant,
• Ray Hunt, McCann Fitzgerald,
• Emma Hickey, Arthur Cox,
• Daibhi O'Leary, Arthur Cox,
• Jonathan Lynch, ByrneWallace,
• Jillian O’Sullivan, Grant Thornton,
• Dr. David McFadden, CRO,
• Fiona Gildea, Flutter Entertainment,
• Conor Ryan, Permanent TSB.

CPD

We have designed our courses to enable you to satisfy as much of your CPD requirement as possible. Time spent attending lectures and workshops in person or completing these via e-learning as part of your course can be claimed towards your annual CPD requirement. The number of hours of CPD that you may claim in relation to your diploma/certificate course will depend on the way in which you access each of the individual sessions. For further information, visit the CPD scheme   and download the CPD booklet. 

The Diploma Centre team will host our annual CPD conference in November 2024. This complimentary event is a dedicated professional development and solicitor wellbeing and client care and professional standards session. We will post an invitation on your Diploma Hub page later in the year. 

Contact

Geraldine Rafferty,  Course Leader: G.Rafferty@LawSociety.ie

*Every effort has been made to ensure the information contained in these pages is accurate and up to date. However timetables and course content are subject to change and date and time changes may occur due to factors beyond our control.

 

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