Young Practitioners Committee
This Committee is especially active and serves the interests of those practitioners who have joined Arbitration Ireland while in the early stages of their career. It provides opportunities for continuing professional development and networking to its members.
James Roche
James is Co Chair of the YPAI and a Senior Associate in the Public and Regulatory Department of Fieldfisher LLP. In addition to acting in ADR across diverse sectors, he advises on regulatory investigations and prosecutions, and commercial disputes.
Sean McCarthy BL
Sean is Co Chair of the YPAI and an Irish barrister with a Masters in International Dispute Settlement from the University of Geneva. He worked for the Centre for International Dispute Settlement and has advised on legal issues in domestic arbitrations.
Sinead Drinan BL
Sinéad is a barrister with a practice in commercial, banking and financial litigation. She regularly advises on cross-border disputes and enforcement of foreign awards. She is an ACIArb and an accredited mediator (CEDR). Sinéad is the former Chair of the Young Practitioners Committee of Arbitration Ireland.
Ruadhán Kenny
Ruadhán is a senior associate in the Commercial Litigation department of Matheson. He represents clients in real estate, construction, administrative, planning and environmental, corporate and tax disputes before the courts and in all forms of alternative dispute resolution, including mediation, conciliation, adjudication and arbitration.
Hayley O’Donnell BL
Hayley is an Irish barrister with a general practice. She has experience in domestic arbitrations and has previously worked with the International Centre for Dispute Resolution in New York.
Gerard H. James
Gerard H. James is a Partner in the William Fry LLP Litigation and Investigations department. He is a commercial litigator with particular expertise in complex commercial and property related disputes.
A strong advocate for and experienced practitioner in the area of ADR, Gerard is a member of the Executive Committee of Arbitration Ireland.
Gerard is a founding committee member of the OUTLaw Network which works to promote and drive inclusion of LGBT+ people and allies in the Irish legal sector.
Paula Gibbs
Paula Gibbs is the Litigation Lead Lawyer at Kerry Group.
Previously Paula was a senior associate in the Dispute and Investigations group at A&L Goodbody. Paula advises clients on complex commercial disputes. She has acted as counsel in commercial and investment treaty arbitrations under various institutional rules including UNCITRAL, LCIA, ICC, SIAC, HKIAC and ICSID Rules and ad-hoc proceedings. Before returning to Ireland, Paula practised in London, Singapore, New Zealand, Hong Kong and the BVI.
Peter Woods
Peter Woods is Of Counsel in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department in Arthur Cox in Dublin. He works on commercial disputes and has experience in alternative dispute resolution.
Mariana Verdes
Mariana is a barrister with specialisation in commercial, medical negligence law and ADR. She has advised on enforcement of international arbitral awards in Ireland and is currently sitting as Tribunal Secretary in an ICSID case. Mariana was a participant in the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot and coached the UCD team for a number of years. She was the recipient of the Bar of Ireland exchange programme to the AAA-ICDR New York in 2023.
Ronan O’Reilly
Ronan represents clients in both commercial and investor-state international arbitration across a variety of sectors including, energy, defence, telecommunications, tech, mining, and financial services. He assists a broad range of clients including large corporations, states, state entities and hedge funds to resolve complex international disputes. Ronan helps his clients through all stages of a typical dispute resolution process and has significant industry specific knowledge. Ronan also has experience advising clients in multi-jurisdictional enforcement proceedings and challenges before the courts in various jurisdictions.
Siobhan Marry
Siobhan is an associate at Eversheds-Sutherland and specialises in the practice areas of litigation and dispute management. Her specialty is building and construction-related disputes and commercial property sector disputes.
Mark McCloskey
Mark McCloskey is an associate in Debevoise & Plimpton LLP’s International Dispute Resolution Group, resident in the London office. Mr. McCloskey’s practice includes contentious and advisory work on a range of complex international law issues, including in international investment and commercial arbitration, human rights, public international law and commercial litigation. He has advised clients in various industries, including energy and natural resources, infrastructure, aviation, financial services and hospitality, under the ICC, ICSID, LCIA, SIAC and UNCITRAL rules, and before domestic courts. Mr. McCloskey also has an active pro bono practice, focused on public international law issues, including human rights claims brought before UN human rights treaty bodies, domestic courts and other international human rights bodies.
James Roche
James is Co Chair of the YPAI and a Senior Associate in the Public and Regulatory Department of Fieldfisher LLP. In addition to acting in ADR across diverse sectors, he advises on regulatory investigations and prosecutions, and commercial disputes.
Sean McCarthy BL
Sean is Co Chair of the YPAI and an Irish barrister with a Masters in International Dispute Settlement from the University of Geneva. He worked for the Centre for International Dispute Settlement and has advised on legal issues in domestic arbitrations.
Sinead Drinan BL
Sinéad is a barrister with a practice in commercial, banking and financial litigation. She regularly advises on cross-border disputes and enforcement of foreign awards. She is an ACIArb and an accredited mediator (CEDR). Sinéad is the former Chair of the Young Practitioners Committee of Arbitration Ireland.
Ruadhán Kenny
Ruadhán is a senior associate in the Commercial Litigation department of Matheson. He represents clients in real estate, construction, administrative, planning and environmental, corporate and tax disputes before the courts and in all forms of alternative dispute resolution, including mediation, conciliation, adjudication and arbitration.
Hayley O’Donnell BL
Hayley is an Irish barrister with a general practice. She has experience in domestic arbitrations and has previously worked with the International Centre for Dispute Resolution in New York.
Gerard H. James
Gerard H. James is a Partner in the William Fry LLP Litigation and Investigations department. He is a commercial litigator with particular expertise in complex commercial and property related disputes.
A strong advocate for and experienced practitioner in the area of ADR, Gerard is a member of the Executive Committee of Arbitration Ireland.
Gerard is a founding committee member of the OUTLaw Network which works to promote and drive inclusion of LGBT+ people and allies in the Irish legal sector.
Paula Gibbs
Paula Gibbs is a senior associate in the Dispute and Investigations group at A&L Goodbody. Paula advises clients on complex commercial disputes. She has acted as counsel in commercial and investment treaty arbitrations under various institutional rules including UNCITRAL, LCIA, ICC, SIAC, HKIAC and ICSID Rules and ad-hoc proceedings. Before returning to Ireland, Paula practised in London, Singapore, New Zealand, Hong Kong and the BVI.
Peter Woods
Peter Woods is an Associate in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department in Arthur Cox in Dublin. He works on commercial disputes and has experience in alternative dispute resolution.
Mariana Verdes
Mariana is a barrister with specialisation in commercial, medical negligence law and ADR. She has advised on enforcement of international arbitral awards in Ireland and is currently sitting as Tribunal Secretary in an ICSID case. Mariana was a participant in the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot and coached the UCD team for a number of years. She was the recipient of the Bar of Ireland exchange programme to the AAA-ICDR New York in 2023.
Ronan O’Reilly
Ronan represents clients in both commercial and investor-state international arbitration across a variety of sectors including, energy, defence, telecommunications, tech, mining, and financial services. He assists a broad range of clients including large corporations, states, state entities and hedge funds to resolve complex international disputes. Ronan helps his clients through all stages of a typical dispute resolution process and has significant industry specific knowledge. Ronan also has experience advising clients in multi-jurisdictional enforcement proceedings and challenges before the courts in various jurisdictions.
Siobhan Marry
Siobhan is an associate at Eversheds-Sutherland and specialises in the practice areas of litigation and dispute management. Her specialty is building and construction-related disputes and commercial property sector disputes.
Mark McCloskey
Mark McCloskey is an associate in Debevoise & Plimpton LLP’s International Dispute Resolution Group, resident in the London office. Mr. McCloskey’s practice includes contentious and advisory work on a range of complex international law issues, including in international investment and commercial arbitration, human rights, public international law and commercial litigation. He has advised clients in various industries, including energy and natural resources, infrastructure, aviation, financial services and hospitality, under the ICC, ICSID, LCIA, SIAC and UNCITRAL rules, and before domestic courts. Mr. McCloskey also has an active pro bono practice, focused on public international law issues, including human rights claims brought before UN human rights treaty bodies, domestic courts and other international human rights bodies.