A&L Goodbody LLP‘s team remains noted for its experience in international investment into Ireland’s life sciences sector, along with patent and other related litigation, and licensing and regulatory enforcement. The group has worked on a series of capital markets offerings by life sciences issuers, and headline acquisitions and disposals by foreign and Ireland-based entities; mid-market M&A in this area is also a forte. Cliona Christle is joint head of the life sciences and healthcare group and is rated for commercial, licensing and regulatory matters. Ronan Lyons is noted for life sciences M&A and private equity investments. Róise Nic Ghráinne is a rising star.

Arthur Cox fields a large multi-disciplinary team that advises a vast array of domestic and international life sciences and healthcare businesses. It specialises in a range of areas from M&A, regulatory and compliance, to product liability, IP and data protection. Colin Kavanagh is a respected figure in M&A, commercial contracts and regulatory matters, and heads the life sciences group. Joanelle O’Cleirigh is at the forefront of investigations, inquiries and disputes involving the healthcare and life sciences sectors; this includes recently acting for St Vincent’s Healthcare Group in an appeal to the High Court over a decision by the Office of the Information Commissioner.

ByrneWallace LLP has a prestigious history in public sector health and social care. It has a large team that is highly rated for healthcare litigation. It has acted for clients in numerous landmark child protection and healthcare law cases over the years. It routinely handles a high volume of child protection cases on behalf of the state and represents clients in wide-ranging areas from data breaches to judicial review and investigations. In life sciences, the firm fields another sizeable team with senior and highly-specialised practitioners, covering M&A, financings, license agreements and joint-venture agreements, among other areas. Colin Sainsbury is hugely experienced and a leading figure in the life sciences area. Also immensely experienced, Sinéad Kearney SC leads the health and social care team and is an authority on child protection and childcare law. Olive Doyle is rated for mental health law and Eoghan Wallace is another prominent name in child protection and childcare law. Catherine Dowling is noted for life sciences transactions.

Hayes Solicitors LLP is a healthcare heavyweight, especially in the clinical negligence area. It acts for both the Medical Protection Society (MPS) and State Claims Agency (SCA), along with Dental Protection Limited and the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland. It has continued to represent clients in catastrophic injury cases with potential high quantum liability. Mary Hough leads the healthcare litigation team and is an authority on medical negligence. Louise O’Rourke is a leader in catastrophic birth and spinal injury cases. Stephen McGuinness and Martha Wilson are also key partners in medical negligence. Kevin Dunne leads the healthcare regulatory team.

Mason Hayes & Curran LLP has a large, multidisciplinary team with an excellent record in both healthcare and life sciences. The highly-specialised team covers a range of sub-sectors, notably medical litigation, healthcare and life sciences IP, corporate healthcare and life sciences, product liability and healthcare governance and regulation. It continues to defend clients against high-value clinical negligence claims and has a major market share of cases before the Cervical Check Tribunal. Martin Kelleher is a standout practitioner in corporate life sciences transactions. Kevin Power, a former doctor and surgeon, heads the healthcare and medical team, while Michaela Herron leads the life sciences regulatory team. Ciara Deasy and Mark McCabe have been promoted to partner. David Hickey and Katie McAuliffe are rising stars.

Matheson LLP is a major force in life sciences transactions, including M&A and restructurings, along with healthcare litigation and regulatory matters. It has advised clients on some of the largest life sciences deals of recent years, such as representing Horizon Therapeutics in the proposed $28bn acquisition by Pillartree (a wholly owned subsidiary of Amgen), implemented as an Irish High Court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement. It has defended clients in a series of cases linked to the CervicalCheck scandal, along with other headline healthcare cases. Rebecca Ryan is head of healthcare, specialising in medical negligence and clinical malpractice. Kate McKenna is noted for life sciences regulatory matters and David Fitzgibbon is a leader in life sciences M&A. Emma Doherty is key for corporate governance in both life sciences and healthcare. John Coary was recently promoted to partner.

McCann FitzGerald LLP has a major presence in contentious, transactional and regulatory aspects of life sciences and healthcare. It continues to be noted for product liability and has acted for clients in many of the largest cases in recent Irish history. IP and commercial disputes are also a forte for the team, which has an established record in transactions and regulatory matters. Fiona O’Beirne is hugely experienced in IP and commercial disputes, notably patent litigation in the medical device and pharmaceutical sectors; she and her team continue to act for clients in a range of headline cases. Roddy Bourke is a market leader in product liability cases and corporate partner David Lydon has a background in high-value life sciences transactions.

William Fry LLP has a highly developed healthcare and life sciences practice that continues to earn accolades for product liability, patent litigation, M&A transactions and regulatory matters in the life sciences space. In healthcare, it remains active in clinical, professional and product liability cases, including clinical negligence claims linked to the CervicalCheck screening programme. Laura Scott leads the life sciences team and has an outstanding record in patent disputes. Margaret Muldowney and Fiona Barry are noted for clinical negligence cases, including claims arising from the CervicalCheck programme. Mary Cooney is a key figure for product liability cases and Charleen O’Keeffe and Colette Brady are also rated for patent disputes.

Comyn Kelleher Tobin LLP is a major player in healthcare litigation, especially clinical and professional negligence, along with product liability cases. The firm has defended the Health Service Executive (HSE) for decades, along with the State Claims Agency since 2004. The firm is also noted for insurance coverage disputes, data protection matters and GDPR claims. Eamon Harrington is head of litigation and has an outstanding reputation in medical negligence. Patrice O’Keeffe, Katharine Kelleher and Hilda O’Keeffe are also key partners, along with Alison Kelleher and Yvonne Joyce.

Eversheds Sutherland has a wide-ranging practice across both life sciences and healthcare fields. Team members from the corporate, commercial and real estate departments have a significant focus on life sciences, which includes transactional and regulatory engagements. The practice has continued to work on major M&A transactions, venture capital fundraisings and commercial contracts in the life sciences sector. In healthcare, the firm remains active in defending hospital insurers, reinsurers and brokers against clinical negligence claims. It hired consultant Emma Meagher, a specialist in women’s medical negligence, in October 2022. Tony McGovern is an experienced figure in life sciences transactions.

Kennedys has a significant presence in healthcare litigation, especially medical negligence cases. It represents a variety of medical service providers, medical product manufacturers, healthcare professionals and their insurers. It has remained active in CervicalCheck misdiagnosis claims. Joanne O’Sullivan leads the team and played a pivotal role in the firm’s appointment to the State Claims Agency’s legal panel in January 2023. Legal director Shanna Dunne is noted for clinical negligence and product liability cases.

RDJ LLP has extensive experience in healthcare claims across both the public and private sector. It represents a range of statutory bodies, health insurers, healthcare operations, hospitals and physicians in clinical negligence cases. The firm acts for the State Claims Agency and represents a number of key insurers. Padraic Brennan, Imelda Tierney, Fergal Dennehy and Peter Groarke are experienced in defending hospitals against catastrophic birth injury and negligence claims, along with cases involving alleged cancer misdiagnosis and acquired brain injuries; Groarke is also noted for advising nursing homes on regulatory matters and inquiries. Gillian Keating is a prominent name in life sciences corporate transactions and fundraisings.

Addleshaw Goddard has a strong background in healthcare and life sciences, notably representing the Health Products Regulatory Authority, Nursing and Midwifery Board and other regulatory bodies. It has extensive experience in medical law and regulatory matters, along with expertise in M&A, IP and capital raisings. Ronan O’Neill, a senior dispute resolution partner, is noted for statutory and regulatory matters, as is Stephen McLoughlin, who is experienced in fitness to practise inquiries and judicial reviews.

Carson McDowell, the Belfast-based firm, has brought its extensive clinical negligence defence expertise to the Dublin market. Growing its team in recent years, and with a number of Belfast-located practitioners also spending time in the Dublin office, it has gained considerable traction in the Irish market. Clients include the Medical Protection Society and Dental Protection. Sinéad Keavey leads the Dublin office and has extensive experience in defending healthcare professionals and indemnifiers. Kathleen Byrne is another key clinical negligence defence specialist, having joined the office from Clyde & Co in 2022. Jacqueline McAleese splits her time between Belfast and Dublin.

DAC Beachcroft Dublin has an intense focus on medical defence litigation and regulatory matters, representing a large proportion of the London Market insurers that write Irish risks in the medical market. Clients also include the State Claims Agency. The Dublin team is able to lean on the resources and expertise of the firm’s UK and global offices. Niamh McKeever has both Ireland and UK experience, continuing to act for the State Claims Agency in medical negligence defence claims, along with a number of London Market insurers; she is also noted for her regulatory expertise.

DLA Piper Ireland LLP has a burgeoning presence in the life sciences and healthcare fields, including in high-value transactions, commercial matters and IP disputes. The Dublin team expanded with the hire of life sciences IP partner Aoife Murphy from Whitney Moore in April 2023. The group now represents some of the biggest domestic and international corporates in the life sciences and healthcare sectors. It continues to advise international clients on establishing Irish subsidiaries and local operations, along with addressing data protection and privacy obligations. Caoimhe Clarkin is a key partner for regulatory matters and litigation.

Philip Lee LLP‘s longstanding public sector experience provides a platform for a thriving healthcare practice, including sectoral investigations and constitutional applications to the High Court. It has also developed a strong focus on life sciences and pharmaceuticals, particularly in relation to antitrust, intellectual property and data protection matters. Marie Kinsella has an outstanding reputation and is a ‘star performer’ in clinical healthcare. Anne Bateman and Ronan Dunne lead the life sciences and pharmaceuticals side of the practice.

Pinsent Masons LLP‘s Dublin office has a major emphasis on life sciences, which is backed by further expertise in healthcare. It now has an extensive list of life sciences clients, who engage the firm in regulatory and commercialisation issues, patent litigation and commercial disputes. The firm is also a growing force in healthcare sector transactions, including M&A deals. Neil Keenan is an experienced corporate partner with an extensive record in life sciences and healthcare M&A, with Dorian Rees having an emerging reputation in this area. Ann Henry and legal director Karen Gallagher are key names for life sciences patent actions. Michael Finn has left the firm.