Our People

• University College Dublin, (BCL)

• Law Society of Ireland
• Education Lawyers Association (UK)

Ian is Head of the firm’s Employment Law and Benefits Unit.  Ian has over 25 years’ experience advising public and private sector employers on both contentious and non-contentious employment law issues. He is regularly involved in employment-related litigation and appears regularly in all Employment Law Fora, including the Labour Relations Commission, the Labour Court, the Equality Tribunal, the Employment Appeals Tribunal, the Circuit Court, the High Court and the Supreme Court and has been involved in many leading employment cases in recent years.

Ian advises a broad range of employer clients on drafting and reviewing workplace procedures and employment contracts, on dealings with trade unions and professional organisations and advises widely on investigation of complaints and the conduct of disciplinary investigations and hearings.

Ian acts for all the main education management organisations in the primary and secondary sectors and for several hundred education institutions at primary, secondary and third levels.  In addition he acts for the HR Departments in a number of large voluntary hospitals. Ian is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association (UK), Employment Law Association of Ireland, the European Employment Lawyers Association and Education Lawyers Association (UK), and lectures widely on employment law and educational law throughout the education sector. Ian regularly provides comment on current employment issues in the national media. He provides training courses on a range of employment law issues, and delivers seminars on a range of legal topics in his specialist areas including risk management,  compliance with statutory and common law and the new Fitness and Probity regime in the Financial Services sector.

Areas of Expertise:

• Employment Law
• Judicial Review
• Litigation
• Education Law

Recommendations:

Chambers Europe - Europe's Leading Business Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, 2013.
Ian is recommended as a leader in his field for Employment.  Ian O'Herlihy is hailed for his “superb support and advice. He is recognised as an expert in his field.” He is particularly active in the education sector.

Chambers Europe - Europe's Leading Business Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, 2012.
Ian is recommended as a leader in his field for Employment. ‘Practice head Ian O'Herlihy is credited as being “genial, practical and experienced.” He has notable experience in education matters and recently represented the Irish Vocational Education Association on a range of issues.’

Legal 500 – Public Sector, 2012.
Ian is recommended by Legal 500 under the heading of ‘Public Sector’.