The Business Post Legal 100

The Business Post has published the 2025 edition of its Legal 100, recognising Ireland’s most respected legal practitioners across key business sectors. The list is informed by insight from C-suite executives, in-house counsel and other legal sources.

We are pleased to share that a number of our partners are featured, underscoring their market-leading expertise and commitment to exceptional client service.

We would like to thank our clients and peers, whose trust and partnership continue to drive these achievements.

Vanessa Byrne - Planning and Real Estate category

Vanessa is co-head of our Real Estate team.

"She has extensive landlord and tenant expertise and regularly negotiates complex lease agreements. Byrne has a number of major deals on the go in the operational real estate space, which generate income through services and leasing, including in the wind energy and healthcare sectors. “She seems to have really grown her role at the moment,” one of her clients said. Educated at Queen’s University Belfast, Byrne has been with Mason Hayes & Curran since 2003 when she joined the firm from Matheson. Clients include SSE and Orpea, the French nursing home provider."

Read more about Vanessa

Gerard Kelly - Intellectual Property, Pharma, and Healthcare category

Gerard is head of our Intellectual Property Law team and co-head of our Dispute Resolution team. He was also featured in last year's inaugural issue of the Legal 100.

"He advises clients on a range of IP matters and disputes, including substantial patent, passing off, trademark, copyright and design litigation. His experience includes advising NYSE-listed Biohaven Pharmaceuticals on the Irish, IP and tax law aspects of the sale of the Biohaven group companies, which own and commercialise its Nurtec and Vysera products, to Pfizer for more than $11.8 billion. He has also worked on numerous infringement proceedings and acted for Novartis Pharma AG in dealing with High Court litigation against Eli Lilly in a European patent dispute. Kelly joined MHC in 2014 and before that he was an IP lawyer at Matheson. Recently, he was one of only two solicitors recognised with a patent of precedence and will be taking on the Senior Counsel title later this year."

Read more about Gerard

Justin McKenna - Corporate category

Justin is a partner in our Corporate team.

"With particular emphasis on private equity transactions and investment and acquisition transactions involving management groups, Justin McKenna has more than 35 years of extensive experience in corporate law in Ireland. McKenna holds a bachelor’s of civil law from UCD, and his previous clients include Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Davy Stockbrokers. He acted for Bauer Media Group in its acquisition of Communicorp Group from Denis O’Brien. He was also lead corporate lawyer and advised the Department of Communications on the establishment of National Broadband Ireland. McKenna was previously a partner at LK Shields solicitors, and has served as partner at Mason Hayes & Curran since October 2005."

Read more about Justin

Robert Rooney - Rising Stars category

Robert is a partner in our Construction, Infrastructure and Utilities team.

"Robert Rooney joined Mason Hayes & Curran in 2022, having practised at Quigg Golden and A&L Goodbody for six and nine years, respectively. He advises on infrastructure, development and pharmaceutical contracts, as well on the adjudication of construction contracts. He made partner in Mason Hayes & Curran’s construction, infrastructure and utilities team in May 2023, and has since become a widely known figure in the construction sector and the world of construction law. Rooney has represented private companies as well as commercial semi-state bodies such as Uisce Éireann and Gas Networks Ireland. He has a bachelor’s in law from the University of Galway and a master’s from UCD Smurfit Graduate Business School."

Read more about Robert

The full report is available (behind paywall) on the Business Post website.