Insurance Defence

Emma O’Neill is Head of the Dispute Resolution at Gleeson McGrath Baldwin LLP. With more than 22 years of experience, she is a trusted advisor across a wide range of litigation, medical negligence and employment matters. Her clients include insurance companies, state bodies, multinational companies, pharmacies, and professionals in the healthcare sector.

Emma holds a Diploma in Employment Law from University College Dublin, along with additional Diplomas in E-Commerce and Legal French from the Law Society of Ireland. She has also tutored and lectured at the Law Society, sharing her legal expertise with future practitioners.

Emma has acted successfully in numerous complex and high-profile cases, including an employment injunction against a bank involving allegations of bullying, victimisation, and procedural unfairness. She has also represented clients at the Morris Tribunal and regularly resolves disputes through mediation, arbitration, and conciliation.

She advises employers and employees on all legal issues arising from the employment relationship, from recruitment and contractual documentation to termination procedures, employment injunctions, and workplace policies.

Emma has also acted in high-value cases involving catastrophic injuries and medical negligence, representing GPs, private hospitals, and pharmacies.

Her commercial litigation experience includes partnership disputes, contractual conflicts, professional negligence claims, and property-related matters.

Outside of work, Emma enjoys cycling, running and sea swimming.

Practice Areas:

• Employment Law
• Insurance Defence
• Medical Negligence
• Professional Negligence

Sectors:

• Leisure, Hospitality & Retail

Denise is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution and Employment Law Department with over 22 years’ experience. She has been practising since 2002 and specialises in Employment Law, Data Protection, and Healthcare Law, and is known for her practical, strategic approach to complex legal challenges. She advises clients across a broad range of litigation matters, with particular expertise in defending large loss claims, including those involving fatalities, catastrophic injuries, and medical negligence.

Denise regularly represents multinationals, large retailers, insurers, financial service providers, and private clients in disputes relating to defamation, bullying and harassment, exaggerated or fraudulent claims, and public and employer liability.

Denise is a member of the Employment Committee of the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association. She holds a Certificate in Data Protection Practice and a Certificate in Healthcare Law, both from the Law Society of Ireland.

Highly regarded for her client-focused approach, Denise has built long-standing relationships with clients and is recognised for her understanding of their evolving legal and commercial needs.

Practice Areas:

• Dispute Resolution
• Employment Law
• Insurance Defence
• Medical Negligence
• Professional Negligence

Ciaran is a Partner who has a multi-disciplinary practice in the areas of Real Estate and Housing Dispute Resolution, Commercial & Media and Entertainment. He has been practicing since 2013 and holds Diplomas in Insurance Law and Sports Law, a Certificate in Commercial Transactions, and is a registered European Trademark Attorney.

Ciaran has extensive experience in residential and commercial conveyancing, banking and construction law and with a particular emphasis on social housing. He has acted for Approved Housing Bodies for 10 years in the acquisition and long-term leasing of social housing units and has a unique insight into the key legal, commercial and social issues around social and affordable housing and cost rental.

He has acted in the acquisition of both new and second-hand properties ranging from individual houses to large-scale multi-unit developments. He was the lead solicitor for an AHB in relation to the acquisition of the following developments:

• 85 Apartments at a derelict development in Dundalk
• 95 Apartments in County Cork
• 137 units and 110 connected units in Limerick
• 69 units in Castle Island on behalf of two AHBs working in conjunction

Ciaran has acted in the restructuring of group companies and the sale of companies for values between €1 million and €20 million, and he undertook all property due diligence on the sales. Ciaran was key advisor in the sale of a major Irish Brand to a US drinks brand, with ongoing royalty payments. He advised on title, planning, corporate governance, IP and drafted leases/licences.

Ciaran has represented a logistics company in the acquisition and disposal of industrial units nationwide. In representing a group of Irish Construction Companies for 8 years, Ciaran has advised consultants and developers on building agreements, collateral warranties and other sub-contract construction documents.

Ciaran has significant litigation experience at all Court levels including the Commercial and High Courts in insurance, commercial, IP, and general litigation. He has acted as a defence solicitor for one of the main insurers in the Irish Market for the last 10 years and is the lead defence solicitor for a major state-owned body.

Ciaran has acted in the defence of professional negligence claims in relation to the property matters and assisted major lending institutions to enforce their rights under mortgage and charge documents through the High Court.

On copyright, Ciaran acted on behalf of 12 co-defendants in High Court proceedings issued against a major artists, their international record labels and publishing companies.

On sports law, he provides legal advice to many sporting organisations including a League of Ireland Football club, on regulatory matters, child protections policies, property matters and their obligations in relation to player safety, health, and welfare. Ciaran has an in-depth knowledge and particular interest in case law in the areas of sports injuries suffered in schools, on the field of play and the liability issues for sporting organisations and schools.

He has represented international artists and bands on trademark and copyright matters including contentious High Court litigation which necessitated injunctions.

It’s hard to believe Ciaran has free time, but when he does, he can be found on golf courses at home and abroad and playing football.

Practice Areas:

• Commercial Litigation
• Commercial & Corporate
• Insolvency and Enforcement
• Real Estate
• Insurance Defence
• Intellectual Property
• Intellectual Property Disputes

Sectors:

• Media, Entertainment & the Arts
• Closely Held & Growing Businesses
• Social Housing

Ronan is a senior solicitor who has worked in the Litigation and Employment Law Department at Gleeson McGrath Baldwin since 2014. He was admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in 2017 and holds a BCL in Law and German from University College Cork. He has a practitioner certification in Data Protection (PDP) and has completed courses in Mediation and Negotiation with the Law Society of Ireland. He is a member of the Law Society of Ireland, the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association and LAWorld International Legal Network. He sits on the Law Society’s Technology Committee and the LAWorld NextGen committee.

Ronan’s practice includes employment disputes, data protection, public and product liability, construction law, personal injuries and general commercial litigation. He handles cases across all court jurisdictions, including the District, Circuit, and Superior Courts. He has also represented clients before the Labour Court, the Workplace Relations Commission, and in statutory hearings, inquests, and tribunals.

He advises on data protection law, including regulatory investigations and District and Circuit Court claims, and provides support on drafting and reviewing commercial contracts, employment terms, and workplace policies in line with current legislation.

In 2017, he represented the Law Society of Ireland at the INADR Law School Mediation Competition at Strathclyde University, Glasgow.

In his free time, Ronan likes to spend his time gardening or in the outdoors. He is a regular volunteer with environmental organisations such as ReWild Wicklow.

Practice Areas:

• Commercial Litigation
• Commercial & Corporate
• Employment Law
• Insurance Defence
• Intellectual Property
• Professional Negligence

Sectors:

• Closely Held & Growing Businesses

Aisling McHugh is a solicitor in the firm’s Dispute Resolution department, having joined in 2022. She has more than 10 years’ experience in the legal profession and advised on a range of dispute resolution areas. With previous experience in property law, she has a strong cross-disciplinary approach and her legal versatility spans defence litigation, employment, medical negligence, social housing, landlord and tenant and enforcement law.

She regularly advises Approved Housing Bodies on tenancy management and enforcement procedures and is a key point of contact in Gleeson McGrath Baldwin for residential tenancy disputes and court proceedings. Aisling has also delivered workplace training for housing staff on these areas.

Her litigation practice includes acting on behalf of insured clients in defence of claims before the District, Circuit, and High Courts. She has also represented sporting bodies, charities, and childcare providers in proceedings before the Workplace Relations Commission. Aisling is expanding her practice expertise in the areas of probate disputes and Decision Support Service Act Applications.

Since 2023, Aisling has been a Dublin Solicitors Bar Association Litigation Committee member and she contributed to an article in the Parchment about litigation costs. She has a strong interest in advocacy and has previously volunteered with national helplines during the marriage equality referendum and for a leading charity supporting older people during the pandemic.

Outside of work, Aisling plays gaelic4mothers&others in Navan having played GAA for over a decade. Aisling is also part of a major fundraising effort to build a community hall in her home village of Ederney, County Fermanagh.

Practice Areas:

• Dispute Resolution
• Insolvency and Enforcement
• Landlord and Tenant and Property Related Disputes
• Testamentary/Probate Disputes
• Insurance Defence
• Probate and Administration of Estates

Sectors:

• Social Housing

Tessa Robinson is a senior solicitor with more than 15 years’ experience in the legal profession, having qualified as a solicitor in 2016 following ten years of practice at the Bar of Ireland.

She works primarily in the Commercial and Corporate area, advising clients on a wide range of commercial and company law issues including scaling up businesses, reorganisations, and financing. She has particular expertise in mergers and acquisitions, commercial transactions, commercial lease drafting and negotiation, corporate reorganisations, financing transactions, and licensing matters. She also has experience in complex litigation, including appearances before the Commercial and Chancery Courts.

Tessa is a graduate of TCD and the King’s Inns. She is a member of the Law Society of Ireland and the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association, and has a Diploma from the Law Society in Technology and IP Law. She has provided advice on a volunteer basis at FLAC clinics. Her notable transactions/cases include:

• Acting for an international leisure group in the business acquisition and financing of a number of Irish hotels
• Representing European online travel agencies in ‘screenscraping’ and competition law litigation before the Irish High Court, including advising on database rights
• Commercial Court injunction regarding the transfer of a development site valued at €17m and the breach of an undertaking
• The sale and business transfer of a number of childcare services
• Acting for shopping centre landlords in relation to the lettings of their commercial units.

In her free time, Tessa enjoys cycling and in September 2024 she took part in the Paris2Nice charity cycle, raising €25,000 for Pieta House.

Practice Areas:

• Dispute Resolution
• Commercial & Corporate
• Insolvency and Enforcement
• Insurance Defence
• Intellectual Property
• Intellectual Property Disputes

Sectors:

• Leisure, Hospitality & Retail
• Media, Entertainment & the Arts
• Closely Held & Growing Businesses
• Social Housing

Patricia is a solicitor specialising in dispute resolution and employment law, with a focus on insurance defence litigation. Having trained with the firm since 2022, she was admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in 2025 and has experience advising on a wide range of claims, including employer’s liability, public liability, material damage, and medical negligence.

Patricia has represented multinationals, insurers, and private clients across diverse litigation matters. Her practice includes bullying and harassment claims, defamation cases, and landlord and tenant disputes. She is known for her collaborative style and her strong understanding of her clients’ commercial and legal needs.

Patricia also specialises in licensing to include annual licensing applications, special exemption applications and temporary event licences. We are registered with CSOL and we utilise this for all of our licensing applications which ensures a seamless and efficient process.

Patricia holds a BA from the National University of Ireland, Galway, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Law from Technological University Dublin. Patricia also holds a Dioplóma sa Ghaeilge from the National University of Ireland, Galway.

Practice Areas:

• Employment Law
• Insurance Defence
• Medical Negligence