About

Possibly Ireland’s youngest GC, McLoughlin was passionate about his sector from an early stage in his career, and moved to CEMEX soon after qualifying. ‘I’ve always had a big interest in construction, projects, energy and natural resources’, he says. ‘It was great commercial and construction experience with CEMEX – I found the market set a pace – it was a very steep learning curve. I was in a unique position as the GC afforded me a great deal of autonomy, but it was a sink or swim environment – probably the best learning environment’. Joining CEMEX in the throes of the recession brought with it considerable challenges, which, once again, McLoughlin feels have made him a lot better at what he does. ‘Operations under stress are the best place to learn’. Coping with diminished resources and increased regulatory scrutiny, McLoughlin gained broad experience in a short space of time, and drew particular recognition for his role in CEMEX’s asset sale. Moving to become Galatech’s general counsel in 2014 offered an outstanding opportunity, he says, and once again a steep learning curve. ‘I have always had a keen interest in energy and a move into the growing market of renewable energy development was an excellent opportunity for me to improve my skillset and to learn about a new industry’, he says adding: ‘You start to appreciate your GC a lot more. When you’re leading, it’s a different challenge’. While the market remains tough, there are already tangible signs of improvement, in McLoughlin’s view. ‘The Celtic Tiger is long gone; you now have the Celtic Phoenix, and you can really feel the uplift in the economy across all sectors’. The challenging market conditions also offer significant opportunities to the nation’s in-house lawyers, in McLoughlin’s view. ‘The role of in-house counsel has seen phenomenal growth in Ireland over the past number of years. Since the economic crash it has grown substantially as businesses continue to seek added value from its internal corporate structure rather than relying on external counsel’.