About

Heading international legal support for paddypower.com – Ireland’s largest ecommerce business – Emmet O’Grady supports a highly regulated industry within the constantly-evolving online arena. During four years in the role, he has drawn considerable notice for his commercial approach and his fruitful efforts to build dialogue on key legal issues in the industry. Having instigated an informal grouping of legal heads from a handful of key competitors, O’Grady highlights the benefits of sharing knowledge and experiences with those whose interests are ‘aligned’. He first joined Paddy Power on a six-month secondment, during his time at Arthur Cox. When a permanent role arose, he was drawn both to the diversity of work and the opportunity to work more closely with the business. Law firms could sometimes be more proactive and look for more creative solutions, he says. He would also like outside counsel to avoid what he terms ‘fee drift’ by updating clients at regular intervals. O’Grady is an external Law Society tutor, specialising technology, e-commerce and IP management.