About

MetLife, a global provider of insurance and associated services, made a significant investment in the Irish market in 2015. Initially issuing loans through its real estate arm, MetLife has expanded quickly in Ireland adding to its portfolio and creating jobs for the economy. John O’Halloran is associate general counsel and head of legal for Western and Central Europe, leading a legal team comprised of approximately 25 lawyers who cover 12 jurisdictions. O’Halloran is part of the senior management team, allowing him to have significant impact on the direction and method of expansion plans in the country. MetLife has been at the forefront of using social media data to prove or disprove insurance claims, and there have been many notable cases in Ireland of the company using evidence from public online sources such as Instagram and Facebook. The legal team’s support of this to ensure compliance with data privacy regulations has been essential. The legal team supplies the global MetLife business with a secure platform to encourage innovative programs and products. Recently MetLife launched a “Dragons Den” style program to encourage members of the public to pitch ideas that would allow better interaction with financial products and services, with the winner of the show entitled to a €50,000 prize. If the Irish model is successful then MetLife plans to roll the initiative out across the globe, indicating the stability that the global business believes the Irish market to possess, largely owing to the support of the legal function and their support colleagues.