Europe - Ireland

Comyn Kelleher Tobin LLP

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Comyn Kelleher Tobin LLP is a major player in healthcare litigation, especially clinical and professional negligence, along with product liability cases. The firm has defended the Health Service Executive (HSE) for decades, along with the State Claims Agency since 2004. The firm is also noted for insurance coverage disputes, data protection matters and GDPR claims. Eamon Harrington is head of litigation and has an outstanding reputation in medical negligence. Patrice O’Keeffe, Katharine Kelleher and Hilda O’Keeffe are also key partners, along with Alison Kelleher and Yvonne Joyce.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘The entire team are very experienced. They know how the solicitors and barristers for plaintiffs operate and negotiate and they tailor their approach to get the best results. Eamon Harrington is widely known and respected by his peers and his ability to effectively act as the lead negotiator is very helpful. Patrice O'Keeffe, Hilda O'Keeffe and Yvonne Joyce are all very well known for being pragmatic litigators with the ability to bring reluctant participants to the negotiating table. Grace Toher is at the earlier stage of her career but is extremely diligent, with great attention to detail and is being mentored by Eamon. Overall, they are a super team.’

  • ‘Most of my dealings are with Eamon Harrington, who remains for me the exemplar of a litigation manager. He has the overview on everything, appreciates how things fit together and anticipates things in a way that makes him seem to see around corners. Then, when an issue arises, he drills into the detail and seeks to find solutions, not problems. He encourages cooperation and compromise and reaches out directly and is a brilliant direct communicator. He is trustworthy, very trustworthy, and in litigation that is a big asset for your client because your opponent will obviously be far more willing to engage or to take a risk to find a solution to a problem.’

  • 'CKT are honest with their clients about the pros and cons of their cases, so the clients can make good decisions. There is sometimes a temptation to tell clients what they want to hear. However, I think that clients appreciate CKT’s clear and pragmatic advice and clients know that CKT will be upfront with them, and they can trust and rely on CKT's advice. In my experience CKT are never outworked by the other side. CKT investigate every aspect of each case and know that complete preparation is the key to providing sound advice. CKT deal with legal issues sensibly and realistically and in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations.’
  • ‘The CKT healthcare team are quite simply the best! CKT engage really well with their clients and our insured doctors. They are extremely proactive and responsive, have the required skillset necessary for a highly specialised area of law, are commercially pragmatic and have an excellent understanding of the medico legal challenges of the healthcare industry. CKT's strength lies in the depth of their resources and breadth of their experience. They stand out from others in how genuine they are and demonstrate a culture of excellence in all they do.’

  • ‘Eamon Harrington leads the healthcare team superbly. Eamon has unrivalled experience and is well liked by everyone he deals with. He has excellent judgment and insights into the medico legal challenges facing patients, doctors and indemnifiers alike. He would be our first choice for complex and large value claims. He is pragmatic and affable. His advice is always clear - he is calm, professional, responsive and client-friendly. Patrice O'Keeffe is incredibly thorough and exceptionally well regarded by clients and peers alike. She provides excellent clear and concise advice with deep knowledge and attention to detail. Yvonne Joyce is a powerhouse with an impressive growing reputation. She is particularly strong on GDPR in the healthcare industry. She is proactive, with a good sense of what needs to be prioritised and is solution driven. You can rely on her as she is knowledgeable and effective. Alison Kelleher is another excellent lawyer from the CKT healthcare team who is known for her considered judgment and wise counsel. Emily Sexton is very responsive and a strong negotiator. She takes a practical but thorough approach to her work and provides excellent pragmatic advice.'

  • ‘Eamon Harrington in particular has an ability to take the most complex medical case and break it down a single sheet presentation without loss of any value. He has top class litigation instincts. The whole team are simply top-class medical litigators handling the most complex litigation.’

  • ‘Eamon Harrington has rare insight and wisdom. It is a fortunate client that finds him as an adviser. Patrice O'Keeffe is intelligent, hard-working and sympathetic. Her preparation is first class. Yvonne Joyce - I have rarely seen a solicitor who puts so much into preparing a case. Every avenue is explored, every issue investigated.’

  • ‘The CKT team is very strong and one of the leading general and clinical litigation firms in the country. CKT always designate a supervising partner to the client's litigation and the partners have a depth of skills, knowledge and strategic thinking that places them in the leading category of solicitor practices, on the defence side, in the country. CKT are very skilled at alternative dispute resolution strategies and have excellent client-handling communication skills.’

Key clients

  • State Claims Agency
  • Health Service Executive (HSE)
  • Medisec
  • Allianz Insurance
  • Irish Public Bodies Insurance
  • MedPro
  • Tusla – the Child and Family Agency

Work highlights

  • Advised HSE on a number of disability cases over the past number of years, including a recent set of leading cases on the Disability Act 2005 and the Assessment of Needs (AON) process in Ireland.

Lawyers

Leading individuals

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Eamon Harrington

Other key lawyers

Patrice O’Keeffe, Hilda O’Keeffe, Alison Kelleher, Yvonne Joyce, Katherine Kelleher, Lebeau Jonker, Emily Sexton, Grace Toher