Litigation is the cornerstone of the public sector practice at Hayes Solicitors LLP, which has a particularly strong track-record of defending the state in high-profile medical negligence and product and public liability claims, in addition to handling judicial reviews and acting for regulatory bodies in professional disciplinary proceedings. The ‘expert partners’ in the practice include Joseph O’Malley, who frequently represents statutory bodies in public law-related disputes; Mary Hough, who leads the sizeable healthcare litigation team; and Jackie Buckley and Breda O’Malley, who advise public sector clients on property and employment issues, respectively.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Strong, client-focused firm with number of expert partners.’

  • ‘Jackie Buckley is excellent, providing commercial, client-focused advice.’

  • ‘A firm with a balanced combination of empathic and knowledgeable solicitors who provide sound, thoughtful and practical advice.’

  • 'The partners with whom I have worked in Hayes' public sector practice are incredibly well-experienced and bring a wealth of expertise to their public sector clients. They are impressively responsive, strategic and hardworking.'

  • 'Robbie Slattery provides excellent advice to clients and fantastic litigation support to counsel. He is always available, good humoured, calm and on top of his work.'

  • 'A firm with a balanced combination of empathic and knowledgeable solicitors who provide sound, thoughtful and practical advice.'

Key clients

  • State Claims Agency
  • Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland (RIAI)
  • EFG Bank AG
  • Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI)

Work highlights

  • Advised the State Claims Agency in relation to high-profile inquests and catastrophic injury and product liability claims.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Joseph O’Malley, Mary Hough, Jackie Buckley, Breda O’Malley

Other key lawyers

Stephen McGuinness, Martha Wilson, Louise O'Rourke, Katy Meade, Conor Morgan, Matthew Austin, Robbie Slattery