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Orla O'Leary

Legal Director
About

Orla advises on all aspects of employment and equality law, relating to both contentions and non-contentious matters across a wide range of sectors including technology, manufacturing, life sciences, financial services and retail.

Orla has extensive experience working with HR and in-house legal teams in the negotiation of service contracts, severance agreements with senior executives and dealing with disciplinary, grievance and complaints of bullying and harassment in the workplace. She has particular experience in TUPE, outsourcing transactions, and collective redundancies.

Orla represents clients before the Workplace Relations Commission, the Labour Court and the civil courts in employment litigation such as unfair dismissal, equality/discrimination and workplace injury.

Professional QualificationsSolicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales, 2010Solicitor regulated by the Law Society of Ireland, 2008

EXPERIENCE

  • Advised on the first reported “whistleblowing” injunction in Ireland.*
  • Advised a large multinational on the Irish aspects of TUPE and related matters in the context of a restructuring of its operations in Ireland. *
  • Advised a large university in relation to a bullying and harassment matter.*
  • Advised a US pharmaceutical corporation on the Irish employment law aspects of its acquisition of the pharmaceutical distribution division of a competitor. *
*Denotes experience prior to joining DLA
Languages
  • English
Education
  • University College Dublin, Diploma in Employment Law, 2010
  • The Law Society of Ireland, Diploma Commercial Litigation, 2008
  • University College Limerick, B.A Law & Accounting, 2004

Awards

  • "Rising Star" in Legal 500 (Ireland) 2020 and 2021

Publications

  • Down to Zero – The Law Society Gazette
  • Speaking the Same Language in the Workplace – the Sunday Business Post
  • Employment Matters – Managing Sick Leave – the Sunday Business Post

Seminars

  • Lecturer and Tutor in the Law Society of Ireland Professional Practice Courses and Diploma in Employment Law

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