UCC School of Law Alumni and Friends appointed as Senior Counsel

8 Sep 2020

UCC School of Law is delighted to note that four alums now working as solicitors have been appointed as senior counsel.

This is a landmark moment for the profession, as it is the first time the honour traditionally reserved for barristers has been bestowed on solicitor colleagues.

Richard Hammond (BCL 1997, LLB and LLM from UCC and also a member of the School’s Liaison Committee), Dr Vincent Power (BCL 1984, and also an Adjunct Professor at the School), Bill Holohan (BCL and LLB 1980) and James MacGuill (BCL 1983) are among the seventeen solicitors who have been backed by the Legal Services Regulatory Authority’s advisory committee for the grant of patents of precedence.

As well as excellent alumni representation, we also welcome the appointment of Helen Noble – a maritime lawyer and friend of the School of Law – as senior counsel. Ms Noble was instrumental in creating our prestigious LLM in Marine and Maritime Law, providing essential advice on the contents and nature of the various modules and acting as a link between the Law School and the maritime legal profession.

A number of barristers have also been recommended for patents of precedence, including UCC School of Law alum Darren Lehane. Darren Lehane (BCL 2001, LLM 2002) was granted a patent of precedence by the Government at its meeting of 1 September 2020, following the recommendation of the Advisory Committee on the grant of Patents of Precedence, entitling him to be called to the Inner Bar and to use the title of Senior Counsel.

Darren, who specialises in maritime law, has taught the Law of Ship Finance module on the LLM in Marine and Maritime Law since its inception.

Congratulations to our UCC School of Law alumni and friends on these fantastic achievements. They will be granted a patent of precedence at a presentation ceremony likely to be held later this autumn.

Source: https://www.irishlegal.com/article/solicitors-to-be-named-senior-counsel-in-landmark-moment