22 May 2026

Hayes solicitors LLP (“Hayes”) announces 11 promotions across the firm, including two new partners, three senior associates, and six associates. The promotions span the Commercial, Employment, Healthcare, and Property practices and reflect continued growth and investment in talent across the business.

Joe O’Malley, Managing Partner of Hayes, said: “We are delighted to announce this round of promotions which reflects the strength and depth of talent across the firm. Catherine Jane and Luke’s promotions to partner recognise their outstanding contribution and the continued growth of our Employment and Healthcare practices”.

“We are also pleased to recognise the achievements of our newly promoted senior associates and associates, who play a key role in delivering for our clients. Taken together, these promotions are a clear reflection of Hayes’ commitment to developing exceptional lawyers at every level of the firm and to delivering the highest quality of client service.”

New Partners

Catherine Jane O’Rourke – Partner, Employment

Catherine Jane O’Rourke has been promoted to partner in the firm’s Employment practice. She advises employers and employees on a wide range of contentious and non-contentious employment matters, including contracts of employment, policies and procedures, workplace investigations, redundancies/restructurings, statutory compliance and dismissals. She has significant High Court, Circuit Court, WRC and Labour Court experience. She has particular experience in complex termination scenarios, executive appointments, difficult workplace investigations and complicated litigation, including injunctions and judicial reviews. Catherine also advises on flexible and remote working, Transfer Regulations, whistleblowing, data protection and broader EU employment law issues, including European Works Councils and posted workers requirements. She joined Hayes as a trainee and qualified in 2016. Catherine is a committee member of the Employment Law Association of Ireland.

Luke Gleeson – Partner, Healthcare

Luke Gleeson has been promoted to partner in the firm’s Healthcare practice. He represents defendants in clinical negligence claims, including cases involving surgical errors, spinal injuries, brain damage, amputation, delayed cancer diagnosis and orthopaedic injuries. He advises clients on mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution at all stages of litigation. Prior to joining Hayes, Luke spent eight years at a leading London firm, acting in the defence of high-value clinical negligence claims involving catastrophic injuries and complex causation issues. He is admitted as a solicitor in both Ireland and England and Wales.

New Senior Associates

The firm is also pleased to announce the promotion of three associates to senior associate.

Aaron McCullagh – Senior Associate, Healthcare

Aaron specialises in the defence of medical negligence claims taken against hospitals and individual medical practitioners, including GPs and consultants. He has experience of a variety of claims, including those concerning surgical errors, misdiagnosis, and nervous shock. He advises clients including professional indemnity insurers, private and public hospitals, and individual practitioners such as GPs and medical consultants. He has specific expertise in surgical-related medical negligence claims, including managing High Court cases in this area.

Ross Magee – Senior Associate, Commercial

Ross specialises in commercial litigation, dispute resolution and insolvency, advising clients across multiple sectors and industries on dispute avoidance, alternative dispute resolution and litigation before the Irish courts. He acts for corporates, financial institutions, private equity funds and individuals in a range of contentious matters including company law applications, insolvency, enforcement and recovery, landlord and tenant disputes, intellectual property, defamation and general commercial litigation.

Laura O’Farrell – Senior Associate, Commercial

Laura specialises in high value commercial litigation and dispute resolution in a wide range of commercial and private contexts. She advises on sectoral regulation and professional disciplinary matters. Laura also advises on a wide range of commercial issues, including business contracts and the impact of consumer law.

New Associates

We are also pleased to announce the promotion of six solicitors to associate roles across the Employment, Property and Healthcare teams as follows:

Chloe Flynn – Associate, Employment

Chloe has advised organisations across a diverse range of contentious, non-contentious and transactional matters. She provides practical, commercially focused employment law advice to a wide variety of domestic and international clients, and she regularly advises on redundancies projects, termination, workplace investigations and employment contracts and policies.

Gráinne McEntee – Associate, Employment

Gráinne advises domestic and international clients on transaction, advisory and contentious matters. She regularly advises on redundancies, workplace investigations, suspensions, performance management and disciplinary procedures. Gráinne has experience with complaints and claims before the Workplace Relations Commission, Circuit Court, and High Court.

Martin McKiernan – Associate, Employment

Since qualifying as a solicitor in September 2020, Martin has built a broad employment law practice advising clients across multiple sectors on contentious and non-contentious matters. His experience includes discrimination, unfair dismissal, redundancy projects and corporate reorganisations, as well as litigation and advisory work for employers. Having worked across both legal jurisdictions on the island of Ireland, he brings a strong cross-border perspective to his practice.

Matthew Staunton – Associate, Property

Matthew advises on a range of commercial and residential property matters, including acquisitions, disposals and leasing. He acts for both landlords and tenants in relation to commercial leases. He also has experience advising private clients on drafting and administering tax-efficient wills and trusts..

Nicholas Moore – Associate, Healthcare

Nicholas advises clinical practitioners and indemnity bodies in respect of the defence of medical and dental claims. Prior to joining Hayes, Nicholas worked for a leading plaintiff Litigation firm, gaining experience in medical negligence. He assists in the defence of a wide range of medical negligence claims including catastrophic injuries, fatal injuries, surgical errors and delayed diagnosis.

Éibhín Stapleton – Associate, Employment

Éibhín advises domestic and international clients on both contentious and non-contentious employment law matters, with a particular focus on employment equality and dispute resolution. She advises on workplace issues including contracts of employment, policies and procedures, redundancies and working time. Éibhín has experience representing clients in mediations and in claims before the Workplace Relations Commission, Circuit Court and High Court including employment equality and unfair dismissal cases.