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Loughlin Deegan
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Loughlin is a Partner in the ByrneWallace LLP Employment team

Loughlin represents and advises clients across the full range of contentious and non-contentious employment law matters. He has advised and represented a significant number of major Irish public sector employers, in addition to major Irish and multi-national companies, particularly those in the pharmaceutical and medical devices sectors. Loughlin has also acted in contentious employment matters; industrial disputes and pensions restructuring.

From 2002 to 2007, he served as Special Adviser to the Attorney General. From 2007 to 2014, he worked in the Employment Law Unit of Ibec, latterly as Acting Head of Employment Law. Loughlin was Ibec’s lead interlocutor with the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in relation to all employment legislation. From 2004 to 2007, he led Ibec's pensions policy representation work by managing the programme of its Pensions Policy Committee.

Loughlin was a member of the Employment and Equality Law Committee of the Law Society of Ireland from 2007 to 2020, and served as its Chairperson from 2017 to 2019. He regularly acts a tutor, lecturer and LLM supervisor on the Law Society of Ireland's employment-law programmes. Loughlin has published several articles in the Law Society Gazette and the Parchment.

Key Experience

  • Extensive experience as an advocate in the Labour Court and Workplace Relations Commission

  • Advised on a number of contentious industrial disputes, including several in one of Ireland's largest employers, and one in a major multi-national transport company

  • Represented Irish and international companies in litigation under the collective bargaining legislation

  • As part of the ByrneWallace LLP public-sector team, helped to develop an entirely new suite of HR policies for the civil service

Qualifications

  • Bachelors of Civil Law, University College Dublin, 1994
  • Admitted to the roll of solicitors, 2001

Memberships

  • Employment and Equality Law Committee of the Law Society of Ireland.

Publications

  • Loughlin contributed a chapter to the e-textbook for the Law Society of Ireland’s Professional Practice Course in Employment Law.

Recommendations

"Loughlin Deegan is an exceptional solicitor with deep insight into matters of employment law." - Chambers Europe, 2024

"Loughlin is a very balanced and pragmatic solicitor who navigates complex workplace issues with empathy." - Chambers Europe, 2024

"Loughlin Deegan is an exceptional employment lawyer. He not only provides impeccable legal advice, he is also very practical and an excellent negotiator." - Legal 500, 2024

“Loughlin Deegan provides an exceptional service, really listening to his clients to ensure he understands not only their current legal issue but also the context in which they operate.”. - Chambers Europe, 2023

“As well as having an exceptional legal mind, he is also extremely practical.”. - Chambers Europe, 2023

“Loughlin Deegan provides exceptional service and listens to his clients to ensure he understands their current legal issues and the context in which they operate. His background gives him unique expertise and an ability to see things from a wide range of angles. As well as having an exceptional legal mind, he is also extremely practical. He is also trustworthy.” - Legal 500, 2023

"ByrneWallace has a highly competent team of legal professionals in the employment law arena. They provide excellent value for money relative to their peers and have a strong emphasis on collaboration and client focus. Their Employment Law Team is unrivalled with specialist expertise across all employment law disciplines. The customer service ethic and focus of Loughlin Deegan is fantastic." - Legal 500, 2022

"Loughlin Deegan deserves a special mention for his excellent legal mind and ability to complement legal theory and practice to deliver optimum outcomes in a range of third party forums for our business – High Court, Labour Court and the WRC. Loughlin Deegan is technically outstanding and is excellent in all aspects of employment law. There is a strong understanding of the operating context we manage and his ability to navigate successfully around complex legal matters has been very evident for the organisation." - Legal 500, 2022

Loughlin Deegan has notable experience handling challenging industrial relations topics, including those relating to dismissals and post-termination restrictive covenants.- Chambers Europe, 2022

With Loughlin Deegan "I always feel I’m getting the advice I need, with sufficient challenge to ensure that my thinking is challenged positively and that I have a better plan post-meeting. I’m confident in the advice given, know they understand the problem at hand and solutions offered are pragmatic and implementable. Once a course of action is agreed, I know it will be followed up and executed really well." - Legal 500, 2021

Loughlin Deegan moves up the rankings on the basis of extensive market praise. He has notable experience handling challenging industrial relations topics, including those relating to dismissals and post-termination restrictive covenants. "He has a focus on customer service and his advice is practical, tailored specifically to each challenge, and timely," clients report. - Chambers Europe, 2021

Loughlin Deegan has the unique ability to grasp immediately the prevalent core issues and tailor bespoke practical legal solutions to complex matters. - Chambers Europe, 2020

Loughlin Deegan is excellent and gives an outstanding level of service. - Chambers Europe, 2020

Loughlin Deegan is technically razor sharp, for many years. - Legal 500, 2020

Loughlin Deegan is a stand out legal professional with an exceptional ability to grasp our business needs and tailor employment law solutions in an efficient manner.’ - Legal 500, 2020

Loughlin Deegan is ranked as a Next Generation Partner by - Legal 500, 2020

Loughlin Deegan assists clients from both the public and private sectors with a wide variety of contentious and non-contentious mandates, ranging from injunction applications and terminations to TUPE matters and general HR policies. - Chambers Europe, 2019

Loughlin Deegan receives strong market endorsement for his employment practice. One client enjoys that he is "very strong on the technical aspects" and also praises his customer-oriented approach. - Chambers Europe, 2019

Described by Legal 500 2019 as a "Next Generation Lawyer" - Legal 500, 2019

Loughlin Deegan"combines a strong technical knowledge with an excellent understanding of our particular industrial relations context," while another impressed source notes that he "is always very responsive and very thorough; he pre-empts a lot of issues." - Chamber Europe, 2018

Newly promoted partner Loughlin Deegan has ‘strong technical knowledge’. - Legal 500, 2018

Loughlin Deegan is ranked as a Next Generation Lawyer by - Legal 500, 2018

Loughlin Deegan is widely recognised as "a very capable and dedicated lawyer" who is "technically good" and has "very practical experience." - Chamber Europe 2017 

Ranked Up and Coming Lawyer - Chambers Europe, 2017