Ireland: Litigation, Mediation & Arbitration

Lawyers, both in-house and in private practice are making growing use of generative AI in the delivery of legal services. This had led to the creation of a whole new category of documents...

The High Court has recently confirmed that the protection normally afforded by ‘without prejudice' communications will be lost where the communication is unambiguously improper.

By 18 August 2026, certain providers must be ready to comply with a new law enforcement data request regime with demanding deadlines and serious sanctions for non-compliance.

The Irish High Court has clarified the extent to which commercial property owners can use force to regain possession of their premises. In a case involving a warehouse sale following loan default and receivership, the court examined whether breaking glass and cutting through steel shutters constituted lawful recovery of property. The decision provides important guidance on the boundaries between legitimate property recovery and unlawful forcible entry.

In 2025, the FSPO received a record 7,004 complaints, an increase of 13% on 2024. Of these complaints, 6,282 were closed during the year, representing a 6% increase from 2024.

Amendments have been made to public works contracts with the intent of improving dispute management in public construction projects. Measures are designed to encourage early resolution, allow for appointment of Standing Conciliators to chair Project Boards on major projects, and maintain fast-track arbitration alongside options for more complex cases.

Ireland's new Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation Bill 2026 introduces comprehensive protections against abusive litigation designed to silence journalists, activists, and citizens exercising their right to public participation. The legislation empowers courts to swiftly dismiss meritless claims, impose costs and damages on plaintiffs, and provides mechanisms to address cross-border SLAPP proceedings.

Our team combines specialist competition law knowledge with practical litigation experience to represent clients in complex antitrust disputes before Irish courts. We handle everything from appeals of infringement decisions and procedural challenges to follow-on and standalone damages actions. With expertise spanning case assessment, pleadings, expert strategy, discovery, and interlocutory relief, we navigate the full spectrum of competition litigation matters.

The Supreme Court of Ireland has issued a landmark ruling on litigation funding arrangements, examining whether conditional fee uplift agreements and "no foal, no fee" structures violate champerty laws. This decision arose from a tax debt recovery case where taxpayers challenged the Revenue Commissioners' fee arrangements with their legal panel, arguing these agreements were unenforceable under Irish law.

Ireland's collective litigation landscape is rapidly evolving with new qualified entities joining the register and the country's first representative action proceeding to trial. As third-party litigation funding recommendations loom on the horizon, businesses face an increasingly complex legal environment that demands careful attention to potential exposure and strategic risk assessment.

The newly-introduced European Union Representative Actions Directive ((EU) 2020/1828) has the aim of enabling consumers within the EU to pool together to protect their interests in a range of sectors, ...

International Arbitration Comparative Guide for the jurisdiction of Ireland, check out our comparative guides section to compare across multiple countries