We advise on pensions law from a consultative and compliance point of view; we advise trustees and employers on all aspects of Irish pension arrangements both in the private and public sectors, advising on issues arising from the ongoing management and administration of pension arrangements, from establishment to winding up, including the provision of all necessary trust documentation.

Matheson’s global mobility and immigration specialists have extensive experience in navigating the Irish immigration system and delivering business-focused solutions to our corporate clients moving talent to Ireland on short, medium or long term arrangements. Our team acts as a liaison between businesses and Irish immigration authorities which ensures seamless international mobility.

As the use of AI continues to transform workplace practices, we are assisting organisations on the employment law considerations arising for employers. HR professionals are increasingly relying on AI tools to manage the employment relationship lifecycle from streamlining recruitment and onboarding, to analysing performance and gauging employee morale to relying on AI to inform dismissals and we are at the forefront of advising clients on the full spectrum of issues arising at the intersection of AI and employment law.

Pay equity has been a legislative priority at EU and Irish level for the last number of years, and we have been advising clients on their legal obligations in respect of publishing their gender pay gap data on an annual basis since the requirement came into law in 2022. We are also now working with clients who are preparing for the onerous pay transparency obligations coming down the tracks in 2026.

In an era of increased accountability for employees whose roles are regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland (“CBI”), regulatory employment expertise and experience has never been so critical. Following the introduction of the CBI’s Fitness and Probity regime in 2011, we have represented employers in more High Court litigation relating to this regime than any other firm in the Irish market, and we continue to advise many large institutions on the new Senior Executive Accountability Regime (equivalent to the UK SMCR model) which incorporates the Individual Accountability Framework.

In recent years, we have developed particular expertise in cross-border transfer work, to include advising on the transfer of Irish pension benefits to cross border IORPs based in Europe, and the establishment of cross border IORPs based in Ireland.  We also have considerable experience in advising in relation to compliance of cross border IORPs with Irish social and labour law

Employment law and HR issues can regularly and very rapidly escalate to crisis situations for organisations. Our team is there to provide strategic legal support to help organisations navigate high-stake situations with control. Whether facing regulatory investigations, cyberattacks, the threat of high-profile litigation, governance mismanagement or leadership breakdown, we work quickly to assess the legal risk, protect the company’s interests, and manage the reputational impact. The depth and breadth of Matheson’s crisis management experience ensures that a cross-departmental team can offer integrated and practical guidance.

Our team has built up extensive experience guiding employers through complex and sensitive workplace investigations arising in the context of allegations of misconduct, bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, breaches of law or company policy, financial wrongdoing, or other forms of mismanagement. We provide pragmatic and solutions-focused guidance to ensure that investigations are conducted in an efficient and effective manner and adhere to fair procedures.

We also regularly advise on the employment aspects of complex regulatory investigations (whether conducted by an independent investigator, a client, a third party forensic investigator or a regulator) and provide strategic advice to ensure that any subsequent disciplinary process of the employees under investigation is not prejudiced. Our cross-departmental investigation specialists have the expertise and experience to manage such complex matters which often involve blended / overlapping employment, regulatory, competition, litigation and data protection issues.

Our practice continues to be at the forefront of the most important employment litigation in Ireland. The disputes we handle are often precedent setting, requiring a collaborative and innovative approach, particularly where they are high-stakes, time-sensitive and carry significant reputational risk for our clients. We achieve successful outcomes for clients from all sectors, including many regulated sectors, in complex employment litigation before the Irish employment tribunal, the Workplace Relations Commission (the “WRC”), the Labour Court and the civil courts. This includes defence of a wide range of employment law claims connected to working time, payment of wages, unfair dismissals, equality, and whistleblowing. We are particularly experienced in the field of High Court injunctive relief, both in pursuit of employees (breach of post-termination restrictive covenants or theft of confidential information) in addition to defence of employers (alleged breach of internal fair procedures in the context of disciplinary or dismissal proceedings).