Síobhra Rush

About

I am Head of the Dublin office of Lewis Silkin Ireland. I have been since we opened, and have been very proud to bring the Lewis Silkin client experience to Ireland. I have over 20 years of experience in advising employers in the employment law arena, and regularly assist international and domestic clients in defending employment litigation. In my advisory practice, I advise SMT's, in-house counsel and HRD's on internal processes like grievance / disciplinary investigations and procedures, along with general employment / HR matters. I have a particular interest in areas of employment law that are evolving in Ireland, like whistleblowing, gender pay gap reporting and Pay Transparency, and European Works Councils. I am a member and current Chair of the Employment Law Committee in the Law Society of Ireland.

Experience

Employment, including WRC / Labour Court claims

Advising on contracts of employment, policies/procedures in light of recent statutory / legal developments
Advising on the management of internal processes like grievances, disciplinary, whistleblowing complaints
Negotiating mutual severance arrangements
Representing clients before adjudicatory bodies - the WRC, the Labour Court, the Circuit and High Courts, and have also appeared in the Court of Appeal

Collective issues & industrial relations

Advising clients on union engagement / negotiation and collective bargaining issues
Advising clients in regard to their obligations to set up / operate a European Works Council in Ireland
Advising on statutory collective consultations in collective redundancies and TUPE transfers
Defending a client in one of the first cases on the operation of an EWC under Irish law

Employment M&A, outsourcing & TUPE

Advising on the employment law aspects of acquisitions / dispositions and outsourcings - including due diligence, negotiating the employment provisions in commercial agreements and advising on post-completion harmonising of terms and conditions of employment