Corporate Finance / Corporate Governance
- BCL (International) University College Dublin
- Exchange student at De Paul College of Law, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- BL Degree, Honorable Society of Kings Inns
- Admitted as an Attorney-at-Law and Counsellor-at-Law (New York State) (2003)
- Diploma in Advanced Finance Law, Law Society of Ireland 2005
- Voluntarily resigned from the Irish Bar and admitted as a solicitor (Ireland) (2009)
I began my career as a qualified barrister in the legal unit of a HR consulting company practicing mainly in the area of pensions, share schemes, investment management and custodian arrangements, at a time when the regulatory environment surrounding pensions was undergoing significant change. I subsequently moved to take up the position of Barrister advising the Minister and Department of Education and Science on the legal and constitutional framework governing its policy formulation and operational activities. Working with the Department exposed me to the legal intricacies of public bodies and enabled me to build on my experience of advising in a complex regulatory environment. There were three aspects to my role: advising generally on the operational activities of the Department and the Minister’s policies and strategies; drafting primary and secondary legislation and managing litigation from a strategic perspective.
The work is very rewarding and each day brings new challenges and always presents fresh opportunities for learning.
Emily Ennis
In 2007, attracted by Arthur Cox’s reputation as the pre-eminent Irish corporate and commercial law firm and its long-standing association with the Irish State, I joined Arthur Cox’s Corporate Finance team to specialise in advising State bodies and listed companies on the corporate governance and regulatory obligations affecting their business. Arthur Cox lawyers are recognised as experts in their field and the quality of work here is exceptional. Since joining I have advised a range of listed public companies, private companies and State bodies on their corporate governance, regulatory and commercial issues and have also worked on high profile corporate transactions such as takeovers, schemes of arrangements, rights issues and other corporate events. Having practised as a barrister in an in-house environment for many years, I was struck by the welcoming, inclusive nature of the firm and the value which Arthur Cox places on diversity and individual skills. In 2009, having savoured life as an Arthur Cox corporate lawyer, I decided to transfer profession and became admitted as a solicitor.
The working environment in Arthur Cox is dynamic and collaborative. The legal issues presented are often challenging and a career here requires you to apply your legal reasoning skills and judgement in situations where typically there is little precedent and no simple answer in the textbook! The partners are approachable and willing to share their depth of knowledge and experience with you. There is always a colleague available to offer a valuable insight and we work together to devise solutions which will deliver on clients’ objectives. The work is very rewarding and each day brings new challenges and always presents fresh opportunities for learning.
