WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT AI: LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS, RISKS AND CHALLENGES, AND HOW TO USE IT
Thursday 15th May 2025 – 2.00pm to 4.00 PM
VIA WEBINAR.
Insights to practitioners on a variety of AI-related issues from a range of different perspectives – Mr Justice Liam Kennedy Chair
An overview of the key elements of the AI Act – Laura Fannin of Hayes Solicitors
Deepfakes and other AI-generated content, and its challenges and implications for lawyers – Jonathan Flood of HaystackID
Issues and practical considerations for lawyers implementing AI tools in their work – Donna O’Leary of DOL Consulting
SPEAKERS
| Jonathan Flood Senior Director of Data Automation HaystackID. He has over 15 years of experience in eDiscovery, data management, forensics, and building efficient operations. More recently, Jonathan has been leveraging technology to build strong, industry-leading automation services for internal and external clients. Having worked in leading law firms, with some of the largest organisations in the world and their data, these automations are proving to be hugely effective. Jonathan has an engineering background with strong technical skills, which has led to him building an excellent team of engineers at HaystackID to break new ground and build better services for this industry. |
| Laura Fannin is a partner in the Commercial & Business team at Hayes solicitors and leads the firm’s data protection and privacy offering. Laura has over 15 years of experience specialising in data protection and privacy law and has a deep understanding of data protection and privacy law. She is renowned among peers and clients for her expertise in data protection and privacy law, including the GDPR. In addition to her data protection and privacy work, Laura also advises clients on commercial contracts, artificial intelligence, consumer protection, intellectual property and information technology.
Laura has a broad client base across key business sectors, including retail, manufacturing, financial services, advertising & marketing, fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), motor and food. Laura is a member of the International Network of Privacy Professionals and often contributes to articles for this organisation. Laura is often invited to speak as a data protection expert by various organisations, including the Law Society of Ireland, CMG Events and the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association. |
| Donna O’Leary, Consultant is a dual-qualified solicitor (Ireland and England & Wales) who specialises in AI literacy, education, and consulting for law firms and in-house legal teams at all stages of their AI journey. Drawing on her hands-on experience as a solicitor at Mason Hayes & Curran LLP, Donna brings a practical, real-world perspective to the integration of AI tools in legal practice. Through her consultancy work, she has delivered workshops at the Law Society of Ireland and helps legal teams to bridge the AI literacy gap by providing tailored training, strategic guidance, and implementation support in line with our professional obligations and legal requirements under the EU AI Act. She was recently appointed as an expert advisor to Lawyers Innovative Training for European Law (LITEL2), a European Commission-funded project aimed at developing and delivering AI training to junior lawyers across Europe. Donna bridges the gap between legal practice and technology, with a focus on maintaining professional standards and supporting responsible AI adoption. |
CHAIR
| Mr Justice Liam Kennedy Having originally qualified as a barrister and solicitor in New Zealand (which has a fused profession), working in Wellington and then London, Mr. Justice Kennedy was with A&L Goodbody for over 30 years and was head of the firm’s litigation team. He represented clients in international disputes and regulatory investigations, including in all jurisdictions of the Irish courts.He served as a Law Society of Ireland Council Member for 14 years and is a former Chair of its Litigation Committee and of the International Bar Association’s Litigation Committee. He was one of the first Irish solicitors to be nominated as a Senior Counsel. He was also a leader of the Ireland for Law initiative, an Irish government taskforce promoting Ireland as a venue for international legal services and transactions. He was appointed to the High Court in July 2023 and currently deals with chancery matters and the bankruptcy and examinership lists. |