Maria is a partner in the Ogier Leman Dispute Resolution team. She manages commercial litigation at all levels of the Irish Court system and in forums of alternative dispute resolution, including arbitration, adjudication and mediation. Maria is also a qualified trade mark agent in Ireland, providing strategic advice on brand protection and contentious IP disputes.
Alongside general corporate disputes, Maria has particular expertise in property, planning and construction disputes and is a CEDR accredited mediator. She also has significant experience in retail and hospitality, including the liquor licensing of hotels, breweries and distilleries.
Maria’s significant experience in high value complex disputes and the recognition by clients of her consistent performance across various matters, resulted in her being listed as a Key Lawyer in the 2022 edition of the Legal 500 guide.
Maria completed her Certificate in Construction Adjudication through The Law Society of Ireland and has an LLM in Commercial Law from the University of Edinburgh.
Recent Work
- Representing client in complex IP licencing dispute (value €40 million) in ADR forum
- Representing a UAE IT services company in a cross-border debt recovery dispute with Irish based software company (value over €35 million)
- Representing client in boundary dispute to prevent third party interfering with construction of multi-million-euro hotel
- Representing developer client in injunction application seeking vacant possession of protected structure and conservation project on health and safety grounds
- Representing developer clients in judicial review proceedings challenging planning permission applications for high density residential developments
- Representing developer to successfully challenge the introduction of development guidelines/policy by government agency without adequate public consultation
- Representing clients in commercial matters in the High Court, Commercial Court and Court of Appeal, including complex contractual disputes and shareholder disputes
- Representing clients in summary actions in the High Court, including million euro debt recovery and security enforcement claims
- Conducting advocacy in court proceedings and in alternative dispute resolution forums, including mediation and arbitration
- Advise on complex landlord and tenant disputes in respect of commercial units, shopping centres, multi-unit developments and sports facilities
- Advising telecommunications provider on a leasehold dispute which directly affected its telecommunications infrastructure and business operations in Ireland (value over €5 million)
- Advising on and/or project management of liquor licensing applications for large hospitality schemes including hotels, theatres, cinemas, breweries and distilleries
- Advising on cross-jurisdictional trade mark dispute and prosecution of claim in the European Union Intellectual Property Office