Joseph Richardson BL

Joseph began practicing in Michaelmas Term 2014 having spent his previous career in the education and healthcare sectors in the roles of policy analyst, lobbyist, and general manager.

Having completed a Ph.D. in History at Maynooth University, he worked in retail banking before joining the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (Ireland) as its Research and Policy Executive in 2000.

He was headhunted from there to the Irish Medical Organisation, in 2002, where he was the Head of International Affairs and Policy, lobbying and influencing local and EU bodies on behalf of Consultants, Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors, Public Health Doctors, and General Practitioners. Key roles included building a network of relationships  and negotiating at EU level, parliamentary briefing, planning and co-ordinating an international affairs strategy.

He was approached to become the Faculty Administrator (General Manager) of the newly constituted Faculty of Health Sciences at Trinity College, Dublin, in 2008. There he led the establishment of the new Faculty with the Schools of Medicine, Pharmacy, Dental Science, and Nursing and Midwifery which had about 350 staff and 3,000 students. Key issues in the management of the Faculty were the balancing of the requirements of professional standards and university standards, quality audits and assurance, data protection, fitness-to-practice, implementation of new governance structures. The role involved market analysis for new course offerings.

Having left Trinity College in 2014, Joseph has developed a civil practice with a particular focus on the areas of commercial and contract law, tort law, and governance.

He became a Chartered Shipbroker in 2022 having joined the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers in 2015 as a student. He has a deep interest in maritime law, international trade, and the shipping industry. He is the Treasurer of the Irish Maritime Law Association which is the Irish member of the Comité Maritime International, and a subscribing member of the Association of Average Adjusters.

He volunteered as the Company Secretary of Fencing Ireland from 2019 to 2022. During his tenure he implemented the Code of Governance for Sport and brought Fencing Ireland into compliance with governance good practice. During this period he became  a Chartered Secretary.

Member of Panel of Arbitrators under EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement

Appointed on the 17^th May 2022 to under the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement.

Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers                                                     

• Secretary of the Irish Branch of the Institute.
• Appointed to chair on the Governance Committee of the global Institute, December 2022.
• Irish representative on the Institute’s Controlling Council, December 2023.

Company Director

A non-executive director acting as the representative of investors.  Led the board in the following;

• Negotiation of a contract with a partner organisation in California.
• Accessed and sought advice on contracts, and services agreements, in Californian Law.
• Drafted revised terms of service for customers.
• Drafted revised General Data Protection Policies for the company.
• Negotiated a shareholders agreement for investors.

Notary Public

Appointed a Notary Public on 22nd March 2023 by the Chief Justice. The office of Notary Public is the most ancient of the three legal professions and a Notary is authorised to;

1. Administer oaths;
2. Attest to signatures;
3. Authenticate documents for use outside Ireland;
4. Issue Notarial Acts;
5. Take affidavits for use outside Ireland;
6. Take declarations, affirmations;
7. Receive and make protests relating to Bills of Exchange and Ships Protests;
8. Issue Notarial Certificates;
9. Draft powers of attorney for use outside Ireland;
10. Seek the use of an Apostille from the Department of Foreign Affairs;
11. Seek the legalisation of documents at the Supreme Court, Department of Foreign Affairs, and relevant foreign consular services.

• Arbitration
  • Arbitrated a dispute for the National Governing Body of an Olympic Sport.
• Charity Compliance
  • Advised a client on the implementation of the Code of Governance for Charities and drafted the annual submission to the Charity Regulator.
• Defamation
  • Advised clients on defamation within the context of their work environment.
• District Court Appeal
  • Ran an appeal of a client convicted of drinking and driving. Had sentence reduced to minimum statutory sentence on appeal.
• Employment Contracts
  • For a client in the construction industry,
  • Review of contracts for clients.
• Employment Law / Workplace Relations Commission
  • Advices and cases taken to the WRC,
  • Labour Court Submissions for client solicitors.
• Investment Agreements
  • Advised clients on the terms of agreements and their implications.
• Shareholders Agreements
  • Advised clients on the terms of shareholder agreements under Irish law and foreign jurisdictions.
• Partnership Agreements
  • Drafted partnership agreements for professionals in partnership.
• Business Intelligence / Due Diligence
  • Reported on the status of Irish incorporated bodies for a UK client.
• Contracts for Services
  • Drafted a contract for services for an internet service provider.
• Right of Way / Easement
  • Advised a client on the re-instatement of a right of way.
• High Court Injunction
  • Defended a client against an injunction to restrain it in the conduct of its business. Negotiated a successful resolution of the dispute.
• Overholding / Leasehold
  • Negotiated a settlement for a client in a case involving a tenant overholding and claiming a business lease.
• Debt Recovery
  • Drafted papers in debt recovery cases.
  • Negotiated settlements on debt recovery.
  • Advices on security for debt.
• Disability
  • Advised a client on the rights of his daughter to Early Years Education.
• Redundancy
  • Advised a client on the nature of redundancy and her options when she was made unemployed.
• Contract Drafting
  • Drafted a contract between four parties for the management and care of an object of historical significance and the division of duties and responsibilities between the parties.
• Governance
  • Chartered Secretary who brought a National Governing Body for Olympic Fencing into compliance with the Sports Governance Code.

‪“Big Data – Finding the Balance. A High Level Overview of the Big Data and its Impacts on Corporate Governance,” in Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators Magazine, February 2014. Co-author with Niall Kavanagh BL.

“A New Era for Ireland.  A Consideration of the New Rules on Mergers and Acquisitions in the Companies Act 2014,” in Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators Magazine, February 2015. Co-author with Niall Kavanagh BL.

“Nemo Dat Quod Non Habet — The Value of Certificate Evidence under the National Asset Management Agency Act 2009,” in Commercial Law Practitioner 2015, 22(11), 275-280

“The Concept of Jurisdiction in Taxation and Tort—Recent Case Law,” in Commercial Law Practitioner 2017, 24(3), 59-64.

“Does the Polluter Pay? The Brownfield v Wicklow Cases,” in Irish Planning and Environmental Law 2017, 24(2), 56-66

“Brexit and the Trans-Frontier Transportation of Waste,” in Irish Planning and Environmental Law 2018, 25(1), 15-19.

Lecturer at International College, Dublin, in business law and governance.

Occasional Lecturer at the OMC Governance Institute  https://www.omcgovernance.ie/

Company Secretary (Secretary-General) Fencing Ireland      June 2019 to July 2022

Company Secretary (pro bono) and Board member (since 2018) of Fencing Ireland the National Governing Body for Fencing. Spearheaded extensive reform and renewal of the governance of the organisation. Led the board in the following;

• Implementation of a governance report by Deloitte
• Implementation of new policies on inclusion,
• As chief legal advisor on matters requiring the use of the Grievance, Disciplinary, Protected Disclosure, Volunteering, and Safeguarding Policies,
• Compliance with the requirements of Company law,
• Compliance with the Code of Governance for National Governing Bodies,
• Revising the risk assessment and management of Fencing Ireland,
• Redesign of the roles of the Board and sub-committees of the Board.