William Abrahamson SC

William Abrahamson has been in practice at the Bar since 2001. He was called to the Inner Bar in 2021. He has a broad civil practice, with a particular focus in the areas of commercial law and chancery. His practice includes litigation and advisory work in the areas of banking and security law, company law, insolvency, contract disputes, land law, landlord and tenant, and construction law. He has acted in a number of high profile matters, and in significant multi-party commercial disputes with an international dimension.

William has appeared at all levels of the Irish Courts. He has also been involved in litigation before the Court of Justice of the European Union. He has acted for clients before a Tribunal of Inquiry and as counsel to a Commission of Investigation.

William is an accredited mediator (CEDR) and has extensive experience in acting for clients in mediation and arbitration.

In 2018, William was engaged to assist in a non-statutory review of response of the Department of Justice to the Disclosures Tribunal. In 2022, William was appointed one of two Appeals Officers under the ex gratia compensation scheme established by the Department of Education in response to the O’Keeffe ruling of the ECtHR.

William’s clients include a range of commercial entities, including banks and investment funds; NAMA and related entities; receivers and liquidators; as well as the State and a number of local authorities.

The following is a selection of William’s recent case-work:

• WC v. DPP [2024] IESC 48 – Appeal in judicial review proceedings concerning disclosure in criminal proceedings concerning sexual offences. (Co-counsel for the DPP)
• Lynch v. Minister for Health [2024] IEHC 463 – Judicial review concerning a challenge to Misuse of Drugs Act 1977. (Counsel for the State)
• Moyne v. Todd [2024] IECA 81 – Appeal against dismissal of defamation proceedings on grounds of absolute privilege. (Counsel for the Respondent)
• CHC Ireland DAC v. Minister for Transport [2023] IECA 229 – Appeal against decision to lift automatic suspension under Regulation 8A of the Remedies Regulations permitting Minister to conclude contract for supply of Irish Coast Guard aviation services. (Counsel for the Appellant)
• Micks-Wallace v. Dunne [2023] IEHC 169 – Motion to dismiss proceedings for want of jurisdiction. (Counsel for the Defendant)
• Kehoe v. Promontoria [2023] IECA 72 – Appeal against vacation of lis pendens and dismissal of proceedings for delay. (Counsel for the Respondent)
• Ulster Bank v. Quirke [2022] IECA 283 – Appeal concerning the test for leave to issue execution of a judgment. (Counsel for the Respondent)
• Independent Trustee Company Ltd v. Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman [2022] IEHC 560 – Statutory appeal against a decision of the FSPO, in which the High Court considered the powers of the Ombudsman where an appeal concerns an entity which is both a fianncial services provider and a pension provider. (Counsel for the FSPO)
• Farrell v. Everyday Finance DAC [2022] IEHC 303 – A case concerning the entitlement of a borrower to disclosure of material from the assignee of the loan. (Counsel for the Defendant)
• Sheehan v. Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal [2021] IESC 64, [2022] IESC 9 – An appeal admitted to the Supreme Court to address a point of law of general public importance concerning the scope of statutory appeals under the Solicitors Acts. (Counsel for the complainants)
• Re Alvonway Investments Limited [2020] IEHC 376, [2022] IECA 160 – Appeal against restriction of company director. (Counsel for the liquidator)
• BGB Property Holdings Ltd v. Tifco Ltd [2021] IECA 181 – An appeal to the Court of Appeal concerning an application to strike out proceedings on the grounds that they are bound to fail. (Counsel for the Defendant)
• Re Ethafil Limited [2021] IEHC 334, [2021] IEHC 680 – An application for directions by a liquidator seeking to obtain vacant possession of company lands. (Counsel for the liquidator)
• Klohn v. An Bord Pleanála [Case C-739/19] – A preliminary reference by the Supreme Court to the CJEU for determination of questions concerning the entitlement of a visiting lawyer from another EU Member State to appear before the Irish Courts. (Counsel for the General Counsel of the Bar of Ireland as amicus curiae)
• Re Dominar Group Limited [2020] IEHC 208, [2021] IECA 284 – Proceedings and appeal by a shareholder seeking to remove the liquidator of a company. (Counsel for the liquidator)
• Trafalgar Developments Limited v. Mazepin [2020] IEHC 13, [2020] IEHC 611 – A multi-party case concerning an alleged conspiracy by Russian and Cypriot actors to defraud the shareholders of a Russian-registered company. (Counsel for the Ninth Defendant)
• National Asset Loan Management v. Garrett Kelleher [2016] 3 I.R. 568 – A claim by NAMA to recover banking debts totalling approximately €46 million, involving events and connected proceedings in a number of jursidictions (Ireland, England, the US and Belgium). The case was admitted to the Commercial List, and involved the delivery of an important judgment from the Court of Appeal concerning proceedings commenced by summary judgment. (Counsel for the Plaintiff)
• Denis O’Brien v. Red Flag Consulting Limited [2015] IEHC 867, [2017] IECA 258 – A case concerning alleged conspiracy and defamation, in which a number of significant judgments have been delivered in the area of discovery and Norwich Pharmacal relief. (Counsel for the First to Sixth Defendants)
• Subrogated claims brought by Liberty Insurance in the names of over 600 plaintiffs seeking to recover damages from the suppliers of infill material for the construction of houses damaged by pyrite. (Counsel for the Plaintiffs)
• A series of proceedings case-managed in the Competition List concerning alleged anti-competitive practices in the sale of trucks in breach of Irish and EU law. (Counsel for one of the Defendants)

• Co-author of Abrahamson, Dwyer and Fitzpatrick, Discovery and Disclosure, 3rd edition (2019), Round Hall
• Contributor to Ó Floinn, Practice & Procedure in the Superior Courts, 2nd ed. (2008), Bloomsbury Professional

Recent lectures include:

• Legal Professional Privilege in Civil Litigation – a paper delivered in October 2020 at a La Touche conference on Legal Professional Privilege chaired by Mr Justice Noonan of the Court of Appeal
• Discovery and Interrogatories after the Tobin Decision – a paper delivered in March 2019 at a Dublin Solicitors’ Bar Association conference chaired by Mr Justice Haughton of the Court of Appeal
• The Duty of Candour in Civil Proceedings – a paper delivered in January 2022 at a Bar of Ireland ethics seminar chaired by Ms Justice Donnelly of the Court of Appeal

• William participates in the Supreme Court Voluntary Assistance Scheme
• Member of the Education Committee of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns (2008 to present)
• Member of the Board of Management of St Catherine’s National School, Dublin 8 (2019 to present)
• Member of the Board of Pan Pan Theatre Company (2022 to present)

• Commercial Litigation Association of Ireland
• Restructuring and Insolvency Ireland (formerly Irish Society of Insolvency Practitioners)
• Corporate and Insolvency Bar Association
• Financial Services Bar Association