Why Choose Us

Alastair began his early career with IBEC where he represented both indigenous and multinational companies in all areas of employment law. He has held senior positions in industry, most notably as HR Director (Manufacturing), with responsibility for Health Safety and Environmental, World Wide, for Analog Devices. He also lectured on strategic HR at the Irish Management Institute and Employment Law in the Law Society. After leaving industry Alastair started his own solicitors practice with the purpose of providing practical advice to employers. Today the practice has offices in Dublin and Galway providing expert advice to employers nationwide.

Alastair acts for clients with various employment claims such as unfair dismissals, equality/discrimination, occupational stress, health and safety, corporate governance, trade disputes, industrial relations and general litigation. Alastair also assists clients with restructuring and redundancy programmes and advises on corporate transactions such as mergers and acquisitions.
Alastair has extensive experience of advising clients across a range of contentious and non-contentious matters with an emphasis on employment litigation, commercial litigation and shareholders’ disputes. Alastair also advises on the law as it relates to, disputes and investigations concerning public and private bodies, judicial review and disputes particularly as they relate to the board and chief executives of companies and contentious issues as they impact on Health and Safety law. Alastair is vastly experienced in dealing with and defending cases where companies and directors are being prosecuted by the Health and Safety Authority for alleged breaches of Health and Safety matters including indictable prosecutions following fatalities on construction sites.

On the advisory side Alastair provides advice to local and multinational companies with a particular focus on high level contentious and board related disputes.

Alastair generally practices in the area of dispute resolution and has been involved in many mediations.

Alastair is widely published in the area of employment law. He published his first book on employment law in 2006 and a second edition of this book titled “Termination of Employment – A Practical Guide for Employers” was completed in 2012. He completed his third book titled “Equality Law in the Workplace” in 2015. He is widely recognised as one Ireland’s leading Practitioners in the area of employment law and HR.

Siobhan McGowan is a Partner with almost 20 years practice experience. Siobhan specialises in Employment Law and represents both employers and employees in a wide range of sectors on all aspects of both contentious and non contentious cases and issues arising in Industrial Relations and Human Resources.

Siobhan offers practical advice to parties on their legal obligations and has considerable experience in dealing with cases for employees and defending complex matters for employers before the Work Place Relations Commission, Labour Court and High Court.

In tandem with employment litigation, Siobhan also acts for clients in Plaintiff litigation to include road traffic accidents claims, workplace accidents, contractual disagreements and several other areas of contentious litigation.

Siobhan is a graduate of the National University of Ireland, Galway. She holds a B.A. (Hons) degree, LLB (Hons) post graduate degree and a diploma in Employment Law from the Law Society of Ireland.

Siobhan also placed 1st in the Law Society of Ireland’s Commercial Law exam.
Siobhan McGowan is a member of both the Law Society of Ireland and is registered to practice in England and Wales.

While dealing with large national and multi national clients as well as acting for individuals, Siobhan McGowan has been successfully involved in several seminal cases, including: 

• Mary Joyce-v-Board of Management of Colaiste Iognaid [2015] IEHC 809
• An employee –v-A Drug Company ADJ-00004808, a claim for penalisation under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, which at the time, resulted in one of the largest awards of the Workplace Relations Commission
• United Parcel Service Of Ireland Ltd v Mr Kevin Roberts EDA2136
• Cope Limited T/a Cope Galway v Ms Leigh Bell UDD2145

Fiona Burke is a native of Galway who joined Alastair Purdy & Co in 2014. She has over 29 years of experience in the legal profession, having previously worked in Limerick. She is a graduate of the University of Limerick and holds a Diploma in Legal Lawyering and Ethics from the Law Society of Ireland. Fiona works three days in the Galway Office and two days in Limerick providing a service to many clients both new and old in the Limerick area.

Fiona’s work is predominately in the area of residential conveyancing in which she acts on behalf of both Purchasers and Vendors. She has advised and acted for developments in relation to the sale of residential developments. She advises on voluntary transfers of property between family members.

Fiona also specialises in the area of Probate, regularly drafting Wills and providing practical advice on legal and financial issues. She deals with the administration of both testate and intestate estates. She also advises in relation to preparation and execution of Enduring Power of Attorney, Wards of Court Application.

Don, a Tipperary native, obtained a BSc (Hons) degree in Environmental Science, and L.L.B (Hons) Degree from NUI Galway. He qualified as a Solicitor in 2010. He also holds a Diploma in both Environmental and Planning Law, and Employment Law.

Don has obtained extensive experience in litigation, dispute resolution and investigations, having practiced in a wide range of areas. He has litigated numerous actions, at all Court levels, including various Tribunals, representing Plaintiffs and Defendants.

Don commenced his career assisting the State Solicitor, in County Galway West, prosecuting cases on behalf of the DPP, various Government departments, the Revenue Commissioners and An Post. Don also litigated a number of complex injury cases for both the Plaintiff and the Defendant.

Thereafter, Don worked in the Private Client Department of one of the country’s largest firms, specialising in the area of Plaintiff litigation. Due to his diversity, and his advocacy skills, he also litigated the firm’s Criminal, Licensing and for a short period their Tusla files.

Since moving back to Galway, Don has specialised in Defence litigation, and Employment Law. Don has advised, and continues to advise a wide variety of Insurers, UK underwriters, self-insured business, involved in the Food Industry, Financial Sector, Construction Industry, Care Industry, Aviation Industry and Bar and Nightclub industry. Don has advised these clients’, in respect of road traffic incidents (including fraudulent claims), employers’ liability, product liability, Health and Safety law, and public liability at all court levels. In particular, Don advises on work place incidents, and bullying claims.

In conjunction with Alastair, and the rest of the AP & Co. team, Don participates in advising employers in respect of all areas of their employee relations. In particular, interactions with employees, from inception right through to Defending an Employment Law action in the WRC or Labour Court, and subsequent Bullying claim or Personal Injury Action in the Circuit or High Court.

Of particular note, Don and the team are actively advising businesses in relation to Data Protection and Protected Disclosures.

Fiona Burke is a native of Galway who joined Alastair Purdy & Co in 2014. She has over 29 years of experience in the legal profession, having previously worked in Limerick. She is a graduate of the University of Limerick and holds a Diploma in Legal Lawyering and Ethics from the Law Society of Ireland. Fiona works three days in the Galway Office and two days in Limerick providing a service to many clients both new and old in the Limerick area.

Fiona’s work is predominately in the area of residential conveyancing in which she acts on behalf of both Purchasers and Vendors. She has advised and acted for developments in relation to the sale of residential developments. She advises on voluntary transfers of property between family members.

Fiona also specialises in the area of Probate, regularly drafting Wills and providing practical advice on legal and financial issues. She deals with the administration of both testate and intestate estates. She also advises in relation to preparation and execution of Enduring Power of Attorney, Wards of Court Application.

Don, a Tipperary native, obtained a BSc (Hons) degree in Environmental Science, and L.L.B (Hons) Degree from NUI Galway. He qualified as a Solicitor in 2010. He also holds a Diploma in both Environmental and Planning Law, and Employment Law.

Don has obtained extensive experience in litigation, dispute resolution and investigations, having practiced in a wide range of areas. He has litigated numerous actions, at all Court levels, including various Tribunals, representing Plaintiffs and Defendants.

Don commenced his career assisting the State Solicitor, in County Galway West, prosecuting cases on behalf of the DPP, various Government departments, the Revenue Commissioners and An Post. Don also litigated a number of complex injury cases for both the Plaintiff and the Defendant.

Thereafter, Don worked in the Private Client Department of one of the country’s largest firms, specialising in the area of Plaintiff litigation. Due to his diversity, and his advocacy skills, he also litigated the firm’s Criminal, Licensing and for a short period their Tusla files.

Since moving back to Galway, Don has specialised in Defence litigation, and Employment Law. Don has advised, and continues to advise a wide variety of Insurers, UK underwriters, self-insured business, involved in the Food Industry, Financial Sector, Construction Industry, Care Industry, Aviation Industry and Bar and Nightclub industry. Don has advised these clients’, in respect of road traffic incidents (including fraudulent claims), employers’ liability, product liability, Health and Safety law, and public liability at all court levels. In particular, Don advises on work place incidents, and bullying claims.

In conjunction with Alastair, and the rest of the AP & Co. team, Don participates in advising employers in respect of all areas of their employee relations. In particular, interactions with employees, from inception right through to Defending an Employment Law action in the WRC or Labour Court, and subsequent Bullying claim or Personal Injury Action in the Circuit or High Court.

Of particular note, Don and the team are actively advising businesses in relation to Data Protection and Protected Disclosures.

Robin is a solicitor operating primarily in the firm's employment law department. He advises across a wide range of both contentious and non-contentious employment issues. As per his portfolio, Robin's experiences extends to assisting SMEs, lending instructions and senior executives.

Robin commenced his traineeship with Alastair Purdy & Co in March 2018 and subsequently qualified in 2020. Throughout his tenure with the firm Robin has had significant involvement in drafting legal submissions and advocating on behalf of clients before the Workplace Relations Commission and Labour Court.

In addition, Robin has extensive knowledge across a variety of employment law areas including:

• Unfair dismissals
• Retirement/ Age discrimination
• Disability discrimination/ Reasonable accommodation
• Gender discrimination/ Pregnancy discrimination
• Working time/ Rest breaks/ Annual leave
• Protected disclosures/ whistleblowing
• Remote working
• Contracts of employment
• Severance agreements
• Workplace policies/ Employee handbooks
• Payment of wages
• Health and safety
• Employee absence
• Data protection/ GDPR
• Bullying/ Harassment/ Sexual Harassment in the workplace
• Redundancy

 Robin is also in a position to advise employers and employees on all matters concerning data protection and GDPR regulation within the workplace. Robins experience in this area extends to data access requests, CCTV, transferring data outside of the EEA, medical data and remote working.

As part of our firms Data Protection Solution - Robin is able to assist employers on executing complex data subject access requests. Click here for more information.

Separate to the above, Robin contributes to the firm's corporate department, assisting the firm's principal with company sales, shareholder and director disputes and drafting commercial contracts.

National University of Galway (B Corp Law)

National University of Galway (LLB)