Our aim & Focus
The aim and focus of Kirwan McKeown James LLP is to provide a top class legal service in all areas of business to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). We pride ourselves on providing prompt and efficient service and do so in a very cost effective manner as we operate without the huge overheads of larger firms in Ireland.
A personal service
Our philosophy is based on getting to know and understand the nature of our clients’ industry or business as without a proper understanding of this we can’t properly advise or understand how our advice might impact upon a client’s business.
Furthermore notwithstanding the areas of specialisation that the solicitors in the firm have, the Partners in particular like to remain the primary point of contact for all clients in relation to all files or cases being handled by the firm so that a personal service is maintained. We are also delighted to provide a service to individual clients whether in the areas of conveyancing, litigation or wills and estate planning. In fact we find that many of the employees of the companies for whom we act contact us for their personal legal requirements.
History
The firm was established on 1 January 2004 by way of a merger between the law firms of Kirwan & Company, and McKeown James, two small but well-established Dublin practices, each previously run by the partners of the new firm, Alan Kirwan and Anne Marie James respectively.
Our people
Partner
Alan Kirwan
Alan qualified as a solicitor twenty seven years ago. However his primary degree is in Business Studies (TCD) and he uses the combination of business knowledge with his legal training and experience to good effect in dealing with commercial matters. Alan spent eight years working with two of Ireland’s largest firms gaining valuable and specialised experience in a wide range of practice disciplines and in 1998 decided to establish his own practice Kirwan & Company providing specialist service to SMEs in all aspects of the legal and business environment. Alan has written articles for trade magazines and other more widely read publications.
His areas of specialisation include company law, commercial agreements and contracts including share purchase and sale agreements, as well as asset purchase and sale agreements, shareholders agreements, commercial property and asset backed finance arrangements. Alan also has a speciality in the intricacies of Irish licensing laws having acted for many publicans, restaurateurs and night club owners throughout his career.
Outside the office Alan is a keen sports follower, and spends as much time as he can in the summer racing a boat in Dublin Bay.
Partner
Anne Marie James
Anne Marie James qualified as a solicitor thirty three years ago. She has an honours law degree from UCD. Shortly after completing her apprenticeship she became a partner in the firm then known as McKeown James. Her background is litigation but as her client base became more commercial Anne Marie began to provide a wrap around service for some of the largest Irish companies specialising in mergers and acquisitions and employment law. Anne Marie ran the firm on her own after Colum McKeown's retirement until the merger between McKeown James and Kirwan & Company in January 2004.
As secretary of the Irish Brokers Association and Brokers Ireland for over 15 years, Anne Marie has a specialised knowledge of the Insurance sector and has acted in many sales and purchases of brokerages bringing her knowledge of the industry and sales of family businesses to the fore. She has written extensively on the subject in trade and professional magazines and provided workshops to associations advising of the implications and most efficient ways to acquire or dispose of a business.
Anne Marie majored in Labour Law so her interest still lies in the commercial litigation side where she continues to act on employment and commercial issues and has had great success in the Commercial Court in recent times chasing investments which have not been properly run, most recent settlement being in the order of €3.1 million acting for over Plaintiffs. Anne Marie is also a trained mediator and cherishes the art of negotiation. She says it has come as a shock, when her children negotiate back with her even on simple requests. Why are we not surprised?
Member of Women’s Council of Ireland
Member of Mentor Programme of the Incorporated Law Society if Ireland