| Career Profile: Founding Partner, Commercial Law Firm |
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| Putting experience into practice: Colm McGuire is a founding partner of McGuireDesmond, the Cork based law firm. Having worked as an associate at the Dublin and London offices of Matheson Ormsby Prentice McGuire established McGuireDesmond with Ciaran Desmond in 2000 with the experience of working during the early days of Matheson Ormsby Prentice's London office giving him the confidence to start a new practice. |
What is your educational background?
I attended Clongowes Wood College in county Kildare. From there I went to UCD followed by the Law Society in Blackhall Place.
What has been your career path to date?
My formal training took place in Matheson Ormsby Prentice in Dublin. I then went to their London office for almost a year and a half before returning to Dublin at the start of the Celtic Tiger. Following that I took the step with Ciaran Desmond to establish McGuireDesmond in 2000 in Cork.
Are your peers from similar backgrounds?
Generally speaking we would have (very) broad similarities.
Have you worked abroad? If so where and what did you do? Would you do so again? Yes - a variety of jobs from time to time but the most beneficial was the stint in London for MOP. Having been involved in the early days in their London office, it gave me a confidence to do it over again. I would work in Paris tomorrow if given the chance. You never know maybe the next wing of McGuireDesmond!
Have you undertaken any additional professional training since assuming your current role? The most instructive training is the every day exposure of work and my occasional foray into lecturing - having to explain why we do something encourages you to analyse your own practices.
What skills/aptitude would you identify as being key/beneficial to a career in your sector? Patience, tenacity and an analytical mind. Constantly questioning why something is done and never underestimating anyone.
What aspects of the job do you like most? Without doubt the variety of the work followed neatly by the unpredictability of what's coming next.
Is there anyone in particular you admire in your industry? Yes - they know who they are but I wouldn't embarrass them by naming them.
What advice would you give to others who might like a career in your sector? Attain as much experience as you can.
In what areas are there the most opportunities in Ireland? IFSC/domestic etc. As a lawyer this can be affected by the economic cycles, for example the recent downturn has undoubtedly led to a significant increase of examinership work across most major practices.
Typical day: Happily there is no standard day. Arrival time can be anything from 07.30 to 09.00. Bizarrely I tend to walk in the winter and drive in summer. I'm usually at the desk first thing with meetings developing during the day. It's a constant battle to keep the email war at a suitable distance but with up to 100 mails / day I spend a bit of time dealing with these as they arise. Daily post is dealt with by a good team I have so it's hopefully down to making myself available to them as much as I can. Alternatively it's drowning in a relentless sea of paperwork with documents being drafted and amended at an alarming rate. |
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