Stephen Barry

Partner

Practice areas

• Commercial litigation
• Environment
• Health and safety
• Litigation and dispute management
• Real estate planning
• Regulatory investigations and enforcement
• Reputation management

Practice notes

Stephen is a Partner in our Dispute Resolution & Litigation department having trained with the firm in the area of commercial litigation where he has a significant professional indemnity defence practice in conjunction with top tier insurers.

He has specific expertise in the planning and environmental sector and has represented data centres, PLCs, multinationals, residential developers, utility companies and renewable energy clients throughout the planning process through to judicial reviews, enforcement and securing and defending interlocutory applications including major commercial and environmental disputes. Stephen is described as a ‘Next Generation Lawyer’ in this space in legal directories and described as ‘a key name for contentious planning and environmental matters’. He has designed a bespoke JR mitigation product that seeks to minimize the likelihood of Judicial Review.

Stephen leads our Health and Safety group and has acted on behalf of a number of clients in navigating regulatory investigations by the HSA, EPA, NTFSO, AAIU etc. As a result of his experience he is a key member of the Investigations and Risk Management team at Eversheds Sutherland.

An accredited CEDR mediator, he has been described as being “an extremely diligent lawyer, with a remarkable skill to communicate effectively and persuasively…”

Stephen Barry is "excellent" - Legal 500

'Stephen Barry is solid, pragmatic, and very commercial.’ - Legal 500

‘Stephen Barry is always responsive and provides high-quality, commercially savvy advice.’ - Legal 500

‘I mainly deal with Stephen Barry whom I find readily available and whom (is) quick to provide advice following instruction with a clear path to resolution as applicable.’ - Legal 500

‘Stephen Barry is pragmatic, approachable and practical. He has a clear and deep understanding of the planning and environmental regime. Stephen stands out for his knowledge of the Irish planning and environmental regime whilst adapting a commercial outlook.’ - Legal 500

Stephen’s recent experience includes:

• Providing planning advice to a Renewable Energy client in its acquisition of a 36MW wind farm Including providing planning due diligence, section 160 planning injunction, enforcement notices, Section 5 declarations and the assessment of authorised/unauthorised development (2019)
• Acting on behalf of a multinational manufacturer of building products in an internal company investigation (2019) 
• Advising a semi-state entity in respect of Directors Liabilities, Environmental Risks and the Seveso regime (2019) 
• Advising the owner and occupier of a protected structure on Dublin’s Quays which is also scheduled under the National Monuments Acts in a s.160 planning injunction (2019)
• Assisting a confidential logistics company in a fatal injury investigation by the Health and Safety Authority (2019)
• Advising a REIT in potential planning enforcement proceedings in respect of short term lettings of residential properties (2019)
• Advising a large retailer in a landlord and tenant dispute (right to a new tenancy) in respect of its flagship store (2019)
• Advising EY in its defence of a €50 million Commercial Court auditors professional negligence claim being pursued by the special liquidators of IBRC (2019)
• Advising AIG as the insurer in defending a number of professional negligence actions against solicitors firms (2019)
• Advising Strom Renewables and Three Trees Windfarm in securing an injunction against a third party landowner to prevent obstruction of access to construction works (2019)
• Undertaking a regulatory review for a global client assessing compliance with Environmental and Health and Safety obligations (2018)
• Acting in defence of a criminal and civil regulatory case, involving a €100m cross border claim for contamination of animal feed in Holland, Belgium and Ireland (2018)
• Advising an online retailer in respect of a criminal investigation of the Czech Republic’s tax authorities on allegations of VAT carousel fraud that involved submitting evidence the Irish investigative authorities (2019)