Member Voices: Hannah Gallagher

Briefly describe your role.

I am an associate on the Planning and Environment team at Mason Hayes & Curran LLP (MHC) in Dublin, Ireland. I advise across a range of areas relating to the consenting and licensing processes. This includes the planning and environmental aspects of project financing for large-scale energy projects, renewable energy, maritime development, data centres, health & safety obligations, and ESG, among others. I also represent developers, investors, and public authorities in planning and environmental litigation, including judicial review challenges and injunctions before the High Court of Ireland, and preliminary references to the Court of Justice of the European Union.

I am on the Irish Language Register of the Law Society of Ireland.

What was a stand-out experience from your recent WLG | exchange that made you see your practice or the network in a new light?

It is difficult to pick just one stand-out experience.

Professionally, the best part of my WLG | exchange in Warsaw was meeting and learning from so many talented lawyers across the different practice areas at Sołtysiński Kawecki & Szlęzak (SK&S). What I found especially interesting was discovering the types of work that cross the lawyers' desks, and the matters that are keeping the Polish legal market most busy. Of note is Poland's appetite for nuclear energy, the introduction of development plans across Poland, and the restitution and (re)privatisation of properties formally owned by the Communist party. 

Outside of work, I truly enjoyed my trip to Zakopane and the Tatra Mountains, as well as the very many pierogi I sampled throughout my time in Poland. I also really appreciate the time colleagues took to show me their version of Warsaw, including some enlightening historical walking tours of the areas near the SK&S offices.

Comparing your home and host jurisdictions, what stood out to you most regarding the practicalities of litigation and the way cases are actually heard in court?

In terms of the law itself, the Polish and Irish court systems differ significantly in their structures. Ireland operates under a common law system based on precedent, while the Polish legal system is a civil law system with codified statutes.

As a litigation lawyer, I found it particularly fascinating to experience these distinctions firsthand. During my time in Warsaw, I was lucky enough to attend a hearing at the Supreme Administrative Court of Poland. It was fascinating to compare how the Courts function at home – everything from the courtroom to how cases are called and heard by the judges, to how lawyers prepare their cases.

This year’s International Women’s Day theme is "Give to Gain"—the idea that by contributing our expertise and support to others, we ultimately enrich our own journeys. How did "giving" your time and local perspective to your host firm result in a professional "gain" for you?

The most rewarding aspect of my WLG | exchange was sharing insights about my home jurisdiction with my Polish colleagues (and my colleague from Santamarina y Steta S.C. in Mexico, who was also on exchange at SK&S at the same time as me), while simultaneously finding out how my host firm approaches the same matter. It was energizing to learn from one another in this way. 

Professionally, WLG | exchange will stand out to me for years to come. The experience taught me to think outside the box, to be flexible, and to adapt. It reaffirmed my belief that it’s important to embrace new opportunities. Discovering how other lawyers approach their work has also underlined for me that there isn’t just one correct way to do something.

How has this exchange changed the way you intend to collaborate with your international WLG colleagues moving forward?

My key takeaways are the importance of staying in contact and getting involved, whether at virtual or in-person WLG events. While everyone is busy, it is essential to make the effort to reach out and engage with enthusiasm and an open mind. Personally, I always come away having learned something worthwhile.