The Principals

Oliver J. Connolly Esq BL

Oliver J. Connolly graduated at law from Dublin University, Trinity College (MA LL.B) in 1988, the Honourable Society of King's Inns, Dublin, Inns of Court, Belfast and the Honourable Society of Middle Temple, London. Oliver was called to the Bar of Ireland in 1990 and to the Bar of England and Wales in 1997 (where he is a member of Chambers at 36 Bedford Row). Before commencing practice at the Irish Bar in 1992 Oliver worked as a foreign intern with a New York law firm where he qualified at the New York Bar and was admitted as an Attorney-at-Law. Since then Oliver has been involved in general civil & commercial litigation and arbitration at the Dublin and London Bars. Oliver also holds Higher Post-Graduate Diplomas in Business Studies, Arbitration Law & Procedure and International Commercial Arbitration.

Oliver was admitted to Fellowship of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in 2001 and in 2002/2003 served as the American Arbitration Association's World Fellow, the leading fellowship in world arbitration. In June 2003, Oliver was admitted to practise before the Supreme Court of the United States. Oliver also lectures in Commercial Arbitration and Commercial Mediation (ADR) in Trinity College Dublin's LL.M programme.

He is also a member of the International Bar Association (Committees D & O), the American Bar Association (Dispute Resolution Section), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) and the Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA). He also served as a member of the Arbitration & ADR Committee of the Bar Council of Ireland and on the Advisory Committee to the American Arbitration Association's International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR) based in Dublin. He is an accredited mediator with ADR Group (Jersey, 2004) and subsequently with Friarylaw & ADR Group with a speciality in Commerical Mediation. Oliver is a senior Director of Friarylaw

Joanna Campbell Grad. Dip. QM. B.Eng. DSHWW MIOSH Accred Mediator

Awarded a Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Manufacturing Systems Management and a Diploma in Industrial Studies from the University of Ulster, Joanna commenced her career as process improvement engineer in Northern Telecom, Belfast. Processing excellent communication and interpersonal skills, it was not long before she was chosen to become a certified trainer and deliver corporate training programmes to the staff. After spending several years as Quality Manager in various industries, her natural career path development brought Joanna to form 'Joanna Campbell & Associates', an management consultancy specialising in the implementation and maintenance of certified Management Systems including Health and Safety, ISO 9001:2000, ISO 14001, Excellence Through People etc. and management of the interaction with external bodies such as the Health and Safety Authority, National Quality Association and National Standards Authority of Ireland.

In October 2004, together with fellow Dundalk Institute of Technology colleague, Annmarie McHugh, Training For Excellence was formed.This company specialises in the development and delivery of management programmes for small and medium size enterprises.

As an experience lecturer in her areas of specilisation and having qualified as an accredited mediator with Friarylaw & Adr Group in March 2005, Joanna joined Friarylaw with specific focus on the development of the Friarylaw ADR. Included within this remit is Mediation Training & Accreditation Programmes, Mediation Pupilage Programmes, Mediation Case Management, and partnering with other stakeholders in the growth of mediation in Ireland.

Joanna is a Director of Friarylaw.

Deirdre Khuwais DipLaw, Accred Mediator - Head of Friarylaw Administration & Mediation Case Management

Deirdre Khuwais is a very experienced legal executive and has worked in Ireland, Britain and the Middle East in international litigation projects. Dee is the chief administrator of the New York and California Bar Programmes.  Dee is an Accredited Mediator.  Dee also coordinates Friarylaw's Mediation Case Management Service. 

Sandra Salman - Friarylaw's Administration Team

Sandra joined in 2005 and is an experienced administrator. Sandra contributes to a highly effective administrative team that coordinates Friarylaw's activities.

External Associations

Alan Shatter : Friarylaw - Family Dispute Resolution Mediation

Alan Shatter has been a family solicitor and advocate for thirty years.  In addition to being one of the foremost family lawyers in Ireland he is a member of the Irish Family Lawyer's Association and a Fellow of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers; he is the author of the seminal work "Shatters Family Law" and a partner in the firm Gallagher Shatter (Gallagher Shatter). As a member of Dail (Irish Parliament) he was responsible, inter alia, for the enactment of the Judicial Separation and Family Law Reform Act, 1989. Alan has worked with Friarylaw to develop the Family Dispute Resolution Mediation Training and Formal Accreditation Programme, particularly in the area of transplanting strategies and methodologies from traditionally non family dispute resolution practice and adapting their applicability to the Family Dispute Resolution Mediation sphere. 

Barbara McCormack: LLB (Dublin) Attorney-at-Law (New York)

Barbara is an early graduate of the Friarylaw NewYork Bar programme and is now an experienced US immigration attorney and is also an officer of the Irish American Bar Association of New York (IABANY). Barbara is an external Director of Friarylaw NYB and continues to be of enormous assistance to Friarylaw graduates who choose to commence their legal career in the United States.