Jon is Head of Litigation and Regulation at Byrne Wallace Shields LLP and maintains an international profile in law and public policy through his role as a Visiting Professor at Dalhousie University, where he held the Palmer Chair, and is now a Lisson Expert in Residence. His practice spans both the public system and private enterprise.  He provides advice to Government, the Health system and the wider public system at the strategic level in relation to the procurement and operation of critical state technology infra-structure, systemic issues and projects. He also gives specialised advice in EU regulation, AI law, cyber security (NIS1/2 DORA) and led on the procurement of major ICT projects in the health system (from the COVAX vaccine system, to ICCMS, and NSCR).  His technology work includes advising many of the State’s regulatory and public bodies (HSE, RTB, HIQA, Beaumont Hospital, EPA) on enterprise technology solutions (from EHR/EMR solutions to digital integration and transformation, regulatory reporting systems, and cyber security solutions). Jon wrote the cyber breach playbook with EY for the HSE after the health system cyber-attack, and led the legal breach response for the Health Service. He has drafted and submitted legislative amendments in relation to AI in relation to the implementation of the European Artificial Intelligence Act and the National Cyber Security bill for state bodies.  His work extends into cyber security breach response work for the financial services sector.

As such, his specialist areas are strategic policy advice with a legal dimension, particularly in the areas of information technology, state procurement of critical infra-structure, cyber-crime/white collar crime, financial services investigations and, corporate and intellectual property disputes. He publishes widely in the national press, and in trade publications and is an author of the current Legal 500 “Data Protection and Cybersecurity Country Comparative Guide”. He is rated in the legal directories for his work in these areas as a leading individual. He also worked closely with policy makers during Covid advising the HSE, and the Department of Health (NPHET).

He has worked in leading law firms in England and Australasia, including Slaughter and May, where he was a member of the Technology and Media and Telecoms team. 

Jon joined Byrne Wallace Shields LLP in 2010.

Key Experience

• Drafting submission to Government in relation to artificial intelligence, and hacking for several state bodies and telecoms companies.
• Drafting amendments to NIS2 for a state regulator.
• Leading the procurement and technology teams in advising the HSE in relation to several EHR systems including a national shared care records system and a wider community based digital integration project. 
• Procurement and contractual advice relating to the national vaccine system (COVAX).
• Advising several state bodies on their procurement and delivery issues with regard to regulatory reporting and management software.
• Advising on the recipient side for the university sector in relation to ERP systems supplied by Oracle/Fujitsu.
• Acting for Cazanove (JP Morgan Chase) in a large outsourcing/re-insourcing project with IBM.
• Advice to Government and the Health System in relation to the health system cyber hack and the NIS1 and 2 regulation.
• Acting for financial services entities in cyber-attacks and obtaining court actions for online safety and protection as part of an information protection strategy.
• Advising on and developing the surge agreements and integrating the public and private health systems during Covid including advices on potential procurement, competition, State aid and merger control elements of the HSE arrangements with private sector healthcare providers in the State in the context of the Pandemic.
• Acting for the NTPF in relation to its framework with the private system and funding structure.
• Lead advisor on tracker mortgage examinations for two Irish banks.
• Acting for the Credit Union industry in its litigation with the Central Bank of Ireland.
• Acting for various hedge funds and SPV plaintiffs in multi-jurisdictional investor protection related litigation.
• Advising Irish and global businesses on regulatory matters, including investigations, discovery, and compliance.
• Representing developers in pyrite related litigation.
• Representing and successfully resolving disputes for numerous universities in litigation against global software suppliers.
• Obtaining injunctive relief for clients in multiple trade mark, patent infringement claims and revocation proceedings.
• Resolving numerous partnership and shareholder disputes through mediation and court action.
• Acting in bank related litigation in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
• Representing a large London based stockbroker in a major IT re-insourcing project.
• Acting for various companies in the aviation sector in supply contract disputes.
• Acting for a major software manufacturer in the prosecution of its national anti-piracy programme.
• Acting for a national media company in the prosecution of its database right infringement programme.
• Advising on all areas of intellectual property including copyright, patents, trademarks, design right, passing off and database.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Arts (BA)(Honours)(Political Science), University of King’s College, Halifax, Canada, 1990
• Master of Science (Msc)(Econ)(British Politics), London School of Economics and Political Science
• Bachelor of Laws (LLB), University of Edinburgh, 1994
• Common Professional Exam (CPE) , College of Law, Store Street, London, 1995
• Legal Practice Course (LPC) , College of Law, Store Street, London, 1996
• Admitted as a Solicitor, Law Society of England & Wales, 1998
• Admitted as a Barrister, New Zealand Law Society, 1999
• Admitted as a solicitor in Ireland in 2010

Membership

• Council Member of the Irish Canadian Business Association
• Member of the Technology Committee for the Law Society of Ireland
• Dublin Solicitors Bar Association
• Law Society of Ireland
• Law Society of England & Wales
• Law Society of New Zealand – Barrister and Solicitor
• Member of the Anti-Counterfeiting Group
• Member of the Society of Computers and the Law

Recommendations 

Leading Individual, White-Collar Crime - Legal 500, 2025

‘I would describe Jon Legorburu as having a highly skilled insight into legal privilege and regulatory insights. He thinks of potential issues coming down the track.’ - Legal 500, 2025

"Jon Legorburu understands the challenges facing a public body and how they vary from other organisations, and has an innovative approach to solving complex legal problems." - Legal 500, 2024

Jon Legorburu is simply at the top of the league in IP in Dublin. - Legal 500, 2020

Jon Legorburu handles tribunals, inquiries, investigations and judicial reviews on contentious topics involving the healthcare, banking and insurance industries. He acts for both private companies and state bodies. - Chambers Europe, 2019

Jon Legorburu 'wears a wealth of experience lightly and is excellent at distilling complex matters down to the essentials' - Legal 500, 2019

Jon Legorburu is "very client-focused and lateral-thinking." - Chambers Europe, 2018

The Byrne Wallace Shields LLP contentious group is led by the ‘effective’ Jon Legorburu. - Legal 500, 2018

According to clients, Jon Legorburu "has a wide-ranging level of knowledge, and his expertise in the area of intellectual property has been particularly useful." As well as his noteworthy practice in contentious IP matters, Legorburu also handles regulatory cases in the financial services sector. - Chambers Europe, 2017

Jon Legorburu advises companies and financial institutions on a variety of disputes around corporate law, media and financial services. He represented the Irish League of Credit Unions in a judicial review case concerning regulatory directions given by the Central Bank of Ireland. Clients describe him as "astute, professional and collaborative." - Chambers Europe, 2016

Department head Jon Legorburu is "a deep thinker who helps you look at situations from a different point of view," according to clients. He focuses on cases with significant regulatory concerns, especially in the financial services sector. Lately, this included representing the Financial Services Ombudsman in a High Court Statutory Appeal challenging a ruling by the client, relating to the alleged mis-selling of a geared property investment fund. - Chambers & Partners, 2015

Head of department Jon Legorburu specialises in financial services and corporate matters, and led the team acting for US Oil & Gas on obtaining a "Norwich Pharmacal" order from the High Court. - Chambers Global, 2014

Publications

Jon has published articles relating to shareholder disputes, and has spoken on issues ranging from email misuse to mediation and regulatory affairs.