Welcome To St.John Solicitors LLP

Lisa Banarescu, Finance Manager

Sharon Callanan, Office Manager

Freda Duhy, Legal Executive

Aoife Ryan, Legal Executive

Áine is a founding Partner with more than 25 years’ experience across the legal profession.

She is our lead Client Relationship Manager and coordinates the provision of legal services to a range of statutory bodies, providing advice and representation in her specialist areas of public & administrative law and mental health & capacity law.

Áine was one of the first solicitors appointed Senior Counsel in October 2020, following a historic move permitting solicitors to be granted patents of precedence.

Áine sat on the Expert Steering Group on the Review of the Mental Health Act 2001 and to the Regional Advisory Board of the National Advocacy Service. In 2022, she was appointed by the Minister for Justice to the Civil Legal Aid Review Group. She was a founding member of the Public Interest Law Alliance (PILA) and continues to provide pro bono training and legal advice to the group.

Áine has been a member of the Council of the Law Society and many of its committees (which include Regulation of Practice and Litigation) for many years, and was President of the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association (DSBA) in 2017.

A graduate of DIT and UCD, Áine was entered onto the Roll of Solicitors in 2001. She also holds AITI Institute of Taxation exams and is an accredited Mediator. She is co-author of Special Needs Financial Planning : A Comparative Perspective (Cambridge University Press) and Complex Conveyancing (Bloomsbury). She lectures extensively, across a broad range of topics, in the Law Society, Kings Inns, UCD, UCC, NUIG, DCU, the Royal College of Psychiatry and the Mental Health Commission.

James is a founding Partner with more than 20 years’ experience.

He manages the provision of corporate and commercial services to a diverse range of clients which include statutory bodies, start-ups, single and multi-member companies, corporate groups, statutory corporations and not for profit entities.

James also specialises in the area of healthcare and childcare law.

James is a graduate of UCD and was admitted to the roll of solicitors in Ireland in 2006. He has also completed a diploma in Corporate Law & Governance with the Law Society of Ireland.

A member of the Litigation Committee at the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association (DSBA). James provides training to a variety of clients in childcare Law, employment law, commercial and company law.

He has volunteered with the Free Legal Advice Centre since 2006 and is a member of the Board of Management of his local National School.

Hilda-Clare is a founding Partner in the firm with more than 20 years’ experience in the legal field.

She specialises in the area of healthcare and childcare law with a particular interest in the area of legal capacity, detention and treatment cases, both within and outside this jurisdiction.

Hilda-Clare advocates on behalf of respondents and children’s Guardian ad Litem in childcare proceedings.

She also represents vulnerable adults, Guardians ad Litem and the General Solicitor for Minors and Wards of Court in wardship matters before the High Court.

She has extensive experience working with vulnerable adults with a range of disabilities.

Hilda-Clare provides advice and legal representation to statutory bodies on prosecutions for legislative breaches.

Hilda-Clare is a member of both the Mental Health Commission and the Mental Health (Criminal Law) Review Board Panel of solicitors and is a member of the Decision Support Service Panel of Decision Making Representatives.

A graduate of UCC and DIT, Hilda-Clare continued her education with the Law Society of Ireland. She was admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in 2001 and is an accredited Mediator.

Marissa O’Keeffe is a Partner with more than 15 years’ experience.

She is responsible for the delivery of legal services to a diverse profile of clients which include statutory bodies, corporate groups, private clients and not for profit entities.

She provides specialist advice and representation on all aspects of law relating to statutory bodies, property, employment and healthcare, having undertaken various courses of study, she is particularly interested in Information and data protection law as well as healthcare law. She a member of the Decision Support Service Panel of General Visitors.

Having trained in a busy general practice in Cork, Marissa joined the firm as a solicitor in 2011. She is a graduate of UCC (LLM Master’s Degree) and NUIG (BCL Degree Hons) and was admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in Ireland in 2010 and to the Roll of Solicitors in England and Wales in 2011.

A member the Residential Tenancies Board’s Panel of Mediators and Adjudicators for almost 10 years, Marissa has a particular interest in alternative dispute resolution and is an accredited Mediator.

Marissa is a member of the Property Law Committee of the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association (DSBA) and often contributes articles to the DSBA’s Parchment magazine. She also tutors on the Law Society’s Professional Practice Course and has volunteered with Free Legal Advice Centre.

Having joined the firm in 2019, Nicola is responsible for the delivery of a full range of corporate and commercial services to a wide variety of clients which include public bodies, companies and charities.

She delivers specialist advice in both commercial and residential property. Nicola regularly presents Property Law Seminars to members of the profession in conjunction with the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association (DSBA) and tutors on the Law Society’s Professional Practice Courses.

Nicola is a graduate of UCC (Master’s Degree) and NUIG (BCL Degree Hons). She also holds Certificates in Charity Law, Trusteeship & Governance and Data Protection Law.

Having joined the firm in 2018, Patricia is responsible for the delivery of legal services to a number of statutory bodies, private clients and charities. 

Patricia delivers specialist advice and representation on public & regulatory law as it relates to statutory bodies, litigation and healthcare law. She has significant experience in the prosecution of legislative breaches on behalf of state bodies. 

Having graduated from the University of East London in 2005, Patricia worked in a number of domestic violence projects across London before joining a busy criminal and litigation law firm in Dublin where she worked as a Legal Executive.  Having completed her solicitor training, gaining substantial experience in family, property, probate, personal injuries and company law, Patricia was admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in Ireland in 2018.

She regularly fundraises for various charities and has volunteered with the Free Legal Advice Centre.

A graduate of DIT (Languages and Business Studies), Norah qualified as a Legal Executive while working in a top tier law firm, gaining substantial experience in property, litigation and client care.

She qualified as a Solicitor in 2020 and joined the firm the following year.

Norah regularly advises and represents clients in urgent healthcare Court applications as well as regular reviews of cases involving vulnerable adults before the Courts.

She also delivers a full range of corporate and commercial services to a wide variety of clients which include statutory bodies, companies and not for profit entities.

Leah was admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in 2025.

She is a graduate of NUIG (Bachelor of Corporate Law Degree and a LLB Postgraduate Degree).

Leah’s practice involves a high volume of Court work with a focus on disability and capacity matters. She regularly attends the High Court in urgent Inherent Jurisdiction applications as well as regular reviews of cases vulnerable adults before the High Court.

She represents the HSE and private clients in many Circuit Court Applications pursuant to the Assisted Decision-Making Capacity Act 2015.

Leah is a highly valued member of our team providing exceptional assistance to our partners. She enjoys working in a busy, dynamic legal practice and is calm and professional in her dealings with clients and colleagues.

Lisa Banarescu, Finance Manager

Sharon Callanan, Office Manager

Freda Duhy, Legal Executive

Aoife Ryan, Legal Executive