Regulatory Compliance

Regulatory Compliance Advice for Businesses and Public Bodies

Holmes advises corporate clients and public bodies on all aspects of regulatory compliance, licensing, investigations and enforcement. We provide clear, commercially focused legal advice to help organisations meet regulatory obligations, manage risk and respond effectively to scrutiny from regulators and enforcement authorities.

Working closely with boards, senior management, in-house legal teams and compliance professionals, we support clients across regulated sectors in navigating complex Irish and EU regulatory frameworks with confidence, from proactive compliance planning to high-stakes investigations and litigation.

Comprehensive Regulatory Compliance Support

Our regulatory compliance team delivers integrated legal advice across the full spectrum of regulatory, governance and enforcement matters. We combine deep sector knowledge with practical experience to deliver advice that is proportionate, defensible and aligned with operational realities.

Licensing & Authorisations

Advising on the licences, permits and approvals required to operate lawfully, including:

• Applications, renewals and regulatory variations

• Ongoing compliance, reporting and regulator engagement

Corporate & Regulatory Compliance

Designing and strengthening compliance frameworks to meet Irish and EU regulatory standards, including:

• Governance and regulatory risk frameworks

• Policies, procedures and internal controls

• Compliance reviews, audits and remediation

Investigations & Enforcement

Representing clients in regulatory investigations and enforcement action, including:

• Engagement with regulators and enforcement authorities

• Responses to statutory notices and information requests

• Enforcement proceedings and settlement negotiations

• We regularly act in matters involving the Data Protection Commission, Central Bank of Ireland and other statutory bodies.

Professional Discipline & Inquiries

Acting for regulators, regulated entities and professionals in:

• Fitness to practise and misconduct investigations

• Disciplinary hearings and statutory inquiries

• Complex, sensitive and multi-party proceedings

Information & Data Governance

Advising on information governance and disclosure obligations, including:

• Freedom of Information (FOI) and AIE requests

• GDPR and data protection compliance

• Confidentiality, privilege and disclosure risk

Regulatory Litigation & Judicial Review

Representing clients in contentious regulatory matters, including:

• Judicial review proceedings

• Statutory appeals and tribunal hearings

• High Court and appellate litigation arising from regulatory decisions

Sector-Focused Regulatory Expertise

We advise across regulated sectors where compliance, scrutiny and enforcement risk are highest, including environmental regulation, financial services, betting and gaming, liquor licensing, food safety, transport, product regulation and public-sector oversight.

We regularly work alongside our Public Sector, Procurement Law and Data Protection & Privacy teams on complex, multi-regulator matters.

Recent Regulatory Experience

Our regulatory lawyers have advised on some of Ireland’s most significant compliance and enforcement matters, including:

• Environmental regulation — Acting for a major construction group in relation to an alleged water pollution incident attracting national media attention

• Data protection — Successfully defending an enforcement action by the Data Protection Commission against a national retailer for alleged ePrivacy breaches

• Cybersecurity — Advising an aviation company following a cyber-attack affecting over 30,000 personal records, including regulator engagement and response strategy

• Planning & environment — Defending High Court proceedings concerning kelp harvesting in Bantry Bay

• Property regulation — Acting in one of the first cases under the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009, unlocking a landlocked site for development

Trusted Regulatory Compliance Advisors

Clients choose Holmes for our ability to combine regulatory precision with commercial judgement. We are known for partner-led advice, responsiveness in time-sensitive matters and a strong track record in defending clients in high-profile investigations and regulatory litigation.

Our advice is practical, proportionate and focused on helping organisations proceed with confidence in complex regulatory environments.

If you require proactive compliance advice, representation in an investigation or support in regulatory litigation, speak with a member of our Regulatory Compliance team for a confidential discussion.