Pinsent Masons has hired Maureen Daly from Irish firm Beauchamps to lead its Dublin IP team, as part of plans to expand its pan-European technology, science and industry sector capabilities.

Daly joins after 18 years as head of technology and IP at Beauchamps. She is the second partner lateral in as many weeks in Pinsents' Irish office, financial services lawyer Conor Durkin having joined at the start of the month to lead its funds team.

Ann Lalor, head of Pinsents’ Dublin office, said Daly is one of very few IP litigators in Ireland with a science degree and patent litigation experience.

“Having worked with many of the world’s biggest domestic and global brands, Maureen’s outstanding reputation and expertise means she has the right skills and experience to lead our busy IP team,” she added. 

Daly’s expertise covers patent litigation, data privacy, enforcement of intellectual property rights, and trademark filings and prosecutions. 

She has been involved in high-profile work including securing a High Court injunction to block the illegal live streaming of a sporting event – the first application of its kind to be heard by the Irish Court.

She also successfully represented the entertainment industry in securing a landmark injunction to block websites that contain their copyright work, without their consent.

Daly said she was “very excited” to join Pinsent Masons’ IP team. “The growth of Pinsent Masons in Ireland is testament to the excellent work it does for its clients,” she added. 

Daly’s is the fourth lateral partner hire so far this year in Pinsents' Dublin office, which opened in 2017. Life sciences partner Michael Stewart joined in September from Novartis, where he was lead counsel, while financial services litigation expert Lisa Carty joined in May from William Fry to lead the Irish litigation regulatory and tax practice. The firm now has 13 partners in Dublin.