Wednesday, 11 March 2026
12:00 - 16:00
(
4 hours )
In Person
Have you ever wondered what a Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) Adjudication Hearing is like or how you, as an employer or HR professional, would handle one? Well now you can find out!
With WRC hearings at record levels, this half-day Mock WRC Adjudication Hearing is an opportunity to see how it operates in practice and, more importantly, how the decisions you make in the workplace play out in a WRC Adjudication Hearing.
The Mock Adjudication Hearing will be conducted by a former WRC Adjudication Officer and legal professionals with extensive experience of proceedings and will demonstrate the common pitfalls for employers and their HR advisors.
This Mock Hearing gives you the opportunity to experience what happens at this type of hearing without the cost, preparation and stress involved in the real thing!
Bláthnaid Evans, Partner, Philip Lee will lead the day’s event by giving you tips on how to prepare for a WRC hearing in 2026 and beyond. We have experienced employment law barristers, Paul Maier BL and Cathy McGrady BL who will lead a team playing various roles during the hearing, to take you through a ‘real life’ case. It will be presided over by experienced former WRC Adjudicator, Dr Gerry McMahon.
This Mock WRC Adjudication Hearing is designed for employers and HR professionals but would also benefit those with line-management responsibilities. It is an ideal event for respondents, claimants and other witnesses who wish to experience a realistic adjudication process in a safe environment.
Find out what to expect in our programme below:
Join us from 12 noon to register, get some lunch and network with your peers.
Laura McKee, Knowledge Partner, Legal Island, will introduce the day ahead.
Bláthnaid Evans, Partner, Philip Lee will look at the entire life cycle of a typical claim in the WRC, from completing a WRC complaint form through to the substantive hearing, and the possibility of appeals. They will also share her experiences of what to expect on the day of the hearing itself, from the point of arrival at the WRC to giving evidence, to understanding the decision, highlighting procedural changes following the Supreme Court Zalewski decision.
She will consider the practical aspects of preparing the case, looking at the specific case study, highlighting any documents that will bear particular importance at the hearing in the afternoon. She will take you through some practical tips on how to always be prepared for a hearing and which will inevitably assist with an employer’s defence when before the WRC.
Our chair for the hearing, former WRC Adjudication Officer, Dr Gerry McMahon, will outline the practical and procedural elements of an adjudication hearing from an Adjudicator’s perspective, highlighting the do's and don'ts, and offering practical tips in line with WRC guidance and noting any changes for remote hearings.
Grab a coffee, stretch your legs and network with your peers.
Cathy McGrady BL and Paul D. Maier BL will act as representatives for the employer and employee, while running a WRC hearing based on the case study. Dr Gerry McMahon will be overseeing the hearing as the Adjudication Officer. You will see both barristers questioning witnesses, including the complainant, just as you would at an unfair dismissal hearing, in order for you to gain a practical understanding of the adjudication process.
Before Dr Gerry McMahon delivers his decision in the hearing, Bláthnaid Evans, Partner, Philip Lee will lead a discussion on the hearing to determine what the most likely outcome will be and to highlight where any of the parties may or may not have gone wrong.
Dr Gerry McMahon, as acting Adjudication Officer on the day, will deliver his decision on the hearing.
Bláthnaid Evans, Partner, Philip Lee will close out the day by briefly explaining the appeal process before the Labour Court and answering any additional questions.
Here's what previous attendees have to say about our Mock WRC Adjudication Hearing event.
Bláthnaid Evans is a partner at Philip Lee LLP. She advises on all contentious and non-contentious employment law issues. She has extensive experience across all areas of employment law, having trained in an employee firm and later worked in a top five law firm.
Her practice includes advising on and preparing employment documentation, from employment contracts and handbooks to outsourcing agreements, employment warranties and indemnities and all other ancillary employment related documentation. She regularly advises on employment aspects of commercial transactions, including TUPE and outsourcing arrangements.
Bláthnaid also advises employers on disputes, including grievances, investigations, disciplinary processes, harassment / sexual harassment and protected disclosures. She also regularly attends before all employment law forums, advising clients in employment related disputes.
She also provides advice on health and safety matters, workplace investigations and employment permit applications.
Cathy McGrady has been a barrister since 2007 practising on Employment and Equality matters, Tort & Personal Injury claims, as well as General Practise. Prior to being called to the Bar, her previous role was as an HR Manager. She is a seasoned professional that frequently appears in front of the Workplace Relations Commission, the Labour Court, Circuit Court, and High Court for employment law disputes. She has also acted as an independent investigator in workplace investigations.
Paul D Maier is a barrister specialising in the law of work, labour, and employment. Based in Dublin, Ireland, he is a member of the Law Library, having been called to the Bar in 2022.
Paul represents both employers and employees at all levels of the Courts, as well as before the Labour Court and the Workplace Relations Commission. He is a qualified arbitrator and is frequently commissioned to lead independent investigations and disciplinary procedures for organisations. Additionally, he is regularly engaged to provide legal advice and opinions on employment law and related matters.
Paul serves as the Editor of the Irish Employment Law Journal and Employment Law Report, and he is the Treasurer of the Employment Bar Association.
Gerry McMahon is an acknowledged national expert in People Management. He has over 35 years’ experience - as a workplace investigator (on bullying/harassment/ disciplinary/dismissal/grievance issues), trainer, negotiator, facilitator, mediator, arbitrator and team builder - across a wide range of employment sectors. He is the M.D. of the H.R. training and advisory company Productive Personnel Ltd.
Gerry has also had an extensive range of books and articles published and been a columnist with the Industrial Relations News, Irish Times, Sunday Business Post, and Irish Independent and expert commentator on H.R./Employee Relations for R.T.E. and TV3/Virgin. He has also served on numerous Legal Island and C.I.P.D. judging panels and is a Council member of the Irish Association for Industrial Relations.
Contact: Tel. 087-2471415; E-Mail: ppl1gerry@gmail.com
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Charity & Small Business pricing