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Professor Deirdre Ahern
Professor in, Law

Biography

Professor Deirdre Ahern LLB (Hons) (Dub), MA (Jure Officii) (Dub), LLM (Commercial Law) (Cantab), PhD (Dub), FTCD, FRSA, Solicitor (Law Society of Ireland), Dip (E-Commerce Regulation) (Law Society of Ireland).

Professor Deirdre Ahern's commercially focused research agenda engages with the societal and legal expectations of companies and their directors including the ethical and regulatory challenges presented by globalisation and new technologies. Deirdre is Director of the Technologies, Law and Society Research Group at Trinity College Dublin and a Fellow of the Information Society Law Centre at the University of Milan. In 2023/2024 Professor Ahern is a visiting fellow at the European University Institute and the University of Florence.

Deirdre is an appointed member of Ireland's AI Advisory Council providing advice to the Government on AI issues. As both a member of Ireland's Company Law Review Group 2022-2026 and an appointed member of the European Commission's Informal Company Law and Corporate Governance Expert Group for 2020-2024, Professor Ahern is working nationally and with the European Commission on policy and legal reform.

Deirdre's primary research areas are comparative corporate law, corporate governance and tackling the regulatory challenges presented fintech and Artificial Intelligence. She is an expert on global regulatory approaches to new technologies including AI. She has published widely including in the Law Quarterly Review, the Modern Law Review, the Journal of Business Law, the European Company and Financial Law Review and the European Business and Organization Law Review. Her current research projects are Constructing Regulatory Approaches for New Technologies and The Changing Face of Directors' Duties in the EU: Making Companies Responsible for Sustainability and Human Rights across Global Supply Chains.

Deirdre has a track record of publishing cutting-edge transformative work which is well cited in academic, policy, judicial and legal practice contexts. Her book, Directors' Duties: Law and Practice (Thomson Roundhall, 2009) was shortlisted for the Kevin Boyle Prize for Outstanding Legal Scholarship and has been cited by the Irish High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. Professor Ahern was elected to Fellowship of Trinity College in 2012 on the basis of her contribution to scholarship. In 2022 Professor Ahern was appointed to membership of the Royal Irish Academy's Ethics, Politics, Law and Philosophy Committee.

Professor Ahern sits on the editorial board of the Journal of Business Law and the Law and Financial Markets Review and is a contributing editor to Gore-Browne on Companies.

Professor Ahern welcomes expressions of interest in PhD supervision and post-doctoral research from excellent applicants in the following areas: human rights and the EU AI Act; regulatory sandboxes; legal and ethical aspects of quantum technologies; the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.

Access to publications: via Google Scholar and Researchgate.

Publications and Further Research Outputs

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Deirdre Ahern, 'Op-Ed, 'Fanning Case Heralds a 'New Frontier of AI-related Libel Law'', The Irish Times, 25 January 2024, The Irish Times, 2024, - Broadcast, 2024 URL

Corporate Law, Corporate Governance and AI: Are we Ready for Robots in the Boardroom? in, editor(s)Ernest Lim and Phillip Morgan , The Cambridge Handbook of Private Law and Artificial Intelligence, Cambridge, 2024, pp409-430 , [Deirdre Ahern] Book Chapter, 2024 URL

The Informal Company Law and Corporate Governance Expert Group, Report on Cross-border Use of Company Information, Brussels, European Commission, 2023, 1-26 Report, 2023 TARA - Full Text URL

Deirdre Ahern, The EU Sustainability Reporting Ripple and What it Means for SMEs, Corporations and Sustainability: Fresh Perspectives, European University Institute, 21 November 2023, 2023, The Finance, Innovation and Regulation Working Group, EUI, 1-13pp Invited Talk, 2023

Deirdre Ahern, How should the EU Regulate Generative AI?, The Challenges and Opportunities of Generative AI and the AI Act, Speinshart Abbey, Germany, 26-28 June, 2023, Professor Udo Faisal Invited Talk, 2023

Corporate Law and Statutory Liability in, editor(s)Martin Petrin and Christian Witting , Research Handbook on Corporate Liability, United KIngdom, Edward Elgar, 2023, pp62 - 82, [Deirdre Ahern] Book Chapter, 2023 TARA - Full Text

D. Ahern, I. Bratko, S. Das et al, The Speinshart Recommendations on Generative AI and the EU AI Act, Speinshart Reports, 2023 Conference Paper, 2023 URL URL TARA - Full Text

The Sustainability Reporting Ripple: Direct and Indirect Implications of the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive for SME Actors in, editor(s)Alessio Bartolacelli , The Prism of Sustainability, Macerata, Italy, University of Macerata, 2023, pp1 - 21, [Deirdre Ahern] Book Chapter, 2023 TARA - Full Text

Informal Company Law and Corporate Governance Expert Group, Report on Transparency of Company Data, Brussels, European Commission, 2023, 1-25 Report, 2023 TARA - Full Text URL

'The Role of Sectoral Regulators and other State Actors in Formulating Novel and Alternative Pro-Competition Mechanisms In Fintech' in, Konstantinos Stylianou, Marios Iacovides, and Bjorn Lundqvist , Fintech Competition: Law, Policy, and Market Organisation, United KIngdom, Hart-Bloomsbury, 2023, pp307-330 , [Deirdre Ahern] Book Chapter, 2023 TARA - Full Text

Deirdre Ahern, I fought the law and AI won: Regulation, Law, Copyright and Human Rights in the Face of Generative AI, Surfing the Fringe of AI, Imperial College London, 31 October 2023, 2023, Professor Udo Faisal Invited Talk, 2023

Deirdre Ahern, What is the Board's Role in Governing the Business Use of AI?, What is the Board's Role in Governing the Business Use of AI?, Webinar, 11 May 2023, 2023, The Sustainability Board Report Invited Talk, 2023

Deirdre Ahern, Governing Artificial Intelligence: Designing Legal and Regulatory Responses, 3 June 2022, In:Governing Artificial Intelligence: Designing Legal and Regulatory Responses, 2022, Trinity Long Room Hub Meetings /Conferences Organised, 2022

The Informal Company Law Expert Group, Report on Virtual Shareholder Meetings and Efficient Shareholder Communication, Brussels, European Commission, 2022, p1 - 29 Report, 2022 TARA - Full Text URL

Directors - Appointment, Removal and Vacation in, editor(s)Alistair Alcock , Gore-Browne on Companies, Bristol, United Kingdom, Lexis Nexis UK, 2022, [Deirdre Ahern] Book Chapter, 2022

"The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Corporate Law and Corporate Governance" in, editor(s)Philip Morgan and Ernest Lim , The Cambridge Handbook of Private Law and Artificial Intelligence, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2022, [Ahern, Deirdre] Book Chapter, 2022 TARA - Full Text

International and Comparative Corporate Law Journal, 15, 2, (2022), 9 - 112p, Tineke Lambooy, Deirdre Ahern and Diletta Lenzi, [eds.] Journal, 2022

Rachel Widdis (Article One) and Deirdre Ahern (School of Law), Responsible Business Conduct, Innovation, and AI, 12 September 2022, In:Responsible Buiness Conduct, Innovation, and AI, 2022, Trinity College Dublin Meetings /Conferences Organised, 2022

Management of a Company in, editor(s)Alistair Alcock , Gore-Browne on Companies, Bristol, United Kingdom, Lexis Nexis UK, 2022, [Deirdre Ahern] Book Chapter, 2022

Law and Financial Markets Review, United Kingdom, Taylor and Francis, [eds.], 2021 Editorial Board, 2021

Management of a Company in, editor(s)Alistair Alcock , Gore-Browne on Companies, Bristol, United Kingdom, Lexis Nexis UK, 2021, [Deirdre Ahern] Book Chapter, 2021

Deirdre Ahern, Regulatory Law and Regulatory Friction as FinTech Disenablers: Calibrating an EU Policy Response to the Adaptive Regulatory Sandbox in Member States, European Business Organization Law Review, 22, 2021, p395 - 432 Journal Article, 2021 TARA - Full Text URL

Directors - Appointment, Removal and Vacation in, editor(s)Alistair Alcock , Gore-Browne on Companies, Bristol, United Kingdom, Lexis Nexis UK, 2021, [Deirdre Ahern] Book Chapter, 2021

Directors - Appointment, Removal and Vacation in, editor(s)Alistair Alcock , Gore-Browne on Companies, Bristol, LexisNexis UK, 2020, [Ahern, Deirdre] Book Chapter, 2020

Deirdre Ahern and Suryapratim Roy, Policy Responses to Covid-19 In Ireland: Supporting Individuals, Communities, Businesses, and the Economy, COVID-19 Legal Observatory, Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, December , 2020, p1 - 108 Report, 2020 TARA - Full Text URL

Ahern, Deirdre, A New Vista to Transform Sustainable Investment Decisions: Mobilising New Technologies to Bridge Global Regulatory Gaps , Regulating Business in Times of Turbulence, Istanbul, 15 October 2020, 2020 Oral Presentation, 2020

Management of a Company in, editor(s)Alistair Alcock , Gore-Browne on Companies, Bristol, LexisNexis UK, 2020, [Ahern, Deirdre] Book Chapter, 2020

Ahern, Deirdre, Regulators Nurturing FinTech: Global Evolution of the Regulatory Sandbox as Opportunity-based Regulation, 2020 Working Paper, 2020 URL

Ahern. Deirdre and Jain, Tanusree, When Tokens Matters: A Critical Perspective on Tokenism and Women on Corporate Boards, Academy of Management Annual Conference, Vancouver, 7 November 2020, 2020 Oral Presentation, 2020

Ahern, Deirdre (in conjunction with European Banking Institute), Addressing the Global Challenge of Responsive FinTech RegulationFinTech, 8 March 2019, 2019, Trinity College Dublin Meetings /Conferences Organised, 2019

Jain, T.; Sharma, K. & Ahern, D. , Crossing borders: The impact of western gender diversity laws in non-western corporate boards, International Association for Business and Society, San Diego, USA, 2019 Oral Presentation, 2019

Management of a Company in, editor(s)Alistair Alcock , Gore-Browne on Companies, Bristol, 2019, [Ahern, Deirdre] Book Chapter, 2019

Deirdre Ahern, Regulators Nurturing FinTech Innovation: Global Evolution of The Regulatory Sandbox as Opportunity-Based Regulation, Indian Journal of Law and Technology, 15, (2), 2019, p345 - 378 Journal Article, 2019 TARA - Full Text

"Majority Rule and Minority Protections: Theoretical Frameworks and National Practice in the Shadow of the EU: The Case of Ireland" in, editor(s)A.J. Viera Gonzalez and C. Teichmann , Conflicts of Interest between Majorities and Minorities in the EU Member States Private Company Law, Spain, Thomson Reuters Aranzadi, 2019, pp117 - 169, [Deirdre Ahern] Book Chapter, 2019 TARA - Full Text

Directors - Appointment, Removal and Vacation in, editor(s)Alistair Alcock , Gore-Browne on Companies, Bristol, LexisNexis UK, 2019, [Ahern, Deirdre] Book Chapter, 2019

Ahern, Deirdre, Opportunity-based Regulation: The Function of the Regulatory Sandbox for FinTech, Addressing the Global Challenge of Responsive FinTech regulation, Trinity College Dublin, 8 March 2019, 2019 Oral Presentation, 2019

Deirdre Ahern, Regulatory Arbitrage in a FinTech World: Devising an Optimal EU Regulatory Response to Crowdlending, Journal of Business Law, (3), 2018, p193 - 214 Journal Article, 2018 TARA - Full Text

Deirdre Ahern, Regulatory Arbitrage in a FinTech World: Devising an Optimal EU Regulatory Response to Crowdlending European Banking Institute Working Paper Series No.24, 2018 Working Paper, 2018 TARA - Full Text

Directors - Appointment, Removal and Vacation in, editor(s)Alistair Alcock , Gore-Browne on Companies, Bristol, LexisNexis UK, 2018, [Ahern, Deirdre] Book Chapter, 2018

Irish Business Law Review, Dublin, Clarus Press, [eds.], 2018-2018 Editorial Board, 2018

Deirdre Ahern, The Mythical Value of Voice and Stewardship in the EU Directive On Long-Term Shareholder Engagement: Rights Do Not An Engaged Shareholder Make, Cambridge Yearbook of European Legal Studies, 20, 2018, 88 - 115 Journal Article, 2018

Deirdre Ahern, "The Mythical Value of Voice and Stewardship in the EU Directive On Long-Term Shareholder Engagement: Rights Do Not An Engaged Shareholder Make" Working Paper No.32 Stanford-Vienna EU Law Working Paper Series.32 , 2018 Working Paper, 2018 URL TARA - Full Text

Ahern, Deirdre, "The United Nations HeForShe project: Leveraging the modelling power of university champions' shared transformative gender commitments to drive sectoral buy-in, 10th European Conference on Gender Equality in Higher Education, Trinity College Dublin, 20 August 2018, 2018 Oral Presentation, 2018

Management of a Company in, editor(s)Alistair Alcock , Gore-Browne on Companies, Bristol, LexisNexis UK, 2018, [Ahern, Deirdre] Book Chapter, 2018

Management of a Company in, editor(s)Alistair Alcock , Gore-Browne on Companies, Bristol, LexisNexis UK, 2017, [Ahern, Deirdre] Book Chapter, 2017

Irish Business Law Review, Dublin, Clarus Press, [eds.], 2017-2017 Editorial Board, 2017

Directors - Appointment, Removal and Vacation in, editor(s)Alistair Alcock , Gore-Browne on Companies, Bristol, LexisNexis UK, 2017, [Ahern, Deirdre] Book Chapter, 2017

Directors - Appointment, Removal and Vacation in, editor(s)Alistair Alcock , Gore-Browne on Companies, Bristol, LexisNexis UK, 2016, [Ahern, Deirdre] Book Chapter, 2016

Deirdre Ahern, Turning Up the Heat? EU Sustainability Goals and the Role of Reporting under the Non-Financial Reporting Directive, European Company and Financial Law Review, 13, (4), 2016, p599 - 630 Journal Article, 2016 URL

Management of a Company in, editor(s)Alisatair Alcock , Gore-Browne on Companies, Bristol, LexisNexis UK, 2016, [Ahern, Deirdre] Book Chapter, 2016

Ahern, Deirdre, What to Do? Public Interest Director Appointments in Nationalised Banks: A Post-Financial Crisis Review of Role Delineation and Fiduciary Duties, Society of Legal Scholars Annual Conference, Oxford University, 6 September 2016, 2016 Oral Presentation, 2016

Irish Business Law Review, Dublin, Clarus Press, [eds.], 2016-2016 Editorial Board, 2016

Ahern, Deirdre, The EU, Close Corporations and Member State Sovereignty: Too Close for Comfort? Reflections on the Evolving Societas Unius Personae Proposal, Irish Business Law Review, 3, (1), 2016, p21 - 35 Journal Article, 2016 TARA - Full Text

The Societas Unius Personae: Using the Single-Member Company as a Vehicle for EU Private Company Law Reform, Some Critical Reflections on Regulatory Approach in, editor(s)A.J. Viera Gonzalez and C. Teichmann , Private Companies in Europe: the Societas Personae (SUP) and the Recent Developments in the EU Member States, Navarra, Spain, Thomson Reuters Aranzadi, 2016, pp55 - 87, [Ahern, Deirdre] Book Chapter, 2016

Irish Business Law Review, Ireland, Clarus Press, [eds.], 2015-2015 Editorial Board, 2015 URL

Ahern, Deirdre, Rethinking the Foundations of Directors' Duties to Incorporate Public Interest Considerations", , Irish Association of Law Teachers Annual Conference, NUIG, Galway, 27-29 November 2015, 2015 Oral Presentation, 2015

Close Corporations: A Common Law World Perspective: the Case of Ireland in, editor(s)Jorge Viera Gonzales and Christoph Teichmann , Private Company Law Reform: The Race of Flexibility, Thomson Reuters Aranzadi, 2015, pp243 - 283, [Deirdre Ahern] Book Chapter, 2015

Directors - Appointment, Removal and Vacation in, editor(s)Alistair Alcock , Gore-Browne on Companies, Bristol, LexisNexis UK, 2015, [Ahern, Deirdre] Book Chapter, 2015

Ahern, Deirdre (as Director of the Irish Corporate Law Forum), Preparing Private Companies for the Companies Bill: New Company Forms and Company Constitutions, 7 February 2014, 2014, Dublin Castle Meetings /Conferences Organised, 2014

Deirdre Ahern, "Codification of Company Law: Taking Stock of the Companies Act 2006", Statute Law Review, 35, (1), 2014, p1 - 14 Journal Article, 2014 TARA - Full Text

Directors - Appointment, Removal and Vacation in, editor(s)Alistair Alcock , Gore-Browne on Companies, Bristol, Jordans, 2014, [Ahern, Deirdre] Book Chapter, 2014

Ahern, Deirdre (as Director of the Irish Corporate Law Forum), Duties of Directors and Secretaries under the Companies Bill, 13 October 2014, 2014, Farmleigh, Phoenix Park, Dublin Meetings /Conferences Organised, 2014

Management of a Company in, editor(s)Alistair Alcock , Gore-Browne on Companies, Bristol, Jordans, 2014, [Ahern, Deirdre] Book Chapter, 2014

C. Gerner-Beurele, P. Paech and E. Schuster, Study on Directors' Duties and Liability, 2013 Report, 2013

Deirdre Ahern and Blanaid Clarke, Listed Companies' Engagement with Diversity: A Multi-Jurisdictional Study of Annual Report Disclosures, Ireland, Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, June 2013, 2013, p1 - 107 Report, 2013 TARA - Full Text

Directors - Appointment, Removal and Vacation of Office in, editor(s)Alistair Alcock , Gore-Browne on Companies, Bristol, Jordans, 2013, [Deirdre Ahern] Book Chapter, 2013

Ahern, Deirdre, Diversity Reporting: The Value of a Structured Reporting Protocol to Manage Annual Report Disclosures, Irish Association of Law Teachers Annual Conference, Belfast, 23 November 2013, 2013 Oral Presentation, 2013

Management of a Company in, editor(s)Alistair Alcock , Gore-Browne on Companies, Bristol, Jordans, 2013, [Deirdre Ahern] Book Chapter, 2013

Company and Insolvency Law in, editor(s)Raymond Byrne and William Binchy , Annual Review of Irish Law 2012, Dublin, Round Hall, 2013, pp81 - 89, [Deirdre Ahern and Noel McGrath] Book Chapter, 2013

Deirdre Ahern and Blanaid Clarke, Listed Companies' Engagement with Diversity: A Multi-Jurisdictional Study of Annual Report Disclosures, 2013 Working Paper, 2013 URL URL

Deirdre Ahern (As Council member of the Irish Association of Law Teachers), Changing Times for the Legal Professions - Re-evaluating the Role of the Law Teacher, 22-24 November 2013, 2013, Stormont Hotel, Belfast Meetings /Conferences Organised, 2013

Deirdre Ahern, "New Irish Offence of Withholding Information in relation to the Commission of a Criminal Offence", The Company Lawyer, 33, (4), 2012, p109 - 110 Journal Article, 2012

Deirdre Ahern, Directors' Duties, Dry Ink and the Accessibility Agenda , Law Quarterly Review, 128, 2012, p114 - 139 Journal Article, 2012

Company and Insolvency Law in, editor(s)Raymond Byrne and William Binchy , Annual Review of Irish Law 2011, Dublin, Round Hall, 2012, pp128 - 152, [Deirdre Ahern and Noel McGrath] Book Chapter, 2012

Ahern, Deirdre (as President of the Irish Association of Law Teachers), Legal Scholarship and Judicial Reasoning; A Mutual Interaction, 16-18 November 2012, 2012, Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel, Dublin Meetings /Conferences Organised, 2012

Deirdre Ahern, Guiding Principles for Directorial Conflicts of Interest: Re Allied Business and Financial Consultants Ltd; O'Donnell v Shanahan, Modern Law Review, 74, 2011, p596 - 607 Journal Article, 2011 TARA - Full Text

The Company Lawyer, Sweet and Maxwell, [eds.], 2011-2014 Editorial Board, 2011

Deirdre Ahern, Nominee Directors' Duty to Promote the Success of the Company: Commercial Pragmatism and Legal Orthodoxy , Law Quarterly Review, 127, 2011, p118 - 146 Journal Article, 2011

Ahern, Deirdre, At Home, at Risk: Comparative Perspectives on the Regulation of Domiciliary Care Provision for the Ageing Population", Centre for Ageing and Research and Development in Ireland (CARDI) international conference, Ageing Globally - Ageing Locally, Croke Park, 2-3 November 2011, 2011 Meeting Abstract, 2011

Ahern, Deirdre (as Council member of the Irish Corporate Law Forum), Added Value(s): The Role of Law in Contemporary Society, 18-20 November 2011, 2011, Athone Meetings /Conferences Organised, 2011

Ahern, Deirdre, Directors' Duties in Plain Sight: The Accessibility Agenda Delivered?, Law in Politics, Politics in Law (Society of Legal Scholars), Downing College, Cambridge University, 7 September 2011, 2011 Conference Paper, 2011

Deirdre Ahern and Karen Maher, The Continuing Evolution of Proxy Representation, Journal of Business Law, 2, 2011, p125 - 143 Journal Article, 2011 TARA - Full Text

Journal of Business Law, United Kingdom, Sweet and Maxwell, [eds.], 2011-2020 Editorial Board, 2011

Deirdre Ahern, Directors' Duties: Broadening the Focus Beyond Content to Examine the Accountability Spectrum, Dublin University Law Journal, 33, 2011, p116 - 152 Journal Article, 2011

Deirdre Ahern, Irish Legislative Proposals for Clarification of Nominee Directors' Best Interests Duty , The Company Lawyer, 31, 2010, p291 - 297 Journal Article, 2010

Ahern, Deirdre, The Application of Section 172 of the Companies Act 2006 to Nominee Directors, Society of Legal Scholars Annual Conference, University of Southampton, 14-16 September 2010, 2010 Conference Paper, 2010

Deirdre Ahern, Legislating for the Duty on Directors to Avoid Conflicts of Interest and Secret Profits: The Devil in the Detail, Irish Jurist , 46, 2010, p82 - 106 Journal Article, 2010

D. Ahern, K. Maher, J. O'Brien, D. O'Neill, Elder financial exploitation and the responsibility of financial providers in Ireland: The contribution of the financial services ombudsman, European Geriatric Medicine, 6th Congress European Union Geriatric Medicine Society, Dublin, 2010, 1, 2010, ppA203 - A203 Meeting Abstract, 2010

Deirdre Ahern, Legislating for Directors' Duty to Exercise Care, Skill and Diligence in Ireland: A Comparative Perspective, International Company and Commercial Law Review, 8, 2010, p268 - 273 Journal Article, 2010

Deirdre Ahern, Replacing 'Comply or Explain' with Legally Binding Corporate Governance Codes - An Appropriate Regulatory Response?, Regulation in an Age of Crisis, University College Dublin, 18 June 2010, 2010 Conference Paper, 2010

Deirdre Ahern (As Council member of the Irish Associaton of Law Teachers), Thirty Years of Legal Scholarship: Lessons from the Past, Visions for the Future, 27 November 2010, 2010, Limerick Meetings /Conferences Organised, 2010

Deirdre Ahern, The Formation of Insurance Contracts and the Duty of Insurers, Commercial Law Practitioner, 16, (4), 2009, p84 - 87 Journal Article, 2009

Deirdre Ahern, Directors' Duties: Law and Practice, Dublin, Round Hall, 2009, 1-700pp Book, 2009

Deirdre Ahern, The Responsible Director in an Economic Downturn: Lessons from the Restriction Regime, Dublin University Law Journal, 31, 2009, p183 - 205 Journal Article, 2009 TARA - Full Text

Deirdre Ahern, "Hemat v The Medical Council: the Wouters Legacy Revisited", European Competition Law Review, 6, 2007, p366 - 370 Journal Article, 2007

Deirdre Ahern, Martha Doyle and Virpi Timonen, Regulating home care of older people: the inevitable poor relation?, Dublin University Law Journal, 29, 2007, p374 - 396 Journal Article, 2007 TARA - Full Text

Ahern, Kenny v Ireland ROC Ltd: Commercial Agents - Not Negotiable?, Dublin University Law Journal, 28, 2006, p296 - 316 Journal Article, 2006

Ahern, Directors' Compliance Statements under the Microscope, Commercial Law Practitioner, 13, 2006, p137 - 145 Journal Article, 2006

Healthcare Decisions: Recognising the Decision-Making Capacity of Older People to Consent to and to Decline Treatment in, editor(s)O'Dell E , Older People in Modern Ireland: Essays on Law and Policy, Dublin, First Law, 2006, [Ahern D] Book Chapter, 2006

Law Reform Commission, Report on Vulnerable Adults and the Law (LRC 83-2006), Ireland, 2006 Report, 2006

Ahern, Deirdre, The Rule Against Shareholders' Recovery of Reflective Loss, Commercial Law Practitioner, 12, 2005, p163 - 168 Journal Article, 2005

Ahern, Deirdre, Corporate Killing in Ireland - A new Paradigm, Irish Law Times, 22, 2005, p235 - 240 Journal Article, 2005

Ahern, The Domain Game - introducing 'dot eu', Commercial Law Practitioner, 11, 2004, p275 - 279 Journal Article, 2004

Ahern, Deirdre, Corporate Killing - The Law Reform Commission's Proposals, Law in the Modern World: New Problems, New Solutions, Derry, Northern Ireland, 2-4 April 2004, 2004 Oral Presentation, 2004

Ahern, D, Unlimited Corporate Capacity - Plotting the slow demise of ultra vires, Commercial Law Practitioner, 11, 2004, p27 - 30 Journal Article, 2004

Law Reform Commission, Seminar Paper on Law and the Elderly, 2003 Working Paper, 2003

Law Reform Commission, Consultation Paper on Corporate Killing, Dublin, 2003 Report, 2003

Ahern, Corporate Killing: The Way Forward, Irish Criminal Law Journal, 13, (3), 2003, p10 - 14 Journal Article, 2003

Law Reform Commission , Consultation Paper on Vulnerable Adults and the Law: Capacity, Dublin, 2003 Report, 2003

Non-Peer-Reviewed Publications

Deirdre Ahern, Sustainability Reporting: the New Directive and Its Impact on SMEs, The Prism of Sustainability: Multidisciplinary profiles; law, economics and ethics, University of Macerata, 30-31 March, 2023, Professor Alessio Bartolacelli Invited Talk, 2023

Deirdre Ahern, Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence: A Proposal in Flux, Annual Company Law and Corporate Governance Conference, Trier, 9-10 March 2023, 2023 Oral Presentation, 2023

Deirdre Ahern, Eoin O'Dell, Elspeth Payne, Frances Haugen The Facebook Whistleblower, 21 March 2022, In:Frances Haugen The Facebook Whistleblower, 2022, Trinity Long Room Hub Meetings /Conferences Organised, 2022

Deirdre Ahern, Upending Corporate Purpose in the EU: Board Responsibility for Sustainability and Human Rights across Global Supply Chains, New Capitalism? A Transatlantic Perspective, Harvard Law School, 3-5 October, 2022, Harvard & Complutense Law Schools Invited Talk, 2022

Deirdre Ahern, Sustainability as Socially Responsible Business Practice: The Role of Company Law and Corporate Governance, ERA Annual Confernce on European Company Law and Corporate Governance 2022, Trier, 2022 Oral Presentation, 2022

Deirdre Ahern, Groups of Companies in EU Company Laws: An Irish Perspective, SYMPOSIUM for the presentation of the book "Company Laws of the European Union" edited by Andrea Vicari and Alexander Schall (Beck, 2020), University of Milan, 29 April , 2022, Professor Andrea Vicari and Professor Alexander Schall Invited Talk, 2022

Deirdre Ahern, "The Board and Sustainability Performance: The Changing Face of Directors' Duties in the EU: Is there an Expectations Gap?" , Corporate Sustainability - Supporting Green Policy in Corporate Strategy , The Radisson Blu Hotel, Dublin, 20 October , 2022, Public Affairs Ireland Invited Talk, 2022

Deirdre Ahern, Enforcement and Liability Mechanisms for Environmental and Human Rights' Duties and Options for Member States , Sustainability in Corporate Law, Leuphana University, Germany, 18 November, 2022, Professors Alexander Schall and Axel Halfmeier Invited Talk, 2022

Ahern, Deirdre, Closing Keynote: The Impact of Blockchain and DLT Technologies on Company Law, International Congress on Digitalization and DLT in Company Law, University of Zaragoza, Spain, 29-30 October 2021, 2021, Faculty of Law, University of Zaragoza Invited Talk, 2021

Deirdre Ahern, Regulatory Lag, Regulatory Friction and Regulatory Transition as FinTech Disenablers: The Regulatory Sandbox Phenomenon in Member States and the EU's Experimental Governance Dilemma , Law School Workshop, Trinity College Dublin, 24 March , 2021, School of Law Invited Talk, 2021

Deirdre Ahern, Corporate Governance Reconceived: The New Era of Stakeholder Capitalism, Corporate Governance Reconceived: The New Era of Stakeholder Capitalism, Centre for Commercial Law, Edinburgh University, 17 March , 2021, Centre for Commercial Law, Edinburgh University Invited Talk, 2021

Ahern, Deirdre, The Future of Annual General Meetings, Virtualisation and Corporate Accountability, The Future of Annual General Meetings, Virtualisation and Corporate Accountability, University College London, 22 September, 2020, University College London Invited Talk, 2020

Deirdre Ahern, Pandemic Has Opened a Vast Policy Vacuum, The Irish Times, 10 December, 2020, p12 - 12 Review Article, 2020

Ahern, Deirdre, Directors' Duty of Care and Harnessing the Potential for AI to Enhance Boardroom Dynamics, Artificial Intelligence and Private Law, National University of Singapore, 27 August 2020, 2020, National University of Singapore Invited Talk, 2020

Ahern, Deirdre, (Panel Chair) Women in Leadership , Hearing Women's Voices: Irish Federation of University Women Annual Conference, Trinity College Dublin, 19 October 2019, 2019, Trinity Women Graduates / Irish Federation of University Women Invited Talk, 2019

Ahern. Deirdre and Jain, Tanusree, Using Mandatory Quotas to Address Gender Imbalances In The Boardroom: Some Evidence From East And West, Hearing Women's Voices: Irish Federation of University Women Annual Conference, Trinity College Dublin, 19 October 2019, 2019, Trinity Women Graduates / Irish Federation of University Women Invited Talk, 2019

Ahern, Deirdre, Regulatory Influences and Listed Companies Engagement with Diversity in their Annual Reports, Gender Diversity on Corporate Boards: Listed Companies' Self-Reporting on Diversity in their Annual Reports , The Long Room Hub, Trinity College Dublin, 2019 Oral Presentation, 2019

Ahern, Deirdre, Keynote: Sustainable Governance into the Future and the Impact of Artificial Intelligence, Annual Conference of the Chartered Governance Institute of the UK and Ireland, Dublin Castle, 16 May 2019, 2019, the Chartered Governance Institute of the UK and Ireland Invited Talk, 2019

Ahern, Deirdre, The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Governance of Companies, Corporate Law and Finance Summer School, Trinity College Dublin, 23 July 2019, 2019, European Law Students Association Invited Talk, 2019

Ahern, Deirdre, (Panellist) Culture, Diversity and Evidence from the Field, Culture, Diversity and the Way Forward for Corporate Governance in Ireland, Trinity College Dublin, 25 October 2018, 2018, Central Bank of Ireland & Trinity College Dublin Invited Talk, 2018

Deirdre, Equal in Name: The Limits of Law, Then and Now, Me Too, Then and Now, Trinity Long Room Hub, 7 March , 2018, Trinity Long Room Hub Invited Talk, 2018

Ahern, Deirdre, With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility: Can Existing Duties on Directors as Fiduciary Agents Suitably Moderate the Social Controversies Associated with Commercialisation of Synthetic Biology?, Regulating the Corporation and New Morally Significant Technologies, Newcastle University, 12 June 2018, 2018, Sarah Morley and David Lawrence Invited Talk, 2018

Ahern, Deirdre, An Examination of Shareholder Protection, Conflicts of Interests between Majorities and Minorities in Private Companies, Madrid, 15 June 2018, 2018, Close Corporations in Europe Working Group Invited Talk, 2018

Ahern, Deirdre, (Panel Chair) Mergers and Acquisition Regulation in the UK and Ireland, Oceans Apart: Corporate and Securities Regulation in Comparative Perspective, McCann FitzGerald, 12 April 2018, 2018, Trinity College Dublin / McCann FitzGerald Invited Talk, 2018

Deirdre Ahern, Conceptualising Overreach in the English Corporate Opportunities Doctrine, Travers Smith Lecture, Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge, 7 November , 2017, University of Cambridge Invited Talk, 2017 URL

Ahern, Deirdre, Encouraging Socially Responsible Corporations: Will the Non-Financial Reporting Directive Help? , Corporate and Finance Law Summer School, National College of Ireland, 14 August 2017, 2017, European Law Students Association Invited Talk, 2017

Ahern, Deirdre, Realising the Leadership Potential of Women in Business: Are Quotas Really the Answer?, Graduate Women International Third Triennial, Cape Town Convention Centre, 24 August 2016, 2016 Meeting Abstract, 2016

Nominee Directors, Section 172 of the Companies Act 2006 and Divided Loyalties: A Story of Legal Lag, Herbert Smith Freehills, 20 October , 2016, Herbert Smith Freehills Invited Talk, 2016

Deirdre Ahern, Mandating Sustainability Reporting: The Non-Financial Reporting Directive as a Regulatory Tool to Enhance Corporate Engagement with the EU Sustainability Agenda, Constructing Regulatory, Reporting and Accreditation Tools for Corporate Social Respnsibility, Trinity Long Room Hub, Trinity College Dublin, 17 September 2015, 2015 Conference Paper, 2015 URL

Ahern, Deirdre, Mandating Sustainability Reporting: The Non-Financial Reporting Directive as a Regulatory Tool to Enhance Corporate Engagement with the EU Sustainability Agenda, CSRxChange: Constructing Regulatory, Reporting and Accreditation Tools for Corporate Social Responsibility, The Long Room Hub, Trinity College Dublin, 17 October 2015, 2015 Oral Presentation, 2015

Ahern, Deirdre, CSRxChange: Constructing Regulatory, Reporting and Accreditation Tools for Corporate Social Responsibility, 17 October 2015, 2015, The Long Room Hub, Trinity College Dublin Meetings /Conferences Organised, 2015

Deirdre Ahern, Promoting Gender Diversity: Some Reflections on Listed Companies' Approach to Diversity in their Annual Reports, Women on Boards, Irish Women Lawyers' Association, Law Society Dublin, 10 December 2014, 2014 Conference Paper, 2014

Ahern, Deirdre, Subordinating Directeorial Ambition: Social Cohesion and the Absolutist Approach to Corporate Opportunities , Law School Research Workshop, 13 November 2014, 2014 Oral Presentation, 2014

Deirdre Ahern, The Commercial Court, Review of The Commercial Court, by Stephen Dowling , The Irish Jurist, 51, 2014, p211-212 Review, 2014

Ahern, Deirdre, Critical Reflections on the SUP Proposal: An Irish and Common Law World Perspctive, Close Corporations in Europe: Towards a Common Frame of Reference, University Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, 20 November 2014, 2014, Professor Jorge Viera Gonzalez Invited Talk, 2014

Ahern, Deirdre, Promoting Gender Diversity: Some Reflections on Listed Companies' Approach to Diversity in their Annual Reports, Women on Boards, Law Society of Ireland, 10 December 2014, 2014, Irish Women Lawyers Association Invited Talk, 2014

Ahern, Deirdre, Internet Governance and Regulation, Law Society E-Commerce Diploma , Law Society of Ireland, 1 June 2014, 2014, Law Society of Ireland Invited Talk, 2014

Ahern, Deirdre, (Panel Chair) Can Academics Make a Difference?, Irish Association of Law Teachers Annual Conference, Kilkenny, 7-9 November 2014, 2014, Irish Association of Law Teachers Invited Talk, 2014

Ahern, Deirdre, Codification of Directors' Duties: An Assessment of the New Statutory Framework, Duties of Directors and Secretaries under the Companies Bill, Farmleigh, Phoenix Park, Dublin, 13 October 2014, 2014 Oral Presentation, 2014

Ahern, Deirdre, Reform of the Private Company - A Common Law World Perspective, Meeting of the Cross-Europe Working Group on Reform of the Private Company, University Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, 8 November 2013, 2013, Professor Jorge Viera Gonzalez Invited Talk, 2013

Ahern, Deirdre and Clarke, Blanaid, Keynote address: Companies Reporting of Diversity: A Multi-Jurisdictional Study, 12th European Corporate Governance and Company Law Conference, Convention Centre, Dublin, 17 May 2013, 2013, European Commission / Department of Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation Invited Talk, 2013

Ahern, Deirdre and Clarke, Blanaid, Gender Diversity on Corporate Boards: Recent Research and Regulatory Initiatives, 6 November 2013, 2013, The Long Room Hub, Trinity College Dublin Meetings /Conferences Organised, 2013

Ahern, Deirdre, Codification of Company Law, Statute Law and Alternative Solutions, Codification, Restatement, Common Law, Houses of Parliament, Westminster, 14 November 2013, 2013 Invited Talk, 2013

Ahern, Deirdre, Invited keynote: Tokenism or Real Engagement: Listed Companies' Self-Reporting on Diversity in their Annual Reports, Women on Boards, University College Cork, 21 June 2013, 2013, Professor Irene Lynch-Fannon Invited Talk, 2013

Ahern, Deirdre, Loyalty (Respondent), Loyalty, Trinity College Dublin, 11 November 2013, 2013, Private Law Discussion Group Invited Talk, 2013

Ahern, Deirdre (as Director of the Irish Corporate Law Forum), Current Developments in Corporate Governance Policy and Practice, 29 March 2012, 2012, Royal Irish Academy, Dublin Meetings /Conferences Organised, 2012

Ahern, Deirdre, Current Issues in Corporate Governance Policy, Current Developments in Corporate Governance and Policy and Practice, Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, 29 March 2012, 2012 Oral Presentation, 2012

Ahern, Deirdre (as Director of the Irish Corporate Law Forum), Corporate Compliance and Enforcemnt, 5 December 2012, 2012, Shelborne Hotel, Dublin Meetings /Conferences Organised, 2012

Ahern, Deirdre, Keynote address: The Impact of the Commercial Agents Directive, Key Issues in Business Law, University of Zaragoza, Spain, 19 April 2012, 2012 Invited Talk, 2012

Ahern, Deirdre, (Panel Chair) New Directions in Corporate and Commercial Law, Legal Scholarship and Judicial Reasoning: A Mutual Interaction, Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel, Dublin, 16-18 November 2012, 2012 Oral Presentation, 2012

Ahern, Deirdre, The Corporate Objective, Review of The Corporate Objective, by Andrew Keay , International Company and Commercial Law Review, 23, (6), 2012, p221-222 Review, 2012

Ahern, Deirdre (as Director of the Irish Corporate Law Forum), Transitioning to the New Form Private Company Limited by Shares: Structure and Governance under the Companies Bill, 21 July 2011, 2011, Dublin Castle Meetings /Conferences Organised, 2011

Ahern, Deirdre, Fundamental Principles of Irish Company Law, Fundamental Principles of Irish Company Law, University of Islas Balearas, Palma, Majorca, 11 April 2011, 2011, Faculty of Law, University of Islas Balearas Invited Talk, 2011

Ahern, Deirdre, "The Proposed European Private Company and the Market for Company Formation in the European Union", Inaugural lecture of the Centre for Financial Law, University Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, 12 April 2011, 2011 Invited Talk, 2011

Ahern, Deirdre (as Director of the Irish Corporate Law Forum), Company Charges and Financial Assistance: The Significance of Planned Reforms in Law and Practice, 9 November 2011, 2011, Royal Irish Academy, Dublin Meetings /Conferences Organised, 2011

Ahern, Deirdre, Codifying Directors' Duties: Implications for Directors and Shareholders, Transitioning to the New Form Private Company Limited by Shares: Structure and Governance under the Companies Bill, Dublin Castle, 21 July 2011, 2011 Oral Presentation, 2011

Ahern, Deirdre, (Panel Chair) The Challenges of Contemporary Governance, Added Valu(s): The Role of Law in Contemporary Society, Irish Association of Law Teachers, Athlone, 18-20 November 2011, 2011 Oral Presentation, 2011

Ahern, Deirdre, Invited lecture: The Impact of the European Private Company (SPE) on National Company Law, The Impact of the European Private Company (SPE) on National Company Law, University of Zaragoza, Spain, 14 April 2011, 2011 Invited Talk, 2011

Ahern, Deirdre, (Panel Chair) Research Metrics for Law, Thirty Years of Irish Scholarship: Lessons form the Past, Visions for the Future, Limerick, 27 November 2010, 2010, Irish Association of Law Teachers Invited Talk, 2010

Ahern, Deirdre, (Panel Chair) "Participation in and Provision of Home care; Advocacy and Service User Involvement", Becoming Visible: Older People as Active Participants in the Community and in Long-term Care Settings, Dublin Castle, 16-17 October 2010, 2010 Oral Presentation, 2010

Ahern, Deirdre, The Consumer Protection Act 2007: Implications for Legal Practice, 4 December 2007, 2007, Trinity College Dublin Meetings /Conferences Organised, 2007

Ahern, Deirdre, Practical Implications of the Consumer Protection Act 2007, The Consumer Protection Act 2007: Implications for Legal Practice, Trinity College Dublin, 4 December 2007, 2007 Oral Presentation, 2007

Ahern, Deirdre, Directors' Compliance Statements - An Update, Recent Developments in Regulation and Compliane, Trinity College Dublin, 6 May 2006, 2006 Oral Presentation, 2006

Deirdre Ahern and Ailbhe O'Neill, Recent Developments in Regulation and Compliance, 6 May 2006, 2006, Trinity College Dublin Meetings /Conferences Organised, 2006

Ahern, Beware the Irish Commercial Agent, New Law Journal, 56, 2006, p620 - 620 Journal Article, 2006

Ahern, Deirdre, "Legal Capacity and Vulnerable Adults" , Vulnerable Adults and the Law workshop , Ballymun Community Centre, 28 July 2005, 2005 Oral Presentation, 2005

Ahern, Deirdre, (Panellist) Elder Abuse, National Conference on Elder Abuse - Reach Out, Dublin, 25 November 2004, 2004 Invited Talk, 2004

Research Expertise

Projects

  • Title
    • The Changing Face of Directors' Duties in the EU: Making Companies Responsible for Sustainability and Human Rights across Global Supply Chains
  • Summary
    • The project arises against the backdrop of increasing interest in making companies and/or their officers liable for environmental, social and governance matters, not only in relation to the company, but also in relation to its worldwide operations and supply chain. The project focuses on study of the European Commission's Proposal for an EU Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence published in April 2022 (European Commission, Proposal for a Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence SEC (2022) 95 final). Significantly this will considerably expand the reach of corporate responsibility and directors' duties and liabilities. This EU Directive presents solutions to issues touched upon in jurisdictional tug-of-war cases concerning the potential liability for parent companies for environmental and human rights abuses of their subsidiaries. Furthermore it demands that companies integrate climate and human rights concerns into their strategy, moving away from traditional focus on profit maximisation. The project is aimed at providing a cutting-edge early stage assessment of the proposed Directive's likely impact across the EU single market. Research Objectives The objective is to build an understanding of the likely impact of the ground-breaking Directive on: (1) the development of legal duties, liabilities, and theory applicable to directors in EU Member States; and (2) an understanding how it may impact differentially on companies depending on Member State choices in implementing the Directive based on Member State law on directors' duties and also the discretion provided by the Directive around enforcement and remedies.
  • Funding Agency
    • Trinity Research in Social Science (TRiSS)
  • Date From
    • 2022
  • Title
    • CSRxChange: Constructing Regulatory, Reporting and Accreditation Tools for Corpoate Social Responsibility
  • Summary
    • The Non-Financial Reporting Directive 2014/95/EU breaks new regulatory ground in requiring Member States to legislate by 6 December 2016 in relation to mandatory sustainability reporting for large companies using a 'comply or explain' model. Previously corporate social responsibility ("CSR") had been viewed as essentially voluntary by the EU for a long time and globally regulation has proved largely elusive. Nonetheless many companies have embraced CSR and have sought voluntary certification to show their engagement with sustainability. Transparent sustainability reporting provides material which enables stakeholders to engage with companies in relation to the adoption of socially responsible business practices in areas such as conditions of employment, environmental impact and human rights. Against this background, this project considers engagement with corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Ireland and reporting and regulatory challenges and pitfalls. Relevant themes to be explored will include sustainability and diversity as sound business practice, the role of voluntary accreditation schemes and appropriate sustainability reporting frameworks. The project will also focus on likely regulatory outcomes of implementation of the Directive in relation to corporate sustainability disclosures will also be examined from the perspectives of both regulator and affected companies.
  • Funding Agency
    • Irish Research Council
  • Date From
    • 2015
  • Title
    • An Examination of the Shareholders' Right Directive
  • Summary
    • This project involved examining the legal and practical implications for Ireland of implementing the Shareholders' Rights Directive including issues such as proxy voting and the right of shareholders to ask questions.
  • Date From
    • September 2009
  • Date To
    • February 2010
  • Title
    • The Legal Duties of Nominee Directors
  • Summary
    • This project focused on examining how the conflict of duties of nominee directors, based on the expectation that a nominee director would further their appointer's interests rather than those of the company, can be legally resolved.
  • Date From
    • October 2009
  • Date To
    • December 2009

Keywords

BOARDS OF DIRECTORS; Business/Corporate Law; Comparative Company Law; Corporate Governance; FinTech Regulation; GENDER QUOTAS ON BOARDS

Recognition

Representations

Member of Irelands' Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council 2024

Devising and co-delivering Principles of Fiduciary Corporate Law course for the Duke-Geneva Transnational Law Institute

Co-editor of the Irish Business Law Review 2015 -

Secretary of the Irish Association of Law Teachers

Director of the Irish Corporate Law Forum http://www.iclf.ie/ 2010 to date

President of the Irish Association of Law Teachers 2011-2012

Member of the Steering Committee of the Trinity Consortium on Ageing 2007 to date

Member of the Quality Committeee, TCD From 2009

Member of the Law Society Business Law Committee 2006 to 2009

Member of the Law Reform Commission's Working Group on Vulnerable Adults and the Law 2005 to 2006

Member of the Research Ethics Committee of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland's Faculty of Public Health Medicine 2006 to 2007

Awards and Honours

Fellow, Trinity College Dublin 2012

Directors' Duties: Law and Practice shortlisted for Kevin Boyle Prize for Outstanding Legal Scholarship 2011

Visiting Scholar, Duke University 2013

Herbert Smith Visitng Fellow, Faculty of Law, Cambridge University 2016

Highly Commended, Provost's Teaching Awards 2016

Memberships

Appointed to Ireland's Company Law Review Group – 2022

Appointed member of the European Commission's Informal Company Law and Corporate Governance Expert Group 2020 – 2024

Member of the League of European Research Universities' Legal Team on Artificial Intelligence 2020

Member of the Law Society of Ireland

Member of the Society of Legal Scholars 2006 to date

Member of the European Corporate Governance Institute

Member of the Steering Committee of the Daughters of Themis international network for women business scholars 2020