Diane Gilhooley

Diane is Global Head of Eversheds Sutherland’s Employment, Labor and Pensions Practice and Global Co-Head of Sustainability and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG).

As Global Head of Eversheds Sutherland’s Employment, Labor and Pensions Practice, she leads a group of over 400 employment, labor and pensions lawyers.

Diane qualified as a lawyer in September 1994 and joined the firm in 1999. She has over 27 years of experience in handling high-profile cases and providing strategic employment advice on a national and international basis. Diane advises on contentious and non-contentious areas of employment law and also governance. She has conducted complex and high-profile employment tribunal claims and employment litigation, often around issues of equality and diversity and discrimination. Diane also advises on organizational issues (including large-scale redundancy and restructuring programs, industrial relations/trade union issues, mergers and collaborations, equality, and diversity strategies); international collaborations and cross-border issues and has recently supported clients on their strategic responses to COVID-19. She is also a recognized speaker and trainer on equality issues and has particular experience in human rights and labor standards, health and safety, organization and culture change.

Diane is listed as a key individual in Chambers & Partners where clients comment that “she has exceptional knowledge, is pragmatic in considering how her advice translates into action and has excellent customer care skills.”

From 2018, Diane has been leading the international gender network for our people, and from 2019 to 2021 was appointed Diversity and Inclusion Partner Sponsor, responsible for leading and accelerating the firm’s D&I strategy.

In 2021 Diane was appointed Global Co-Head of Sustainability and ESG and works together with Eversheds Sutherland Sustainability and ESG lawyers globally around climate change and related social issues for businesses, helping to ensure clients are up to date with regulatory requirements and advising on effective governance arrangements.

Diane chairs the firm’s education sector group and has worked in this group since 1999, taking over leadership in 2009, before moving to the role of Chair in 2021. This is a multidisciplinary team providing a full range of legal services to education providers.