The Irish Echo Publishes Ed Lenci’s Report of the Historic Bar of Ireland and NYSBA Accord

The Irish Echo, the oldest Irish-American newspaper, has published Hinshaw partner Ed Lenci’s account of the final event of the Ireland for Law NYC Mission 2026, where, as Ed wrote, “[a] highlight of the evening was the signing of [a] historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between The Bar of Ireland and the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA).”

Ed was instrumental in organizing and presenting at the event titled “Common Law, Common Ground: Irish Law as the Gateway to Europe,” and was a driving force behind the signing of the MOU.

About the Organizations

• • The Bar of Ireland is the representative body for Ireland’s barristers.

• • Ireland for Law is an initiative of the Irish government to promote Irish legal services and Irish law internationally, particularly in commercial sectors where Ireland has a significant presence.

• • NYSBA, founded in 1876, is the largest voluntary bar association in the United States.

A Gathering of Ireland’s Governmental and Legal Leaders

As Ed related to the Irish Echo:

“Luminaries of Ireland’s governmental and legal establishments spoke, including former Taoiseach Enda Kenny, now President of Ireland for Law, Catherine Ardagh TD, Minister of State at Ireland’s Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Rossa Fanning, Attorney General of Ireland, Mr. Justice David Barniville, President of Ireland’s High Court and Ireland’s designated arbitration judge, Seán Guerin, SC, Chair of the Bar of Ireland, and Paul McGarry, SC, former Chair of the Bar of Ireland.”

Ireland as a Gateway for International Arbitration

Ed is a member of the International Advisory Board of Arbitration Ireland and has long advocated for Ireland as a forum for international arbitration. Ed spoke at the event about the advantages for US businesses of using Ireland as a forum for international arbitrations in Europe. As he explained to the Echo:

“After Brexit, Ireland is the only English-speaking, common law jurisdiction in the European Union and a pro-arbitration policy enshrined in its Arbitration Act of 2010.

The latest news about arbitration is that the eminent International Centre for Dispute Resolution, in coordination with Arbitration Ireland, has launched a hub in Dublin, one of only two such hubs in the world (the other is in Singapore).

As a result, Dublin is not only an excellent forum for arbitrations involving business in Europe, but will also be an excellent forum for arbitrations involving business in Africa and the Middle East.”

The signatories of the MOU were, as Ed mentioned, Seán Guerin, who signed for the Bar of Ireland, and Taa Grays and Helen Naves, the President of NYSBA and the chair of NYSBA’s International Section, respectively, who signed for NYSBA.

A Longtime Champion of Global Bar Connections

Ed himself chaired NYSBA’s International Section in 2021-2022. MOUs were a high priority during his term, in which NYSBA’s President and Ed signed nine MOUs with bar associations in other nations.

In fact, at the end of Ed’s term in May 2022, he was the subject of a front-page article in the New York Law Journal because he “prioritize[d] connections among overseas lawyers” through the entry into MOUs with bar associations worldwide and founded and led the acclaimed Ukraine Task Force.

• • Irish Echo: “LETTER: Legal Connections” (September 21, 2026)