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The Irish High Court has addressed a fundamental question about legal advice privilege in corporate law: can a company assert privilege against its own shareholders? This decision examines the controversial 'shareholder rule' and its compatibility with the principle of separate legal personality established in Salomon v Salomon, following the Privy Council's recent rejection of this rule in England and Wales.

The Irish High Court has signalled that incumbent tenderers who benefit financially from automatic contract suspensions may face scrutiny if they refuse to offer undertakings covering losses to winning bidders. In a €51.2 million parking enforcement framework case, the Court lifted the suspension after the losing incumbent declined to compensate the successful tenderer for costs of securing a time-sensitive resource underpinning its bid.

Fixed-term contracts offer flexibility for Irish employers, but they require careful navigation of equal treatment obligations, renewal restrictions, and dismissal risks. Understanding the Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Act 2003 is essential to avoid inadvertent legal liability and ensure compliance with successive contract limits, probation requirements, and redundancy entitlements.