ABOUT US

Amicus Mediation Ltd is owned and managed by two highly qualified and very experienced professionals. Phil O’Hehir is a qualified solicitor, mediator and a trained conflict coach.

Mary Lou O’Kennedy is an accredited mediator and conflict coach with many years business experience.

Both Phil and Mary Lou share a deep understanding of human behaviour and complex issues. Their approach is that of helping people to help themselves by creating the conditions for collaboration and resolution.

Phil O' Hehir

Phil O’Hehir is a founding Director of Amicus. In choosing to be a full time mediator, Phil was responding to a perceived need for a quality alternative to the legal system for individuals and businesses having to deal with serious disputes.

Phil qualified as a nurse and subsequently as a solicitor. She brings to her Practice her many years of business and legal experience, especially in the areas of commercial, employment and family law.  As a practicing solicitor, Phil realised that many clients consulting her had real concerns about the lack of options available to them. Many were concerned that the legal process was confrontational and expensive. They frequently felt that there was no alternative but to become embroiled in an adversarial system, ending in court. Amicus addresses these concerns through its mediation and conflict management programmes.

Phil passionately believes that all conflicts can be settled once people agree to join forces and work together for a common aim. 

 

Phil is a certified mediator with Friary Law and the ADR Group (UK) and Athena Mediation. She is a qualified life coach and is certified in the specialist area of conflict coaching with leading Canadian trainer, Cinnie Noble. Phil is a member of the Mediation Institute of Ireland and the Law Society of Ireland.

Mary Lou O’Kennedy

 

Mary Lou O’Kennedy is an accredited mediator, conflict coach and trainer and comes to Mediation with 20 years of experience in the management of people and companies, both in the private and not for profit local development sector. As Manager of County Wexford Partnership Ltd from 1991 to 2002 and Managing Director of Emergency Response Ltd from 2002 to 2007, Mary Lou developed an acute understanding of the importance of collaborative work practices and the management of commercial and workplace conflict. She combines this experience with her conflict resolution and mediation skills training in her work with Amicus.

As a founding director of Amicus, Mary Lou is committed to supporting people to achieve positive outcomes to conflict through the application of practical conflict resolution tools and skills training.

 

Having obtained her primary degree in Social Science from University College Dublin, Mary Lou pursued a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh, USA. She is a certified mediator with Friary Law and ADR Group, Athena Mediation and the Mediation Institute of Ireland (MII) of which she is a Council member and Chairperson of its Education Committee. Mary Lou also trained with conflict coaching specialist, Cinnie Noble and is a certified CINERGY® coach and trainer. She is a member of the Friary Law and Mediation Northside mediator panels.