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Rossa Fanning
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Rossa Fanning 1.jpg
32nd Attorney General of Ireland
Assumed office
17 December 2022
Appointed by Michael D. Higgins
Taoiseach
Preceded by Paul Gallagher
Personal details
Born Dublin, Ireland
Education Blackrock College
Alma mater

Rossa A. Fanning, born in 1976, is a very important lawyer in Ireland. He is currently the Attorney General of Ireland. This means he is the main legal advisor to the Irish government. Before this big role, he worked as a barrister, helping people and businesses with legal problems.

Early Life and Education

Rossa Fanning was born in 1976 in Leopardstown, a part of Dublin, Ireland. He went to secondary school at Blackrock College.

University Studies

He studied law at University College Dublin (UCD). He earned a special master's degree from UCD. While there, he was very active in student life. He was the returning officer for the student union. He also led the UCD Law Society.

He continued his studies at the University of Michigan Law School in the United States. He went there as a Fulbright Program scholar. Later, he studied at the King's Inns in Dublin. This is where lawyers in Ireland train. While at King's Inns, he won the Irish Times Debate competition.

Legal Career

Rossa Fanning became a barrister in 1999. A barrister is a type of lawyer who speaks in court. In 2016, he became a Senior Counsel. This is a special title for experienced barristers.

Types of Cases

He has worked on many different kinds of business cases. This includes helping companies that are having money troubles. He also dealt with issues like property agreements and disagreements over money.

Famous Cases

Mr. Fanning has represented big technology companies. These include Facebook, Google, and Twitter. He helped them with their legal disputes.

He also worked for famous people. He represented golfer Rory McIlroy in a court case. He also acted for the company that wanted money from the musician Prince.

He has helped many businesses dealing with financial difficulties. These include companies like CityJet and Debenhams. He also worked for the people managing Apollo House.

In 2012, he helped his client win a large amount of money, €8.2 million, from businessman Bill Cullen. He also represented Michael Fingleton in a debt case.

Mr. Fanning was part of the legal team for Seán Quinn and his sons. This was in a case brought by Anglo Irish Bank. He also defended a religious group in a civil lawsuit.

In 2022, he represented a French actor, Dany Boon. This case was about money that Mr. Boon said was taken from him unfairly.

He has also worked for the Irish government in some cases. He represented the Health Products Regulatory Authority in a case about the Pandemrix vaccine.

He appeared at special investigations called tribunals. These included the Disclosures Tribunal and the Moriarty Tribunal.

In February 2024, Mr. Fanning presented Ireland's views to the International Court of Justice. This was about the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land.

Academic Work

Before becoming Attorney General, Rossa Fanning was a law lecturer at UCD. He taught about company law and the Irish Constitution. He also wrote articles on these topics. As his legal practice grew, he stopped teaching.

In 2014, he took part in a discussion at the Constitutional Convention. They talked about economic, social, and cultural rights.

Becoming Attorney General

Rossa Fanning was chosen to be the Attorney General of Ireland on December 17, 2022. He was nominated by then-Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. He took over from Paul Gallagher.

Personal Life

Rossa Fanning lives in the center of Dublin city. He used to be the head of the selection committee for the Ireland Davis Cup team. This team represents Ireland in international tennis.

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