Meet the Team

John Sludds


John is our managing director and has been with the firm for over 30 years.  He is a Fellow of Institute of Legal Costs Accountants and a former member of the Institute’s governing Council. John has acted as independent expert in determination of legal costs disputes. He has specialist skills in medical negligence and product liability matters. He has been involved in many high-profile cases and over the last 10 years has been dealing extensively with product liability litigation. He is vastly experienced in all aspects of legal costs including commercial, judicial review and personal injuries litigation.


Paul Conlon


Paul is a director in the firm and has an extensive knowledge of legal costs with defamation and libel being a particular speciality. He also has extensive experience and knowledge of costs in respect of personal injury, injunctions and professional negligence cases.

Paul has been with the firm for some 25 years and is a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Costs Accountants. He is a former member of the Council of the Institute of Legal Costs Accountants.

Aidan O'Connor


Aidan is a director in the firm and has been with the firm since 1997. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Costs Accountants and a former member of the Institute’s Council. He has a broad, extensive knowledge of all aspects of legal costs with personal injury, judicial review, family law and tribunal costs being a particular speciality.

Shane Galligan


Shane joined the firm in 1998 and became a director in 2010.  Shane is a fellow of the Institute of Legal Costs Accountants, Chair of the Education Committee and, since 2012, a member of the six-person Governing Council of the Institute. He is also a member of the Legal Services Regulatory Authority (as nominee of the Institute of Legal Costs Accountants), a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and an

Accredited Mediator (CIArb). He is greatly experienced in all aspects of legal costs with a particular interest in commercial, chancery, professional negligence, arbitral and personal injuries litigation.  Over the past number of years, Shane has determined, and assisted in the resolution of, many legal costs disputes by way of expert determination, legal costs arbitration and mediation. 

Sharon Fagan



Sharon is a director and has been with the firm for over 20 years. Sharon is a fellow of the Institute of Legal Costs Accountants and former member of the Institute’s governing Council. Sharon has vast knowledge of all aspects of legal costs with considerable experience before the Legal Costs Adjudicators and County Registrars in all Circuits. She has a very broad range of experience but special interest in personal injuries, debt collection and judicial review litigation.


Michael Sludds

Michael is presently training alongside our partner, Aidan O’Connor, and in the 3rd year of his studies with the Institute of Legal Costs Accountants (due to complete his traineeship in October, 2024).

Maeve Sweeney

Maeve is presently training alongside our partner, Shane Galligan, and in the 2nd year of her studies with the Institute of Legal Costs Accountants (due to complete her traineeship in October, 2025).

maeve.sweeney@behans.ie

Naoimh Johnston


Naoimh joined the firm in 2020 as Court Clerk and Assistant. She will shortly enter our training programme and commence her studies with the Institute of Legal Costs Accountants. 


naoimh.johnston@behans.ie

In addition to our team of highly qualified Legal Costs Accountants there is a backup team of administration staff which is second to none. All of our administration staff are highly motivated, professional and dedicated.


This strong team of Legal Costs Accountants and administration staff, coupled with our constant evolving and updating of our IT systems means that Behan & Associates are in a position to provide an unrivalled Legal Costs Accountancy service.


Karen O Brien


Karen, has been with the firm almost 35 years initially working alongside our then partner, Noel Guiden, and presently alongside our managing partner, John Sludds. In the early 2000’s, Karen became our Office and Accounts Manager.


Laura Gibbons


Laura has been with the firm for in excess of 15 years. Laura initially joined the team as Court Clerk but, over the years, has worked with many of our colleagues and partners.  She presently works with our partners, Paul Conlon and Sharon Fagan.

Victoria Tiernan


Victoria has been with the firm for in excess of 15 years and, over that time, has worked with our partners. Victoria presently works with our partner, Aidan O’Connor. 


Caroline McDonnell 


Caroline, our newest member of the team, joined in 2023 having worked in the area of legal costs since the late 1990’s. She presently works with our partner, Shane Galligan.


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