Cybersecurity Executive Resignation Dispute in Court

Cyber Attack

1 November 2024

A cybersecurity awareness training company claims one of its executives resigned by mutual agreement and told a number of colleagues about it, the High Court heard.

Metacompliance Ireland Ltd is being sued by Mairéad Cosgrave, its senior vice-president of product and operations, who claims the purported termination of her employment was in breach of fair procedures and natural and constitutional justice.

Last Friday she was granted an interim injunction preventing her dismissal pending further order following an ex-parte, or one side only, application by her lawyers.

When the case returned before the court on Thursday, Padraic Lyons SC, for Metacompliance, said his side was seeking an early hearing of the injunction matter as the effect of Friday’s interim order was his client was prevented from hiring or replacing Ms Cosgrave pending further order.

This was, he said, in circumstances where his client says Ms Cosgrave “resigned by mutual agreement”. There is a significant dispute and the injunction matter will have to be heard soon, he said.

Mr Lyons also said his side had sworn a number of affidavits focusing on the central issue which was that her employment had ended by mutual consent and that she “told a number of her colleagues that”.

Cliona Kimber SC, for Ms Cosgrave, said her client needed time to reply to the defendants’ affidavits.

Following a brief adjournment Mr Justice Mark Sanfey was told the parties had agreed a timetable for exchange of affidavits. The judge said the matter could come back for hearing in late November.

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