From Tyrone to the Old Bailey and back again — two Tyrone solicitors unite to bring world-class criminal defence expertise home.
When Gerard Maye left Tyrone for London at eighteen to study law, he couldn’t have imagined the journey ahead.
More than thirty years later, after defending clients in some of England’s most complex and high-profile criminal cases, he has come full circle — returning home with a clear purpose:
to make top-level criminal defence expertise accessible here, in his own community.
Now, alongside fellow Tyrone solicitor Eoghan McKenna, he has founded McKenna Maye Legal — a Belfast-based practice built on trust, discretion, and over fifty years of combined experience in criminal defence across Ireland and the UK.
A Partnership Built on Shared Values
“I, like Eoghan, have never forgotten where I came from,” says Gerard, who qualified in 1991 before founding his own Brighton practice in 1995. “After decades working in England at the highest level, I wanted to bring that experience home — to provide specialist advice at police stations and in the courts when it matters most.”
The partnership was a natural fit.
Eoghan, who trained and practised in Belfast for more than twenty years, has built a strong reputation for his meticulous preparation, calm advocacy, and commitment to fairness. Through his work with MSM Law, he has represented clients in serious and sensitive criminal matters. He has established himself as a highly regarded criminal defence lawyer and advocate in both the North and South of Ireland.
“When Gerard and I started talking about working together, it just made sense,” Eoghan recalls. “We’d both been practising criminal defence in different jurisdictions, sharing the same principles and the same belief that everyone deserves proper representation — no matter what they’re facing.”
Together, they bring exceptional depth across the full spectrum of criminal law: from complex international fraud and money-laundering cases to multi-defendant murder trials, historic abuse investigations and regulatory prosecutions.
Decades of Experience at the Highest Level
Gerard’s career has taken him from the Old Bailey to regional Crown Courts across England, consistently delivering strong outcomes for clients under intense scrutiny. His work has been recognised in The Legal 500, which described his London firm as “tirelessly delivering a high-end criminal defence service, handling offences of murder, fraud, terrorism and sexual offences.”
Eoghan, meanwhile, has built a respected practice in Northern Ireland, known for its integrity, technical skill, and unwavering client focus. His understanding of the Irish and UK systems adds a vital cross-border dimension to the firm’s work — an area few others can match.
“Criminal defence isn’t just about knowing the law,” Gerard explains. “It’s about understanding people — standing firm when everything is stacked against them. After hundreds of cases, you realise that for each person, this one case is their world. That’s what drives us to get it right.”
The Draw of Home
Despite years spent in different cities — Gerard in London and Brighton, Eoghan in Belfast — both men remained deeply connected to Tyrone, their roots and the people who shaped them.
“There’s something about where you’re from that never leaves you,” Gerard reflects. “It keeps you grounded. It reminds you why the work matters — because behind every file and every case is a person, a family, a future.”
Eoghan agrees: “We’re proud of where we come from. It gives us perspective — and it gives our clients confidence that we understand their world, even in their darkest hour.”
Experience That Matters
McKenna Maye Legal represents a new kind of criminal defence practice in Ireland — one that combines world-class expertise with genuine local understanding.
Between them, Gerard Maye and Eoghan McKenna offer over fifty years of experience in private criminal defence, across every level of the justice system in Ireland and the UK.
Their mission is simple: to deliver calm, focused, expert advice — exactly when it matters most.
If You Need Immediate Legal Help
If you are under investigation or facing the risk of prosecution, McKenna Maye Legal responds fast — with clear, strategic guidance and a steady hand.
Our goal is simple: to give you the strongest possible defence, from the very start.
