Robert Heron, whose clients during the financial crisis included Anglo Irish Bank, has resigned as partner of Matheson, the well-known Irish legal firm. Mr Heron is understood to be taking up a new position with Dunnes Stores, the retail group led by Margaret Heffernan.

Mr Heron previously worked on the Dunnes Stores account while at Matheson, which also previously employed Ms Heffernan’s niece Sharon McMahon as a solicitor before she joined the family business.

“I am not in a position to make any comment,” Mr Heron said when contacted. Matheson also declined to comment on Heron’s departure.

Mr Heron, who was a partner in the corporate department of Matheson since 1995, was one of three men who provided depositions at the end of last year ahead of the trial scheduled for later this year of Willie McAteer and Pat Whelan, two former Anglo Irish Bank executives, and its former non-executive chairman Sean FitzPatrick.

Former group head of compliance at Anglo Fiachra O'Neill, and Con Horan, the ex-Prudential director of the Financial Regulator, also provided depositions.

Matt Moran, Anglo's former chief financial officer, was due to provide a deposition late last year but this was delayed. Mr Moran resigned as chief executive of Lombard International Assurance, a €23 billion investment company based in Luxembourg, on December 13th last year.

Leadership team

Mr Heron joins Dunnes Stores at a time when the group have added significantly to their leadership team.

In December, Richard Collins, the finance director at Superquinn, defected to Dunnes. Joe Webb, the former chief executive of Independent News & Media's Irish division, also joined Dunnes at the end of last year. Mr Webb has been reported to be joining the retailer as its chief financial officer.