Media

David Phelan

Hayes

Having served as the managing partner of Hayes for over a decade before passing the reins to Joe O’Malley in 2021, Phelan reverted to heading the firm’s commercial and business team. He specialises in dealing with clients in the media, sports and retail sectors, especially around IP rights issues — he is also a registered trademark agent. Phelan is probably best known as the go-to legal eagle for the Irish Times and has guided the newspaper through various legal cases it has faced over the last decade.

Phelan specialises in dealing with clients in the media, sports and retail sectors, especially around IP rights issues — he is also a registered trademark agent

Brian Gormley

Philip Lee

Gormley’s name is well known amongst the film and television industry in Ireland, serving as the focal point for many of the big names coming to Irish shores in relation to their financing and production needs. Well versed in the Section 481 tax credit for film and television, he has consulted on major motion projects, including some of the Marvel blockbusters and Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman. He is also credited as having created and lectured on 15 courses for Screen Training Ireland, and 10 courses for Filmbase.

Kieran Kelly

Flynn O’Driscoll

A specialist in civil commercial litigation for over 30 years, Kelly set up Fanning & Kelly in 2000, Ireland’s first specialist media law practice. Merging with Flynn O’Driscoll in 2019, Kelly continues to advise some of the country’s largest media businesses in the country, handling pre-production, print and online advisory services, including working with international publishers Penguin and HarperCollins. He also acts in general commercial disputes, and has a burgeoning portfolio of commercial litigation cases throughout the years.

A lot of this work in this category often ends up in court and so it would be remiss not to mention some of those involved in the front line of this litigation, including barristers Shane English, Ronan Lupton SC, Declan Doyle SC, and Tom Murphy.

Litigation & Dispute Resolution>