Flynn O'Driscoll

Flynn O’Driscoll reach the finals of the Danske Bank Irish Law Awards 2013.

Flynn O’Driscoll is delighted to announce that the firm has reached the finals of the Danske Bank Irish Law Awards 2013. The firm’s commercial law team has been shortlisted for the Commercial Law Team of the Year and the firm has also been shortlisted for the Law Firm Innovation Award in respect of its StartUp@FOD project which supports early stage companies.

This achievement recognises the firm’s commitment to providing a cost effective, commercially driven service to its business clients and is a reflection of our entire team’s hard work and contribution to the provision of an excellent standard of service.

Barry Connolly wins the national competition of The Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition

The firm’s partners wish to congratulate the firm’s Barry Connolly who has won the national competition of The Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition as member of the Law Society’s Jessup team.

The Law Society’s team won out against the teams from King’s Inns, Trinity College and University College Cork, having also achieved best written memorials. Barry Connolly was ranked second of the speakers in the national competition.

The team now advances to the international rounds in Washington DC this Easter and the firm wishes Barry and his team mates the very best of luck in the finals.

The Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition is the world’s largest moot court competition with participants from over 550 law schools in more than 80 countries. More information about the competition can be found at the following website:www.ilsa.org/jessuphorne

New Startup App (December 2012)

The team at StartUp@FOD are delighted to launch the web app for the StartUp section of the website. The new mobile browser makes all the content much more accessible on all mobile devices. The app can be downloaded by clicking on the following link from any mobile device: www.fod.ie/startups

Kevin Moore Joins Flynn O’ Driscoll (October 2012)

Kevin Moore joins Flynn O’ Driscoll from the legal department of Alere International Limited, a multi-national healthcare company.

Kevin has completed the BioInnovate Ireland Fellowship in medical device innovation. He has practical experience of the most critical issues facing start-up companies particularly in the health care and life science sectors including re-imbursement, regulatory and intellectual property matters. Kevin offers focused resources and capabilities in the corporate representation of companies. He advises on incorporation, corporate structure, company secretarial, private and venture capital funding, corporate governance and intellectual property licensing matters. He regularly advises on a variety of commercial agreements.

HBAN Business Angel Conference (October 2012)

Alan O’Driscoll and David Ryan were delighted to be invited to HBAN’s Business Angel Conference which took place on Wednesday 3rd October 2012.

The conference promoted angel investment to private technology centric investors. It also sought to accelerate business angel activity in Ireland by furthering knowledge and understanding. The conference was themed “Harness the Power of the Collective” and featured internationally renowned speakers who spoke about trends in angel investment worldwide as well as looking at what it takes to build successful teams, such as angel investment syndicates, entrepreneur and angel investor teams.

Leonard Kiely, one of the founders of the Irrus Investments, spoke in relation to raising angel funding and making angel investments. Irrus Investments was first Irish commercial investment syndicate and has successfully completed a number of investments. The syndicate is primarily interested in early stage investments in new innovative technologies with strong IP and international scalability. The founding members of Irrus Investments have extensive successful investment, turnaround and international business experience. Alan O’Driscoll advises Irrus Investments on all transactions and was instrumental in putting together the legal structures behind the syndicate.

Des O'Shea joins Flynn O'Driscoll as Chairman (February 2012)

Flynn O’Driscoll's partners and staff are delighted to welcome Des O’Shea as the firm’s first non-executive Chairman. Des recently retired from GE in November 2011 following a 19 year career during which he held a number of senior International Leadership roles in GE Capital's Banking and Consumer Finance Business over a 19 year period. In his most recent role Des was Chief Commercial Officer for GE Capital's Global Banking unit. Des was also responsible for Mergers and Acquisitions and led the strategic repositioning of GE's Global Banking's portfolio which has involved the sale and successful exit from more than 14 markets over a 3 year period. Further information on Des is available in our People section of the website.

Des brings significant added value to the firm and his experience in GE and other roles will assist the firm to develop to its potential over the coming years.

David Ryan Joins Flynn O’Driscoll (January 2012)

David Ryan joins the firm as a Partner from leading international law firm Ashurst where he was a senior associate and where he has practiced for the previous six years. Prior to moving to London David trained as a solicitor and worked in William Fry Solicitors in Dublin for five years.

David brings significant experience to the firm’s corporate and restructuring practice. David has recently spent over a year working in-house with the restructuring and leveraged finance arms of Lloyds Banking Group and has advised on their portfolio disposals, creditor-led restructurings, refinancing, exits and debt for equity swaps. On the restructuring and insolvency side he has also advised UK and Irish companies, individual directors, management teams, bondholders, insolvency practitioners and private equity houses.

Shareholders Agreements - Investment in Private Companies (December 2011)

Alan O’Driscoll presented at a number of seminars for accountants on issues for consideration by promoters and investors in the context of third party investment in private companies and the advantages of having a detailed subscription and shareholders agreement in place.

The seminars were run by Omnipro as part of ‘The Practising Accountants’ Seminar’ which was hosted by Omnipro in Dublin, Limerick, Cork and Athlone on different dates in December 2011 with the aim of assisting accountants giving advice to clients who are bringing investors into their business or becoming an investor in another business.

OmniPro is Ireland's largest independent solution provider for accountants. Omnipro provides technical and strategic support services to ensure that accountancy firms meet their regulatory compliance requirements in the most efficient and profitable manner possible.

Flynn O’Driscoll – Supporting breast cancer awareness (October 2011)

As part of our Corporate Social Responsibility programme, Mary Swords, Cian O'Leary and Declan Cunningham recently became involved in and had the pleasure of assisting in the production of the short film "Coming Home".

Coming Home is an uplifting and enlightening story of one woman's journey to recovery from breast cancer. It evolved out of a short story short-listed for the Hennessy Literary Awards by Anne Chambers who wrote the screenplay.

Coming Home is directed by Lisa Mulcahy and stars the Tony- nominated and IFTA award-winning actress Dawn Bradfield, supported by Simon O'Gorman, Maria McDermottroe, Theo Kirwan, Joey O'Sullivan and Holly Gregg.

It is produced by Tile Films and funded by Nawrik, a not-for-profit family trust.

Coming Home is a creative film and also an innovative and valuable aid in spreading the message of early detection and positivity in the fight against breast cancer.

The film is free to download to any organisation, group or individual who wishes to avail of it as a support or fundraising tool in spreading the message of 'making cancer less frightening by enlightening'.

You can watch the film by clicking on the following link: http://comingho.me/

Highest Award for an action for Unfair Dismissal in Ireland (July 2011)

Julian Cunningham acts for an employee who is awarded what is believed to be the highest award for an action for unfair dismissal in Ireland. Details of the case and lessons to be learned by employers can be found in our Publications Section.

JobBridge (June 2011)

Flynn O’Driscoll is pleased to support JobBridge, the National Internship Scheme. This is part of the Government’s Jobs Initiative published in May 2011. Under this scheme we will seek to provide unemployed individuals with internship opportunities for a periods between three and six months.

We hope to be able to provide our future interns with an educational experience which will better equip them for the challenges that lay ahead in their future careers. Interested applicants should apply to info@fod.ie and include ‘JobBridge Scheme’ in the title of the email.

New Premises (April 2011)

Flynn O’Driscoll is pleased to announce it has moved to a new premises at No.1 Grants Row, Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2. Full contact details and directions are available on the website at www.fod.ie/contact.html.

The new premises will meet the needs of the firm’s ongoing expansion. We look forward to continuing to provide business legal expertise to our valued customers from our new premises.

Ian Knight Joins Flynn O’Driscoll (October 2010)

Ian Knight joins the firm from William Fry Solicitors. Ian brings significant experience to the firm’s energy and construction practice. Ian obtained an honours degree in Corporate Law and a post graduate LLB degree from the National University of Ireland, Galway. Ian has also obtained an LLM from Trinity College Dublin and is admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales.

Business and Sport (June 2010)

In May and June 2010, Alan O’Driscoll of Flynn O’Driscoll assisted Shamrock Rovers Football Club to establish a business referral group for those running businesses in south Dublin to come together to share business ideas, know-how and professional introductions. This has generated a high level of interest in South Dublin and the local media. Tallaght Echo [pdf]

The official link between Shamrock Rovers Football Club and Shamrock Rovers Business Club provides a unique variation on established business networks. The establishment of the Business Club is an extension and natural progression of the Football Club’s community program and furthers the Football Club’s civic role in South Dublin. The aim of the Shamrock Rovers Business Club is to become one of the premier business forums in Dublin. Some of the principle objects of the Business Club are to add value to the Football Club, the Football Club’s existing sponsors and the Business Club’s own member businesses and companies. For further information please see http://www.shamrockrovers.ie/about/business-club.

Flynn O’Driscoll became involved with Shamrock Rovers Football Club when they advised and assisted its supporters take the Club out of Examinership in 2005. Since then Flynn O’Driscoll has continued as the Club's legal advisor and has assisted the Club in all its legal affairs including the Club’s successful involvement in the highly publicised Judicial Review taken in relation to the development of Tallaght Stadium.

Alan O’Driscoll also holds the position of company secretary for each of the Club’s and members operating companies and he is also the Child Protection Officer for the Schoolboy Section of the Club.

Contracts are Key (May 2010)

On Thursday, the 20th May 2010, Mary Swords of Flynn O’Driscoll was the main speaker at a lecture organised by Fingal Business Network for its members and invited guests.

Mary delivered a paper called Contracts – Key terms to consider for the supply of goods and Services and provided useful and practical business and legal tips for start-up companies and SME businesses when presented with 'standard contract terms'.

Start Up companies and SME businesses are usually presented with "standard contract terms" when negotiating the supply of goods and services to public sector and household name companies. Yet, it pays for start up businesses to think smart and make sure that their interests are protected before signing such contracts.

Mary Swords is a commercial lawyer advising in intellectual property, commercial law and entertainment law with Flynn O’Driscoll.

The Fingal Business Network is open to owner/managers of newly established businesses in the Fingal area (typically businesses in operation up to 3 years). It provides owner/managers with the opportunity to share problems, learn from others, build network of contacts and grow & develop ideas and/or business. Further information on The Fingal Business Network can be found on http://www.fingalceb.ie/business-programmes/business-networks/fingal-business-network.

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An Evening with Ray Nolan (February 2010)

On 11th February 2010, Flynn O’Driscoll sponsored an Irish International Business Network, Dublin evening where over 100 guests attended the event.

Ray Nolan was the keynote speaker and Pat Flynn of the firm also gave those in attendance an overview of some topical legal issues.

A serial I.T. entrepreneur, Ray Nolan has been instrumental in the success of a number of companies in the Irish technology sector.

He founded his first company in 1989 to develop bespoke software solutions for the legal and hospitality sectors, before subsequently developing www.coretime.com, a leading time and billing management system sold to Sage in 2004.

Ray founded Hostelworld.com in 1999 when he identified an opportunity to introduce online bookings to youth and tourist hostels.

As CEO, Ray grew the company to become the leading worldwide brand with distribution contracts in 170 countries and sold it in November 2009 for more than $500MM.

Ray continues to enjoy success with new companies, launching www.worky.com, and Cloudsplit in 2009.

Awards for Ray include Ernst & Young Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year 2003, and IIA Net Visionary 2006.

Further information on the Irish International Business Network can be found on http://www.iibn.com/dublin

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