People

Des O'Shea

Name: Des O'Shea
Email: desoshea@fod.ie
Telephone: 01 6424220
Role: Chairman

Des 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 - a $5.5 Billion revenue business where he was responsible for GE’s Global Banking's key banking joint venture partnerships in Turkey, Central America, Columbia, Thailand and Taiwan.

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.

During his GE career Des was an integral part of the successful growth and development of GE's Consumer Finance and Banking Activities in Europe. Roles included Chief Risk Officer for Consumer Finance Europe and Chief Commercial Officer with responsibility for Sales & Marketing. He also led acquisition and JV development activities in 2001-2005.

Des has served on the Board of Banks in 8 countries including Garanti Bank in Turkey, BAC Credomatic in Central America, Bank of Ayudhya in Thailand, Colpatria (Holdco) in Colombia, BPH in Poland, GE Money in the Czech Republic, Woodchester Credit Lyonnais Bank and Ulster Investment Bank in Ireland.

Des was a senior Risk executive in Woodchester Investments which was acquired by GE. He established and was CEO of one of the first IFSC companies in 1988 focusing on x-border structured deals. He was a senior lending executive in Ulster Investment Bank for 6 years.

Des is an FCA having qualified in 1981 with Arthur Andersen.

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Patrick G. Flynn

Name: Patrick G Flynn
Practice Area: Commercial and Corporate Law
Email: patflynn@fod.ie
Telephone: 01 6424250
Role: Managing and Founding Partner

Pat obtained an honours degree in law from University College Dublin and was admitted as a solicitor in Ireland in 1987 and England and Wales in 1996.

Pat previously worked with one of Ireland's largest law firms, A&L Goodbody. He is a former senior executive of Ulster International Finance (part of the NatWest Group) where he specialised in global structured finance in Europe and the US and was also Head of Legal. Pat worked in corporate finance in Dublin and London for a number of years where he was Group General Counsel for an emerging markets private investment group with investments in the Russian Federation and other former CIS countries. He was later head of the corporate department in a top 10 Dublin law firm before leaving to found the firm in 2002.

Pat advises clients in the areas of Commercial Law and Corporate Law, particularly in areas of dispute resolution.

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Alan O'Driscoll

Name: Alan O' Driscoll
Practice Area: Commercial Law, Intellectual Property Law, Employment Law and Sports Law.
Email: alanodriscoll@fod.ie
Telephone: 01 6424260
Role: Partner

Alan obtained an honours degree in Corporate Law and a postgraduate honours degree in Law from the National University of Ireland, Galway. Alan also holds a diploma in Employment Law from the Law Society of Ireland.

Before joining the firm, Alan spent a number of years working for the international accounting firm KPMG in their Corporate Legal Advisory Services Department and later in the Legal Department of Coca Cola's Irish concentrate division.

Alan advises clients in the areas of Commercial Law, Corporate Law, Intellectual Property Law, Employment Law and Sports Law.

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David Ryan

Name: David Ryan
Practice Area: Commercial and Corporate Law.
Email: davidryan@fod.ie
Telephone: 01 6424256
Role: Partner

David obtained an honours degree in Corporate Law from the National University of Ireland, Galway. David joined Flynn O'Driscoll 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 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. In addition to his experience at Lloyds Banking Group David has also been seconded to Smurfit Kappa Group and General Electric.

David advises companies, financial institutions, private equity houses and entrepreneurs on a variety of commercial and corporate transactions as well as providing embedded day-to-day advice. David has been involved in acquisitions, start-ups, fund raising, investments and disposals in the UK, Ireland, Russia, Ukraine, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Austria, Canada and the US across the full lifecycle of businesses and in diverse sectors from oil and gas to sports science.

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Julian P Cunningham

Name: Julian P Cunningham
Practice Area: Litigation and Property Law.
Email: juliancunningham@fod.ie
Telephone: 01 6424254
Role: Partner

Julian graduated from University College Dublin in 1995 with a BA in Economics followed by a Master of Economic Science Degree from the same university in 1996. In 2007, he earned a Diploma in Employment Law also from University College Dublin.

Julian was admitted as a solicitor in 2002 and in 2005 he founded the firm Cunningham McCormack Solicitors. He was appointed as a consultant to Flynn O’Driscoll in August 2010.

Julian advises clients in the areas of litigation and property law.

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James D Duggan

Name: James D Duggan
Practice Area: Commercial Law, Company Law and Aviation Law.
Email: jamesduggan@fod.ie
Telephone: 01 6424252
Role: Associate

James obtained an honours Bachelor of Commerce degree from the National University of Ireland, Galway and later attended and graduated from the Honorable Society of Kings Inns, Dublin.

James previously worked for the international accounting firm KPMG in their Corporate Legal Advisory Services Department where he trained and qualified as a Chartered Company Secretary. He left KPMG to join C&C Group Plc as Assistant Group Company Secretary and was involved in the Company's successful IPO on the Dublin and London Stock Exchanges.

James then left industry to return to professional services and joined Pearse Trust, a leading professional services firm in Dublin, where he managed their technical company secretarial services department.

James advises clients in the areas of Commercial Law, Company Law, Aviation Law and Company Secretarial matters.

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Cian O'Leary

Name: Cian O'Leary
Email: cianoleary@fod.ie
Telephone: 01 6424258
Role: Solicitor

Cian obtained an honours Bachelor of Business and Legal Studies degree from University College Dublin and has since completed his Law Society professional practise course training.

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Mary Swords

Name: Mary Swords
Practice Area: Commercial Law, Intellectual Property Law and Entertainment Law.
Email: maryswords@fod.ie
Telephone: 01 6424253
Role: Consultant

Mary obtained an honours degree in law from UCD  and was admitted as a solicitor in Ireland in 1986. Mary also holds a  Diploma in European Law  from UCD and a B.A. in French and German from UCD.

Prior to joining the firm, Mary spent  twenty years with leading Irish law firm Arthur Cox, where her work involved advising clients from a wide range of business sectors on Commercial Law matters generally.

Mary is a past Chairperson of the Irish Section of the Licensing  Executives Society of Great Britain and Ireland  and a former Vice–Chairman of the German – Irish Chamber of Industry and Commerce. She has also served in a voluntary capacity on a number of boards of management of charitable organisations in the health, education and arts sectors. Mary is also a registered Trademark Agent.

Mary advises clients in the areas of Commercial Law, Intellectual Property Law and Entertainment Law.

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Cian Crosbie

Name: Cian Crosbie
Practice Area: Commercial Law, Intellectual Property Law and Entertainment Law.
Email: ciancrosbie@fod.ie
Telephone: 01 6424256
Role: Consultant

Cian obtained an honours degree in Law from Cardiff University, a masters degree in Law from Trinity College Dublin and a masters degree in Commercial Law from Cardiff University.

Cian is also admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales. Prior to joining the firm, Cian worked for a commercial law firm in the UK in the areas of General Corporate Law and Commercial Law. Cian has also spent time working for a commercial bank and as an in-house solicitor for an energy supply company.

Cian advises clients in the areas of Commercial Law, Corporate Law, Litigation and Regulatory and Compliance matters.

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Declan Cunningham

Name: Declan Cunningham
Email: declancunningham@fod.ie
Telephone: 01 6424257
Role: Trainee

Declan obtained an honours degree in Corporate Law and a postgraduate honours degree in Law from the National University of Ireland, Galway. After working as an intern with Digicel Jamaica, Declan returned to Ireland and completed the Law society entrance exams.

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Eoghan McCarthy

Name: Eoghan McCarthy
Email: eoghanmccarthy@fod.ie
Telephone: 01 6424262
Role: Trainee

Eoghan obtained an honours Bachelor of Law degree in Griffith College Dublin. After completing his studies in Ireland, Eoghan moved to Amsterdam in the Netherlands where he graduated from the University of Amsterdam with a Masters in European Private Law.

Eoghan returned to Ireland and is currently completing his Law Society professional practise course training.

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Claire McDermott

Name: Claire McDermott
Email: clairemcdermott@fod.ie
Telephone: 01 6424259
Role: Trainee

Claire obtained an honours degree in Civil Law from the National University of Ireland, Galway and a masters degree in Medical Ethics and Law from Kings College, London. Claire worked in The Coca-Cola Company’s legal department as a legal assistant and has also completed the Law society entrance exams.

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Peter Cronin

Name: Peter Cronin
Email: petercronin@fod.ie
Telephone: 01 6424263
Role: Trainee

Peter obtained a B.A (Honours) in Economics and Politics from University College Dublin, before completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Studies and an M.Sc in Sustainable Development at the Dublin Institute of Technology.

Peter is currently completing his Law Society professional practise course training.

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Jonathan O’Beirne

Name: Jonathan O’Beirne
Email: jonathanobeirne@fod.ie
Telephone: 01 6424261
Role: Trainee

Jonathan obtained an honours Bachelor of Corporate Law degree and a postgraduate honours degree in Law from the National University of Ireland, Galway. After completing his studies in Ireland, Jonathan moved to Australia where he graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Masters in International Corporate Law. Jonathan returned to Ireland to complete the Law society entrance exams.

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Eimear Boyle

Name: Eimear Boyle
Email: eimearboyle@fod.ie
Telephone: 01 6424265
Role: Trainee

Eimear obtained a Bachelor of Law from Trinity College, Dublin. Having worked and travelled in Australia after college, Eimear returned to Ireland to complete the Law society entrance exams.

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Barbara Mumba

Name: Barbara Mumba
Email: barbaramumba@fod.ie
Telephone: 01 6424251
Role: Office Manager

Barbara spent twenty years with leading Irish law firm Arthur Cox in a support capacity, where she provided a word processing and secretarial service to the firm and its clients. She became supervisor of the firm's WP Group and eventually set up and supervised its Night WP Group. She recently worked as a PA based in Los Angeles CA before returning to Ireland.

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