Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Ciarán Leavy is a Partner and Head of the Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution Team at Lavelle Partners. He has considerable experience advising on a wide range of commercial disputes, including banking and financial services disputes, professional negligence actions, defamation cases, shareholder disputes, contractual disputes, insurance disputes, property and building disputes, probate disputes and insolvency.

Ciarán was named Litigation Lawyer of the Year at the Irish Law Awards 2019 and is cited by the Legal 500 for his technical expertise and interpersonal skills.

Recent Experience  Acting for individuals in Plaintiff professional negligence cases against Solicitors, Accountants, Financial Advisors, Engineers, Architects, Surveyors. Acting for individuals in a variety of Plaintiff defamation actions including cases against Tesco, McDonalds and the Marker Hotel. Acting for individual clients in building disputes, boundary disputes, planning disputes, nuisance actions, trespass and property damage claims. Acting for companies and individuals in breach of contract/specific performance cases against insurance companies where cover has been rejected and claims unfairly denied; Acting in a Commercial Court multi-jurisdictional probate and trust dispute. Acting in contentious probate disputes on behalf of both the Executors of Estates and beneficiaries, including actions under S.117 of the Succession Act, 1965. Acting for Financial Institutions and Venture Capitalist Funds in professional negligence cases, appointment of receivers, judgment proceedings and repossession of properties. Acted for an oil and gas exploration company in a high value breach of contract and misrepresentation claim. Acted for a group of high net worth investors in a High Court negligence action against a major Stockbroking firm. Acted for the personal representatives of an estate in injunctive proceedings restraining a party from interfering with the personal representatives in the exercise of their duties as executors of the estate under the Succession Act 1965. Acted for NAMA in injunctive proceedings and proceedings to reverse fraudulent asset transfers. Acted for the United States Trustee in Bankruptcy in the bankruptcy of David Drumm and successfully obtained an Order in Aid in the High Court allowing the US bankruptcy to be recognised in Ireland. This was the first application of its kind in Ireland. Acted for a property developer in a high-profile Commercial Court case against ACC Bank Plc. The High Court awarded the developer damages for losses suffered as a result of ACC losing the title deeds to certain properties. This landmark decision created new case law in respect of a mortgagee’s duty of care to a mortgagor. Acted for Fred Muwema, a prominent lawyer in Uganda in High Court defamation proceedings against Facebook – Read More

The Law Society of Ireland Irish Society of Insolvency Practitioners Institute of Bankers of Ireland The Association of Compliance Officers in Ireland The British Irish Chamber of Commerce The Dublin Monaghan Chamber of Commence Consulegis

Partner, Head of Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Certificate in Technology Law, Law Society of Ireland, 2020 Professional Certificate in Compliance, Institute of Bankers, 2010 Diploma in Employment Law, Law Society, 2008 Master of Laws in European Law (LLM), University of Limerick, 2001 BCL, University College Cork, 1999