David is Head of the Commercial Business Law Team. David advises on a wide range of commercial law issues and represents clients in commercial disputes. He advises on general corporate and commercial matters and has particular experience in the manufacturing and retail sectors. David also has considerable experience in dealing with competition law issues and has represented numerous businesses and individuals in Competition Authority investigations and criminal prosecutions. He has extensive experience in advising on intellectual property rights issues and is a registered trade mark agent. He also advises on regulatory matters, and is a key member of the firm’s media and defamation team. David frequently lectures on these areas, including tutoring in commercial law with the Law Society of Ireland, and works closely with clients in providing training to their personnel.
Hayes Solicitors LLP
Hayes Solicitors LLP caters to a stellar client base, which includes publishers, authors, production companies, and advertising and marketing industry bodies. The team conducts a range of work in the media and entertainment sector, covering copyright, data protection, defamation, privacy and contempt law. Practice head David Phelan is noted for his experience in pre-publication media issues related to copyright, contracts and advertisement. Managing partner Joe O’Malley is more active on the contentious side, while Matthew Austin focuses on both pre and post-publication queries.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘David Phelan stands out for is expertise and experience, diligence and excellent communication, coupled with a professional and friendly manner.’
- ‘Attention to detail along with constant sense of availability.’
- ‘The ability to distil legal realities into digestible points.’
- 'Our partnership with the firm is unique because of three key aspects that align in how they represent clients: the depth of knowledge and experience of individual partners in their practice areas, their practical and commercial approach to projects that require multiple partners and skills input from various lawyers, and their collegiate approach as partners with the client. With these aspects aligning, we always felt supported through the twists and turns of our transaction.'
- 'At all times, we found the partners we dealt with to be supportive and understanding in changing circumstances. In particular, David Phelan was commercial, knowledgable, collegiate and flexible in changing and sometimes challenging circumstances.'
Key clients
- NK Management
- The Irish Times
- Yellow Path Productions
- Salmon Software Limited
- Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc
- Tara Studios
- Ogilvy
- Publicis
- Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland
- Vision Consulting
- Daring Boys and Girls Limited
- Newspaper Licensing Ireland Limited
- TBWA Dublin
- The Association of Promotional Marketing Consultants in Ireland
- TK Maxx
- Unilever
- United Biscuits
- Way2Pay
- Nestlé
- Institute of Promotional Marketing in the UK
- Pepsi
- Integrated Marketing Communications Council of Europe
- IAPI
- CMS
Work highlights
- Advised the Irish Times newspaper on pre-publication and reporting restrictions issues.
- Assisted Tara Studios Limited with the drafting and negotiating of the key transaction documents for the development of film and television production facilities in Co Wexford, including the investment and subscription agreement.
- Represented Noel Kelly Management in intellectual property rights matters.
Lawyers
Leading individuals
Hayes Solicitors LLP
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
David Phelan