Cian is a Partner in the Firm’s Corporate and Commercial department. Cian has over 10 years of experience acting on corporate mergers and acquisitions, venture capital transactions, and commercial and regulatory matters. He has expertise across a number of sectors.

Experience

Cian advises clients (including private clients, angel investors, start-ups and more established companies) on a wide range of corporate and commercial law matters including on business formation, corporate restructuring, financing, investments, acquisitions, disposals and commercial agreements. Cian also provides advice in relation to all shareholder matters including shareholder disputes.

He has experience in advising clients in mediations as an alternative dispute resolution process. Cian has also advised investors on setting up a number of the angel investment syndicates in Ireland.

Cian’s practice also focuses on advising clients on regulatory matters. He regularly advises clients on the authorisation regime applied by the Central Bank of Ireland when authorising financial service providers (including retail credit firms and insurance intermediaries) and in respect of their ongoing obligations and responsibilities once authorised.

Recent

  • Acting as lead counsel to Affidea Diagnostics B.V. in connection with its purchases of Orthoderm Limited and Cromlyn House Surgical Limited (being two private healthcare clinics).
  • Representing NFP Ireland in connection with its acquisitions of the following Central Bank of Ireland authorised insurance intermediaries: Aiken Insurances Limited, Simon Shirley Advisors Limited and Margin Investments Limited.
  • Forming part of the team representing the shareholders of the MyVet Group in connection with the sale of the MyVet Group to Linnaeus Veterinary Ireland Limited.
  • Forming part of the team representing the shareholders of the Village Vets Group in connection with the proposed sale of the Village Vets Group to Linnaeus Veterinary Ireland Limited and of the Tazbell / Parkrite Group to Q-Park Ireland.

Education

  • BBLS, University College Dublin, 2006
  • Admitted as a solicitor in Ireland, 2012

Memberships

  • Law Society of Ireland

Flynn O'Driscoll is a very pragmatic and commercial law firm.

Chambers Global, 2024

The law firm has good breadth and depth across a wide range of legal activities. The department works well to access required skill sets and experience among the team

Chambers Global, 2024

‘Solution driven team, providing strong support and guidance to clients. Problem solvers, commercially focused and very reliable.’

Legal 500 EMEA

‘Pragmatic approach to problem solving. Appropriate billing. Went to great lengths to understand our business and nothing was 'too much trouble’.'

Legal 500 EMEA

'Cian O’Leary – technically proficient, unflappable, very personable, sector experience.’

Legal 500 EMEA

‘Cian O’Leary, a new partner at FOD, is in our view a first-class commercial lawyer with good breadth of skill and experience and an amiable manner. We worked with Cian for many years prior to his promotion to partner. We have always found him attentive to our situation and needs and very responsive in communications and execution; his advice has always been well considered and sound. We have always found the trainee lawyers at FOD very good (we have dealt with a succession of them). FOD apparently does a very good job at attracting and steering talented junior lawyers.’

Legal 500 EMEA 2022

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