Brian Gormley

Brian is a partner and specialises in advising on film and television financing and production, acting variously for production companies, financiers, banks and investors.

Brian has significant experience in advising on the financing and production of film and television projects and has been involved in a wide range of projects including large international feature films, animation series for the global market and domestic television programmes.

Brian advises corporate and institutional clients in corporate and commercial law areas, in particular intellectual property, information technology, data protection, privacy, and electronic communications.
He also advises technology and gaming companies and provides ongoing advice in relation to the promotion and advertising of consumer products.

Brian joined the firm in 2006 after training with a large commercial law firm. He previously worked as a legal intern in Ireland’s national broadcaster Raidio Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ). He became a partner in the firm in 2012.

Brian has created and lectured on 15 courses for Screen Training Ireland, the training organisation for professionals in film, television, animation and digital media, and ten courses for Filmbase. He has also lectured on the Entertainment Law course in the National University of Ireland, Galway.

Representative Matters

• Brian advises a large number of production companies and studios established in Ireland and overseas on the procuring the Section 481 tax credit for film and television programmes.
• A recent high profile example of this type of statutory interpretation and contractual drafting involved advice to VFX company Screen Scene in relation to the financing and production of the VFX work for the final series of ‘Game of Thrones’ broadcast on HBO in 2019.
• Advised Screen Scene in relation to Martin Scorsese’s ‘The Irishman’ broadcast on Netflix in 2019, on Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films ‘Captain Marvel’ and ‘Black Widow’ and on Disney movie ‘Cruella’ to be released in cinemas in 2021.
• Advised Screen Ireland on its investment in the art-house Pálás Cinema and the associated contractual arrangements to protect that investment.
• Advising the Revenue Commissioners on the drafting and negotiation of contracts with the companies that successfully tendered to supply external ICT resources and services.
• Advising on the drafting of funding agreements used by Screen Ireland, Filmbase and other organisations in administering funding to recipients.