Michael Flatley’s dispute with former solicitor to be heard by High Court in March

DCM Editorial Summary: This story has been independently rewritten and summarised for DCM readers to highlight key developments relevant to the region. Original reporting by Irish Times, click this post to read the original article.

Lord of the Dance creator Michael Flatley’s legal battle against his former solicitor will be heard by the High Court next month.

The dispute has erupted amid allegations from both sides about legal fees and an alleged hold on files.

Flatley is seeking to compel Maxwell Mooney and Company solicitors, with offices at Maynooth, Co Kildare, to hand over files relating to proceedings about and linked to his mansion Castlehyde in Fermoy, Co Cork.

In the High Court on Friday, Richard Kean, counsel for Mooney, said his side was anxious “to keep the temperature calm” but that the case would be vigorously contested.

He asked for four weeks to prepare documentation for the case and a bill of costs, which will involve liaising with costs accountants.

Barrister Niall Buckley was granted short service earlier this week to serve notice of the proceedings on Mooney.

The case where the Flatley side is seeking that Mooney be directed to produce or deliver the client files in respect of all legal services provided to Flatley will now be heard by High Court president David Barniville in mid-March.

The Flatley side is also seeking an order compelling Mooney to provide a copy of the Flatley client account.

In the High Court on Friday, Buckley said a time frame of a four-week adjournment would pose difficulties.

He said Flatley’s appeal against a €1.1 million security for costs order made against him in his €30 million court action over works carried out at his Cork mansion is also due before the Court of Appeal in March.

Counsel said the relationship between Flatley and his former solicitor had broken down last November and the issues had been known between the parties since then.

The judge set deadlines for the affidavits to be filed by both sides in the case, along with legal submissions, and said he would hear the case on March 13th next.

In a sworn statement grounding his application last Friday, Flatley said it was not correct that invoices relating to legal fees have not been paid to Mooney.

Flatley said he could confirm the payments set out in the affidavit of his new solicitor, Barry Creed, which stipulated that €487,837 had been paid by Flatley or on his behalf between May 2022 and last August.

Creed stated that it was unclear whether €290,000 had been applied as fees or whether it remained held on account.

Flatley also alleged in the document before the court that there was an alleged failure to provide all client account information which he claimed he requested three months ago. This, Flatley alleges, is impeding the orderly progression of his litigation.

Flatley also claimed last July that he was concerned about how his proceedings were being managed, “and in particular the many negative headlines which were published about me”.

“At all time I was informed that matters were progressing positively. However, the media depicted a very different picture,” he claimed.

In the affidavit, Creed said extensive correspondence was exchanged with Mooney, and Mooney wrote that his office was “exercising a general lien” over all files and papers relating to Flatley until “we and counsel are paid in full”.