Fiona Barry

Partner

Fiona is a Partner in William Fry’s Litigation & Investigations Department and Defamation and Media Group.

Fiona Barry

Fiona oversees both the defence of clinical negligence claims and also regulatory matters involving medical practitioners on behalf of the Medical Protection Society. She also advises on defamation and general commercial litigation.

Fiona has vast experience of defamation, privacy, social media and reputation management. In the area of defamation she has unparalleled experience of both pre and post publication for the print and TV sectors. She acted for Associated Newspapers (Ireland) Limited in what is regarded as the seminal decision on the law of privacy in Ireland Herrity v Associated Newspapers (Ireland) Limited IEHC249. Fiona has secured work from larger media organisations for whom she continues to act including RTÉ, Sky and the BBC.  

She also holds a qualification in arbitration and is a CEDR accredited mediator.

Recent significant work includes:

  • Acting for Medical Protection Society in the defence of medical negligence actions, mediation of claims, attending Inquests, advising on regulatory and ethical issues and on complaints to the Medical Council, Ombudsman and the HSE
  • Acting for a US laboratory in the defence of a significant number of claims arising from the CervicalCheck controversy
  • Acting for the Veterinary Defence Society in the defence of veterinary negligence actions
  • Advising Associated Newspapers on pre-publication and post-publication issues, including the first case on the law of privacy in this jurisdiction
  • Acting for a pharmaceutical company in the defence of a claim in relation to clinical negligence and product liability and reputation management
  • Advising UTV Ireland and the BBC on various matters
  • Advising the BBC in the defence of High Court claims and on pre-publication matters.

Fiona is a member of the IBA, the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association and the Medico-Legal Society of Ireland.

 

2023 Chambers Europe
2023 Legal 500 EMEA

Practice Areas

Contentious Insurance
Adverse Media Coverage
Litigation & Investigations
Defamation & Privacy
Product Recall

Related Knowledge

View All 
Array
(
    [0] => WP_Term Object
        (
            [term_id] => 49
            [name] => Article and Insights
            [slug] => articlesinsights
            [term_group] => 0
            [term_taxonomy_id] => 49
            [taxonomy] => category
            [description] => 
            [parent] => 0
            [count] => 5487
            [filter] => raw
            [cat_ID] => 49
            [category_count] => 5487
            [category_description] => 
            [cat_name] => Article and Insights
            [category_nicename] => articlesinsights
            [category_parent] => 0
        )

)
Article and Insights

Medical Practitioners Now Required by law to Hold Indemnity Insurance

The Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Act 2017 introduces a mandatory legal requirement for medical practitioners to have in place a "minimum level...

Fiona Barry
Partner
Fiona Barry
Array
(
    [0] => WP_Term Object
        (
            [term_id] => 49
            [name] => Article and Insights
            [slug] => articlesinsights
            [term_group] => 0
            [term_taxonomy_id] => 49
            [taxonomy] => category
            [description] => 
            [parent] => 0
            [count] => 5487
            [filter] => raw
            [cat_ID] => 49
            [category_count] => 5487
            [category_description] => 
            [cat_name] => Article and Insights
            [category_nicename] => articlesinsights
            [category_parent] => 0
        )

)
Article and Insights

Delay can Defeat the taking of a Defamation Claim

A recent High Court decision illustrates that Plaintiffs bear the burden of explaining a delay in taking a defamation claim

Fiona Barry
Partner
Fiona Barry
Array
(
    [0] => WP_Term Object
        (
            [term_id] => 49
            [name] => Article and Insights
            [slug] => articlesinsights
            [term_group] => 0
            [term_taxonomy_id] => 49
            [taxonomy] => category
            [description] => 
            [parent] => 0
            [count] => 5487
            [filter] => raw
            [cat_ID] => 49
            [category_count] => 5487
            [category_description] => 
            [cat_name] => Article and Insights
            [category_nicename] => articlesinsights
            [category_parent] => 0
        )

)
Article and Insights

Update – Norwich Pharmacal Order refused where Facebook discovered compliance may lead to persecution of Facebook user

Fiona Barry
Partner
Fiona Barry
Array
(
    [0] => WP_Term Object
        (
            [term_id] => 49
            [name] => Article and Insights
            [slug] => articlesinsights
            [term_group] => 0
            [term_taxonomy_id] => 49
            [taxonomy] => category
            [description] => 
            [parent] => 0
            [count] => 5487
            [filter] => raw
            [cat_ID] => 49
            [category_count] => 5487
            [category_description] => 
            [cat_name] => Article and Insights
            [category_nicename] => articlesinsights
            [category_parent] => 0
        )

)
Article and Insights

Telecoms & Media: Legislation Programme Spring/Summer 2017

Bills currently before the Oireachtas and Bills expected to be published

Cormac Little SC
Partner
Cormac Little SC
Array
(
    [0] => WP_Term Object
        (
            [term_id] => 49
            [name] => Article and Insights
            [slug] => articlesinsights
            [term_group] => 0
            [term_taxonomy_id] => 49
            [taxonomy] => category
            [description] => 
            [parent] => 0
            [count] => 5487
            [filter] => raw
            [cat_ID] => 49
            [category_count] => 5487
            [category_description] => 
            [cat_name] => Article and Insights
            [category_nicename] => articlesinsights
            [category_parent] => 0
        )

)
Article and Insights

Supreme Court Reserves Judgment In Overturn of Defamation Award of €900,000

Scrutiny of awards of high damages and role of juries in defamation cases

Fiona Barry
Partner
Fiona Barry
Array
(
    [0] => WP_Term Object
        (
            [term_id] => 49
            [name] => Article and Insights
            [slug] => articlesinsights
            [term_group] => 0
            [term_taxonomy_id] => 49
            [taxonomy] => category
            [description] => 
            [parent] => 0
            [count] => 5487
            [filter] => raw
            [cat_ID] => 49
            [category_count] => 5487
            [category_description] => 
            [cat_name] => Article and Insights
            [category_nicename] => articlesinsights
            [category_parent] => 0
        )

)
Article and Insights

Watching the Detectives

Issues surrounding collection of personal data highlighted in recent cases involving private investigators

Fiona Barry
Partner
Fiona Barry
Array
(
    [0] => WP_Term Object
        (
            [term_id] => 49
            [name] => Article and Insights
            [slug] => articlesinsights
            [term_group] => 0
            [term_taxonomy_id] => 49
            [taxonomy] => category
            [description] => 
            [parent] => 0
            [count] => 5487
            [filter] => raw
            [cat_ID] => 49
            [category_count] => 5487
            [category_description] => 
            [cat_name] => Article and Insights
            [category_nicename] => articlesinsights
            [category_parent] => 0
        )

)
Article and Insights

The Court of Appeal – A New Approach to Damages

Court of Appeal displays trend for reducing level of damages awarded by High Court

Fiona Barry
Partner
Fiona Barry
Array
(
    [0] => WP_Term Object
        (
            [term_id] => 49
            [name] => Article and Insights
            [slug] => articlesinsights
            [term_group] => 0
            [term_taxonomy_id] => 49
            [taxonomy] => category
            [description] => 
            [parent] => 0
            [count] => 5487
            [filter] => raw
            [cat_ID] => 49
            [category_count] => 5487
            [category_description] => 
            [cat_name] => Article and Insights
            [category_nicename] => articlesinsights
            [category_parent] => 0
        )

)
Article and Insights

Offer of Amends: Claim for Damages to be Determined by Jury Where Parties Cannot Agree on Figure

A recent Court of Appeal decision has affirmed the right to a jury trial in respect of determination of damages following an offer of amends

Fiona Barry
Partner
Fiona Barry
Array
(
    [0] => WP_Term Object
        (
            [term_id] => 49
            [name] => Article and Insights
            [slug] => articlesinsights
            [term_group] => 0
            [term_taxonomy_id] => 49
            [taxonomy] => category
            [description] => 
            [parent] => 0
            [count] => 5487
            [filter] => raw
            [cat_ID] => 49
            [category_count] => 5487
            [category_description] => 
            [cat_name] => Article and Insights
            [category_nicename] => articlesinsights
            [category_parent] => 0
        )

)
Article and Insights

Telecoms & Media: Legislation Programme Autumn 2016

Bills currently before the Oireachtas and Bills expected to be published

Cormac Little SC
Partner
Cormac Little SC
Array
(
    [0] => WP_Term Object
        (
            [term_id] => 49
            [name] => Article and Insights
            [slug] => articlesinsights
            [term_group] => 0
            [term_taxonomy_id] => 49
            [taxonomy] => category
            [description] => 
            [parent] => 0
            [count] => 5487
            [filter] => raw
            [cat_ID] => 49
            [category_count] => 5487
            [category_description] => 
            [cat_name] => Article and Insights
            [category_nicename] => articlesinsights
            [category_parent] => 0
        )

)
Article and Insights

Telecoms & Media: Legislation Programme Summer 2016

Bills currently before the Oireachtas and Bills expected to be published

Cormac Little SC
Partner
Cormac Little SC
View All