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Clíona Kirby

Partner

Cliona Kirby

Clíona Kirby

Partner

T +44 207 067 3386
F +44 20 7367 2000
CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP
Cannon Place
78 Cannon Street
London
EC4N 6AF
United Kingdom
Languages English, French

Clíona was one of the first born and bred Partners with legacy firm Olswang having worked at Olswang since 1996.  Clíona's practice spans a range of advisory and transactional tax work, advising on a variety of tax issues including: corporate sales and acquisitions, joint ventures, group restructurings, employee incentives and fund establishment.  

Clíona has significant experience advising on tax issues relating to real estate investment in office and large scale residential and student portfolios (including capital allowances, VAT and stamp duty land tax).

With a strong focus on the TMT sector (particularly in the film, tv music and games space) she regularly advises individual and corporate clients on the tax efficient holding and exploitation of intellectual property rights both domestically and internationally. 

Clíona takes a keen interest in the wider issues affecting the sectors she advises and continues to be at the centre of leading the debate on tax policy changes within the Creative Industries. Clíona was the sole tax adviser to the HMRC Film Industry Group, which addressed the key policy issues in relation to the film tax credit and commenting on the draft legislation and guidance. 

As a result of her experience Clíona has also been integral in the introduction of the high end TV, animation, video games and theatre tax credits.

Clíona Kirby was appointed as a core member of the Creative Industries Council Access to Finance Working Group chaired by Ian Livingstone (Life President Square Enix) which involved considering the challenges faced by the film, games, radio, TV and other creative industries in obtaining funding in the UK.

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"Cliona is 'very savvy on property and IP tax issues'."

Legal 500

"Cliona is 'very savvy on property and IP tax issues'."

Legal 500

Relevant experience

  • DV4 Limited on its GBP 1.4bn partnership with Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company and Dutch pension fund asset manager APG to join forces to create an equal partnership in the large scale residential sector in respect of 4,000 new market rate rented homes across London's East Village and Elephant & Castle. This deal built on the existing experience advising on the structuring of the joint venture between DV4 Limited and Qatari Diar and its subsequent successful acquisition of the Olympic Village for GBP 557m in 2014 and the ongoing operational tax aspects.
  • DV4 Limited on its joint venture with APG to deliver rental homes in large scale clusters at strategic UK locations.
  • DV4 Limited on its investment in Here East to acquire the Media and Broadcast Centres on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to create a leading creative and digital hub at the site including an Innovation Centre.
  • DV4 Limited on its joint venture with Clare Cockerton and Entiq (the innovation and business accelerator specialists) to create Europe's largest technology innovation centre at Here East.
  • DV4 on its joint venture with the LRC Group of companies in respect of Royal Mint Court and the ongoing operational tax aspects of the proposed re-development.
  • DV4 Limited on its UK logistics development joint venture to be known as db symmetry through the purchase of a 60% holding in Barwood Developments Limited,with the remaining shareholding being retained by the existing Barwood management team. Subsequently acting for db symmetry on all its acquisitions and its joint venture with Pochins to acquire land at Middlewich.
  • DV3 RS Limited Partnership on its successful appeal against SDLT assessments raised in the context of partnership transfer arrangements. The case was the first decision of the Tribunal on how the SDLT rules operate.
  • Sony Pictures Television in relation to its acquisition of the channels business, Dolphin Broadcasting Limited, and a majority stake in the advertising sales house, Dolphin TV Limited.
  • Daedalus Partners LLP, Great Point Media Limited, Octopus Investments Limited and Earthworm Capital on a range of EIS offerings in the market across the TV, video games, construction and renewable energy sectors.
  • On multi-party film financings and obtaining the UK film tax credit on films such as Nine, Sherlock Holmes, Inglorious Basterds, The King's Speech, The Reader, Me & Orson Wells, Cemetry Junction, Harry Brown, Prince of Persia, Alice in Wonderland, Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale.
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Education

  • 1998 – LLM, Tax, King's College London, London
  • 1995 – LPC, College of Law, York
  • 1994 – LLB, Law, Manchester
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Publications

  • Tolley's Tax Planning: Enterprise Investment Scheme and Seed Investment Scheme chapter
  • Tolley's Finance Handbook
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Expertise