- This course has closed.
| Dates | Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, July 8th, 1 – 2pm | Online | Free |
After each session there will be an opportunity to apply for a limited number of subsidised 1:1 mentoring sessions with Catherine Keane and Robert Grimes. See below for more details.
Overview
Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet, Animation Ireland and the National Talent Academy, Animation, are delighted to host a third series of these monthly lunch and learns with Catherine Keane and Robert Grimes.
Each session will be held online monthly from June to November at 1 p.m. The dates and topics for each session will be announced the month before, and there is no obligation to attend all the sessions.
Please note that each workshop is eligible for 1 Law Society CPD Point, with the potential of 6 points for those who attend all workshops.
What will this course cover?
Session 1: Work Permits & Immigration considerations
- Navigating work permit and immigration considerations for international productions.
- Reviewing current enforcement trends and compliance obligations.
How has the Employment Permits Act 2024 changed Ireland’s immigration framework, and what practical impact will these changes have on animation studios recruiting international talent?
Which animation and creative technology roles are eligible for Critical Skills Employment Permits, and why do many studios still need to rely on General Employment Permits?
What are the most common immigration and employment permit compliance issues facing animation studios in Ireland, particularly in an increasingly international and remote-working industry?
How can animation studios ensure immigration compliance throughout a production lifecycle, particularly when engaging international talent, contractors, and short-term specialists under tight production deadlines?
It should be noted that these workshops are educational in nature and should not be considered legal advice specific to your circumstances. If you need assistance, you should always consult independent legal advice.
Participant profile
This series of lunchtime workshops will help creatives, producers, management, and administrative personnel understand how the law and animation interact.
Mentoring Sessions:
A limited number of 1:1 mentoring sessions will be available to apply for as part of this programme. .
Applications will only be considered from applicants that have attended at least one of the current Lunch and Learn sessions and have a minimum of three years experience in a relevant senior role in the animation industry.
Mentoring sessions are charged at a subsidised rate, see below.
If you are interested in applying for a session please use this LINK.
Tutors
Catherine Keane, Head of Legal, Cartoon Saloon
Catherine is the Head of Business & Legal Affairs with Cartoon Saloon the five-time Academy Award®, Golden Globe®, BAFTA and Emmy nominated animation studio. Catherine is a member of the executive management team and as General Legal Counsel to the business advises on all legal matters as well as working in a strategic role on co-production, financing, distribution, IP protection, sales, licensing and merchandising matters. Prior to this Catherine worked in an Advocacy and Policy role within the Not-for-Profit sector. In June 2020 Catherine was appointed by the Minister for Justice to serve as a statutory member of the Board of the Legal Aid Board. Catherine has also recently joined the Board of Animation Ireland. Early in her career she worked as a Research and Policy Officer in both The Houses of the Oireachtas and The European Parliament. Catherine is originally from East Galway and is a graduate of UCD and holds a B. A. in History and Politics and an M.A. in Public Relations. She qualified as a solicitor in 2008 and was apprenticed with Gaffney Halligan & Co. Solicitors in Dublin. Catherine has since obtained a Diploma in Employment Law and Certificate in Technology Law from the Law Society of Ireland. Catherine lives in Kilkenny with her husband Rory and children Róisín, Aidan and Síle.
Robert Grimes, General Counsel, Brown Bag Films
Robert is In-house Counsel for Brown Bag Films, a multi-award winning and Academy Award® nominated animation studio in Dublin having previously served as General Counsel, and member of the Executive Management team at Lighthouse Studios, and In-house Counsel for Cartoon Saloon. He started his career in investment banking in London with Bank of Ireland and later practiced as a barrister, litigating commercial, trust and succession law cases. He has authored several legal textbooks, including the Irish Probate Practitioners Handbook, the Probate Pocketbook, and Succession Law in a Nutshell (Thomson Reuters) and also the UK and EMEA Corporate Counsel Handbook (Bloomsbury), numerous academic and national newspaper articles, established and edited the Irish Probate Law Journal and has contributed chapters to a range of other published texts. Rob has worked internationally as a senior in-house lawyer at Ford, General Motors and ACCO Brands plc. He holds a BComm degree (with a specialisation in economics and finance) from University College Dublin, a Diploma in Legal Studies and Barrister-at-law degree from the Honourable Society of Kings Inns and a Fintech qualification from the University of Oxford. Robert lives in Kilkenny with his wife, Dr Doireann McWeeney and children, Sophie and Thomas.
Aileen Gittens, Partner at Poe Kiely Hogan Lanigan Solicitors
For our first Lunch and Learn session focusing on Work Permits & Immigration Considerations we are pleased to be joined by Aileen Gittens, Immigration Solicitor.
Aileen is a Partner on the Immigration, Surrogacy and Pathways to Parenthood team at Poe Kiely Hogan Lanigan Solicitors in Kilkenny.
She worked for many years in immigration law in Dublin before moving to practice in the southeast in 2023, where she established the firm’s immigration department. Her work involves providing strategic support to businesses to meet the full spectrum of business immigration needs. This includes work and advice to employers and employees around employment permits, visa applications, naturalisation applications, foreign birth registration, family reunification applications and all types of residency applications (employment, Irish citizen child, Stamp 0, change of immigration status, etc).
Aileen is a founding committee member of the Irish Immigration Lawyers Association (IILA) and regularly speaks publicly on immigration related topics. She has also recently lectured on the Law Society of Ireland’s Certificate in Immigration Law and Practice.
Venue/location
Online
Costs/fee
Lunch and Learn online sessions are free.
Mentoring sessions will cost €210 per session (these sessions would normally cost €350 per one session). If you are interested in applying for a session please use this LINK.
Dates and times of the course
Wednesday, July 8th, 1pm to 2pm
The Zoom link will be emailed the day before the workshop.
For any queries, please get in touch with frankeaveney@furthr.ie
Please note that due to our funding requirements, registrations are only available to those resident in the Republic Of Ireland.
CCIS will generally only accept requests for cancellation refunds up to 5 working days before the training course commences. CCIS may allow for refunds outside of this on a case-by-case basis. Any request for a refund must be made via email to seansmith@furthr.ie, inserting the course name in the subject line.