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Banking and finance
Arthur Cox has a leading banking practice, with a team of four first-rate, ‘highly skilled‘ partners including Angus Creed (‘extremely thorough‘) and Judith Brown (‘pragmatic‘). It recently acted for Ulster Bank in its financing of the acquisition by the Tayto/Golden Wonder Group of Redmill Snack Foods. New clients include Zurich Bank and Volkswagen Bank. Andrew McCluggage also garners praise from clients.
John McKee & Son is a recognised presence in the market. Recent transactions include acting for Ulster Bank Group on its funding of a major new commercial and residential development at Titanic Quarter in Belfast, and acting for a syndicate of Asia-Pacific Banks on the acquisition of a local company. Leading light Avril McCammon is ‘committed to getting the deal over the line for her clients‘.
L’Estrange & Brett has a ‘strong team that always dispenses appropriate advice‘; it includes Sinéad McGrath, who is held in the ‘highest regard by clients‘, and Richard Gray, who is also recommended. The focus is on high-end work, including regulatory work, and the team is also noted for its work in the RSL sector. Clients include Barclays Bank and Deutsche Bank.
A&L Goodbody Northern Ireland has a mainly bank-led practice, and is noted for its ability to handle transactions with a cross-border dimension. It has extensive experience in securitisation, and recently acted for Allied Irish Bank (UK) in the securitisation of a portfolio of its residential mortgages. Peter Stafford is recommended.
C & H Jefferson acts for four of the main banks operating in Northern Ireland. Recent work includes acting for several banks on the Northern Ireland security aspects of shopping centre transactions in England and Scotland involving Northern Ireland borrowers. The experienced Mark Tinman is ‘sensible and commercial‘.
Carson McDowell is ‘definitely a hit‘ and ‘on the up‘, with Tom Adair offering ‘viable solutions where a problem arises‘. The team represents a mixture of borrower and banking clients, and recently acted for Bank of Ireland in relation to loan facilities for Northern Ireland Co-Ownership Housing Association.
Clients have ‘absolute confidence‘ in Cleaver Fulton Rankin. Acquisition financing and the financing of distressed disposals constitute a significant part of the practice, and the team regularly acts on securitisation and warehousing transactions for clients such as Britannia Building Society and Nationwide Building Society. Stephen Cross heads the team.
At Elliott Duffy Garrett corporate partner Kevin McVeigh represents a number of local and international banks on secured lending, project finance and regulatory matters. Laurence Mahood is experienced on the property finance side.
McKinty and Wright has a fine reputation for banking work. It has assisted leading City of London firms on corporate finance matters, and has also acted for a number of major local and national institutions on taking security over commercial property. Gordon Greenfield and Carol Scobbie are the key contacts.
Tughans has a ‘professional team with a high degree of knowledge and commerciality‘, with Fearghal O’Loan a leading figure in the market. Clients include Ulster Bank and Bank of Ireland, and it recently advised Europarts Motor Factors on the refinancing and restructuring of the group’s debt funding and security package. The team is also active in securitisation.
At Johns Elliot Steven Cockcroft oversees a team whose recent work includes advising Northern Bank on various aspects of secured lending on commercial and residential properties. It ‘mixes a high level of professionalism and expertise with humour and humanity‘.
McGrigors Belfast LLP draws on the significant expertise available in the firm’s Scottish and English offices to advise on asset finance, project finance and real estate development.
Mills Selig’s commercial property team advises on issues including the taking and granting of security. Bill McCann is the principal contact partner.