Carson McDowell > Belfast, United Kingdom > Firm Profile

‘The team at Carson McDowell demonstrate understanding and commercial interpretation combined with an efficiency of response and action which differentiates the team from most other commercial law firms.’

‘The corporate and M&A team at Carson McDowell are very strong in their respective field of expertise, and would be treated more as trusted advisors as opposed to a ‘formal supplier.”

‘Richard Gray exhibits a keen understanding of complex issues, and will always deliver an honest and frank opinion on what would be best for us as a client. Richard’s personable nature also greatly assists in maintaining momentum in projects involving other parties.’

‘The ability to have both empathy and understanding of our sector and the risks, challenges and opportunities we face daily is exceptional. The depth in the Carson McDowell team is always in evidence when required, with partners acting with humility, focus and unrivalled talent.’

‘Neasa’s great strength is the ability to identify the key commercial points relevant to our company and articulate to non lawyers the potential implications and actions required. This focus allows for a more streamlined process, both from a cost and resource perspective.’

‘Excellent levels of corporate advice, always pitched at the correct level. Very accessible team and excellent response times.’

‘Richard Gray – unrivalled corporate partner in the NI market. Highly commercial thinker and very practical lawyer. Paul McGuckin – excellent corporate partner.’

‘Carson McDowell’s service is superb. They’re commercially minded and customer focused when it comes to M&A. Their advice and the way they run M&A processes is exceptional and unparalleled in our experience in the Northern Ireland market.’

‘The practice is unique in that they blend legal competency with commercial awareness which is what we look for in a law firm. They are concise, efficient, thoughtful and continually follow up. Compared to other firms we have used they are head and shoulders above.’

‘Peter Guzhar is an exceptional lawyer. He provides clear, concise advice and is not afraid to provide his opinion. He appreciates that the decision lies with the client but will provide all information necessary for the client to give an informed decision.’

‘Carson McDowell are a pragmatic, customer driven legal firm with exceptional talent across all disciplines. They focus on relationship management, understanding the needs of the client to provide an exceptional level of quality and service.’

‘Rachel Penny is in a league of her own. An exceptional legal mind coupled with pragmatism and a personality that is endearing. She is so focussed on the needs of the client that she has become like one of the family.’

‘A very prompt and detailed service is always provided.’

‘The team has a wide breadth of experience and there is excellent collaboration across the different teams within the firm. I find the team very approachable and quick to respond to any queries.’

‘The individuals I work with pay great attention to detail, with any advice being comprehensive yet easy to follow. I value how approachable the solicitors are, they are easily contactable and willing to discuss any issues.’

‘This team is particularly well recognised in clinical negligence, with a very broad and experienced team.’

‘Roger McMillan is very well regarded and one of the leading lawyers in this area of practice.’

‘The casualty/personal injury team have always provided comprehensive advice on legal liability, causation, quantum and tactics to achieve the best resolution for their clients at the earliest opportunity.’

‘Catherine Carton provides excellent guidance on personal injury claims in Northern Ireland and has very good interpersonal skills when dealing with both defendants and their insurers.’

‘Neil Bleakley heads up a very impressive and improving private client team of solicitors and assistant solicitors.’

‘Neil brings a wealth of experience to his specialist area and can therefore offer a range of solutions to the challenges and needs presented by clients. Neil is attentive and also sensitive when dealing with the personal affairs of his clients, and takes a close personal interest in each case that he deals with.’

‘Carson McDowell makes clients feel at ease and can deal with all matters pertaining to their personal affairs.’

‘I mainly deal with Neil Bleakley who provides excellent advice to clients and is relaxed and knowledgeable when I have introduced clients to him.’

‘Attention to detail is excellent here, with a real personal touch to relationships.’

‘Neil Bleakley has worked in this area for many years and is rightly proud of the expertise, care and diligence he brings to his client relationships.’

‘The practice demonstrates capability, proactive approach, reliability together with up-to-date technical expertise.‘

‘This is a long-established and highly reputable legal practice with a very broad range of experience and expertise across a wide spectrum of legal services. This background offers clients confidence that their affairs will be dealt with professionally, effectively and efficiently.’

‘They are professional, punctual and have the same attention to detail be it a small or large transaction. The team are very professional, always at the end of a phone and never miss a deadline.’

‘The renewable team is headed by Neasa Quigley who is just outstanding in her field.’

‘The team has a broad range of skills and knowledge and are efficient and helpful at all times. They have excellent contacts within their industry.’

‘They are extremely knowledgeable, professional and helpful. They are accessible and available when needed, with impressive response times. Neasa Quigley requires specific mention as she provides an excellent, professional service at all times.’

‘The team at Carson McDowell are dynamic and responsive with a genuine collaborative and tailored approach to the required scope or task. Having access to a wide breadth of expertise within one firm provides confidence and connection as required.’

‘Neasa Quigley and Le-Ann Campbell bring vast experience in what is a highly technical and challenging sector. They understand both the policy and commercial landscape and provide honest and clear advice on all elements of deal structure.’

‘Commercial, pragmatic, approachable, collaborative.’

‘Neasa Quigley – commercial, highly skilled, approachable.’

‘Outstanding people with a huge range of skills, experience and knowledge.’

‘Great quality service with sector leading response times.’

‘Dawson McConkey provides an excellent service and has a thorough knowledge of the NI property sector demonstrated in his ability to navigate negotiates and provide robust solutions, to often complex cases.’

‘Partner-led service. Very strong in renewables. Friendly and approachable. High quality. Collaborate well with business.’

‘Dawson McConkey – commercial, pragmatic, approachable, diligent.’

‘My experience with Carson McDowell is that I have always found them to be helpful, knowledgeable, and willing to help, sometimes to very tight timescales. I do think that billings are fair and reasonable.’

‘We have dealt specifically with Mary-Kim Doherty for the past 10 years, and she has always provided an exceptional level of service and technical ability, introducing other disciplines in the firm when the need arises. They to have been very efficient and knowledgeable on their subject matter.’

‘The construction team are well versed in contemporary issues, always commercially astute and provide clients with value for money.’

‘John Dugdale – really excellent demeanour, very approachable and makes sense from madness. Stuart Murphy – very experienced, can quickly cut to the chase of the issues that matter.’

‘The planning and environment team is widely regarded as the leading planning team in Northern Ireland. This is a long-established specialist team with a very loyal client base in the property and residential development sector. The judicial review specialist lawyers are particularly sought after for planning judicial reviews.’

‘Gary McGhee – superb planning lawyer with unrivalled specialist experience in his field. Extensive and invaluable contacts in various planning chambers in London.

Grant McBurney – excellent partner in the planning team. Has worked alongside Gary McGhee for many years and is highly competent in his specialism.’

‘This is the best planning legal team in Northern Ireland and would rank very well in the comparison to legal teams in the UK generally. They have considerable experience, skill at advisory work and litigation tactics and provide an excellent service to their clients. They are also a great team to deal with and to work with.’

‘Gary McGhee is an outstanding planning lawyer – very experienced, quick thinking, tactically shrewd and with great client skills. His teamwork is outstanding, and he is always very easy to deal with.’

‘Grant McBurney is also excellent, though a more junior planning partner than Gary. Also excellent, both in terms of good legal advice and sound tactical thinking, client care and communication. As with all the Carson McDowell planning team, the teamwork is excellent.’

‘Highly-capable and experienced team. Always willing to work to demanding timescales.’

‘Gary McGhee and Sarah Dunlop are the staff I engage with most. Both are excellent legal professionals, and experts in their field.’

‘The service that was provided was personal and tailored precisely to our needs, and so we were very pleased with the outcome.’

‘The team is agile and willing to support our business as the work comes in.’

‘Dawn is methodical, approachable and clear. If there are any terms or nuances we don’t understand, she is there to explain to our level of thought. She is wonderful to work with.’

‘From my initial contact with the team at Carson McDowell, their response was speedy and empathetic. They proved capable of very quickly and accurately assessing our particular difficulties and promptly issued a clear action plan to deal with same. The plan was meticulously followed and executed just as swiftly.’

‘In my dealings with both Peter and Helen, I was left in no doubt that the knowledge and expertise they had in this field coupled with their operational efficiency and responsiveness meant that I was in extremely good hands. It doesn’t get any better!’

‘Carson McDowell are very attentive and commercially minded. They just understand what we want as a business from our IP portfolio.’

‘Carson McDowell are a pragmatic, customer focussed firm with expertise in all disciplines.’

‘Peter Guzhar is an expert in his discipline who puts the client first. His expert guidance has smoothed many a potentially bumpy road.’

‘The Carson McDowell team bring solutions to problems and have a range of resources that they can call on to cover all potential eventualities. The team work with us collaboratively to ensure we deliver the best outcomes in a legally compliant way.’

‘Each of the individuals in the Carson McDowell team have their own particular strengths and capabilities which we as a client require.’

‘Market leading commercial acumen and interpersonal skills make Carson McDowell a unique practice.’

‘Always available, willing to proactively solve complex legal problems whilst maintaining strong client relationships. Sinead McGrath and Damien McElholm are very strong.’

‘Sinead McGrath is exceptional – very knowledgeable, responsive and efficient.’

‘The team are professional, knowledgeable, articulate and are easy to discuss complicated matters with. They get on with the job and are very responsive and only seek guidance where required.’

‘They are very knowledgeable and know what they are talking about. They explain issues and discuss these in detail to ensure the best outcome. They are approachable, and their work is always of a high standard.’

‘Exceptional knowledge and commerciality.’

‘In depth knowledge of the law, commercial and pragmatic.’

‘This is a strong team with a depth of knowledge and is widely recognised.’

‘Darren Toombs is very efficient, diligent and competent in dealing with all insolvency related matters.’

‘Carson McDowell dealt with my company when it was under stress, and I can only praise them for how they dealt with everything. I had Darren Toombs from the Carson McDowell team; he did a very professional job.’

‘Darren Toombs was very professional and explained everything; his knowledge was the key factor why I am still in business today.’

‘All the individuals I have worked with have been professional and competent.’

‘Good technical knowledge with plenty of support. Ability to handle large and complex matters.’

‘I am familiar with the Dublin office. It is a small but strong team. There is an excellent balance of fighting hard for clients where possible and pragmatism when necessary.’

‘Sinead Keavey is an excellent addition. Ciara Hanratty is excellent in quickly grasping the essentials of a case and analysing strengths and weaknesses.’

‘This is a fantastic cross-border practice that puts a big emphasis on providing sound and timely advice to a large range of corporate clients.’

‘Cathal O’Neill is meticulous in his preparation, always ensuring every angle is covered when it comes to briefing Counsel and so as to provide the best possible advice to his clients.’

‘Cathal O’Neill is very proactive in a plaintiff-favourable jurisdiction. Certainly obtains the best results for his clients.’

‘I would work closely with a number of solicitors within the firm. I feel we are always kept up to date with our cases and the team is always available if we have any queries. The team is very approachable and helpful and always comes back in a timely manner.’

‘Each solicitor is the firm is very helpful and always willing to go that bit extra to help out if they can. They provide clear advice and rationale for their reserves. Over the years, we have developed a very good relationship with this firm and I can honestly say they provide a great service.’

‘Carson McDowell has a deep understanding of our sector and are a trusted defence firm. We have a longstanding relationship with them. We have no hesitation in instructing them to defend various types of claims – from RTA liability disputes, injury and credit hire, to employers and public liability, including disease claims. We trust Carson McDowell will use their expertise to defend our claims in order to achieve the best outcome. They have also delivered various training seminars to help up-skill our people.’

‘We work closely with Cathal O’Neill and Catherine Carton and have built strong relationships with them and their team. We trust them implicitly and know they are working to achieve the best outcome for us on our cases.’

‘What makes the practice unique is their personal approach. We have a great working relationship and it’s never an issue to get in contact with them and emails are responded to promptly. Carson McDowell have completed several training sessions on market trends and changes and the feedback has been extremely positive. Cathal O’Neill and Catherine Carton’s team have been invaluable in defending cases and providing technical advice.’