The Legal 500

21 ARTHUR STREET, BELFAST, BT1 4GA, NORTHERN IRELAND
Tel:
Work 028 9024 3878
Fax:
Fax 028 9023 1956
DX:
459NR BELFAST
Web:
www.millsselig.com
Email:

What we say about the firm's legal practice in Northern Ireland

Corporate and commercial

Within Corporate and M&A, Mills Selig is a second tier firm,

Mills Selig is ‘a good corporate boutique’ with an eclectic client base. Richard Fulton is qualified in Northern Ireland and England, and is ‘a very sensible transactions lawyer’. Chris Guy represented shareholders during O’Kane Poultry’s sale to Moy Park.

Dispute resolution

Within Dispute resolution, Mills Selig is a second tier firm,

Mills Selig acts on employment, construction and other commercial cases, as well as defamation defence; Paul Spring (noted as ‘prepared to negotiate’) is recommended in the latter area. The firm is acting in a dispute over the sale of Belfast’s Odyssey Cinema. Adam Curry is ‘a good practitioner’, with a specialism in search and seizure matters and injunctions.

Finance

Within Insolvency, Mills Selig is a third tier firm,

Mills Selig advises corporate debtors, creditors and insolvency practitioners on insolvency, restructuring and debt recovery. Clients include Northern Ireland Water. John Kearns heads the group.

Human resources

Within Employment, Mills Selig is a second tier firm,

Kiera Lee heads Mills Selig’s practice, which primarily advises corporate clients on matters such as employment audits and senior management changes. It advised O’Kane Poultry, a 1,000-employee company, on employment issues.

Overview

Within Regional review,

Beyond the regional heavyweights, John McKee & Son is renowned for banking work; Mills Selig and Johnsons Solicitors have commendable corporate and disputes practices; Napier and Sons has a busy insolvency practice; and employment boutiques such as Jones Cassidy Jones Solicitors are thriving.

Real estate

Within Commercial property, Mills Selig is a third tier firm,

Bill McCann at Mills Selig is acting on three supermarket instructions, and recently advised on a £3m property sale. The practice notably represents harbour and waterways authorities.

Within Environment and planning, Mills Selig is a third tier firm,

At Mills Selig, Bill McCann’s property practice encompasses planning work, most recently for a retail store site.

TMT

Within Intellectual property, Mills Selig is a third tier firm,

Paul Spring at Mills Selig advises on IP disputes and has a significant defamation defence and media rights practice.

Within IT and telecoms, Mills Selig is a third tier firm,

Mills Selig advises a number of technology companies. Richard Fulton is ‘a very sensible transactions lawyer’.


Legal Developments in the UK

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to
  • HOUSING

    In Nzinga Maswaku v Westminster City Council [2012] EWCA Civ 669 the Court of Appeal clarified that in offering a homeless person with alternative temporary accommodation the local authority is obliged to point that if the offer is refused it has discharged its Part VII duties under the Housing Act 1996.
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  • COUNCIL TAX

    In Harrow LBC v Ayiku [2012] EWHC 1200 (Admin) Sales J held that the word “or” in the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992, art 3 Class N, had a disjunctive meaning, therefore it was sufficient for the non-British spouse of a foreign student to satisfy one or other of the two conditions, namely being prevented from taking paid employment or being prevented from claiming benefits, in order to qualify as a “relevant person” who was exempted from liability to pay council tax.
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  • QUEEN’S SPEECH

    Bills already introduced pursuant to the Queen’s Speech on 9 May 2012 include Local Government Finance Bill and Electoral Registration and Administration Bill, both accompanied by Explanatory Notes, which in each case address ECHR compatibility.
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  • Standards

    In R (Calver) v Adjudication Panel for Wales [2012] EWHC 1172 (Admin) Mr Calver was a member of Manorbier Community Council who successfully challenged the decision of the Panel to dismiss his appeal against a decision by Prembrokeshire County Council Standards Committee censuring him for a number of comments or blogs posted by him on a website he owned and controlled.
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  • A justified retrospective

    Clive Sheldon - QC debates the pros & cons of retrospective tax legislation
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  • Public Sector Equality Duty (“PSED”)

    In R (Greenwich Community Law Centre) v Greenwich LBC [2012] EWCA Civ 496 the Court of Appeal held that the Council had had “due regard to the PSED when making changes to its funding of community legal advice services”. At para 30 Elias LJ said:
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  • Public Sector Equality Duty

    Surrey County Council conducted a review of its Library Service. This culminated in a Report to the Council’s Cabinet. The Recommendations in the Report included that there should be consultation about a community-partnership approach at selected Libraries.
    - 11KBW
  • Judicial Review

    The Judgment of Lindblom J in The Manydown Co Ltd v Basingstoke and Deane BC [2012] EWHC 977 (Admin) repays attention. The Claimant sought to challenge by judicial review 2 decisions of the Council: (1) the Council’s refusal to reconsider its position on the development of a site that it owns (and is the subject matter of a Joint Development Partnership Agreement with the Claimant); and (2) a decision of the Council’s Cabinet approving a selection of sites for development which did not include this site.
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  • The Health and Social Care Act 2012: impact on adult social services

    After its torrid passage through Parliament, the Health and Social Care Bill received Royal Assent on 27 March 2012. The Act deals principally with healthcare reform, but it also contains some amendments to the legislative framework for social care. It will come into force on a day yet to be appointed by the Secretary of State.
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  • Immigration update May 2012

    In this issue: