The Legal 500 > United Kingdom - Solicitors > Northern Ireland > Corporate and M&A

‘A&L Goodbody delivers a genuine full-service offering with real expertise in all areas required to execute a complex corporate transaction. It is the strongest firm in Northern Ireland and is always a pleasure to work with.‘

‘Peter Stafford has a huge breadth of experience and is a true leader in his field in Northern Ireland. He always has sound commercial solutions to problems and is able to deliver his advice in an easy-to-understand fashion.‘

‘Solicitor Nikki Stewart is a rising star of the corporate legal market. She takes a commercial approach to issues as they arise and is always a pleasure to work with.‘

‘A&L Goodbody’s sensible and pragmatic team is focused on getting the job done.’

‘Alastair Keith is easy to work with. The team knows what we are trying to achieve and works with us to help achieve that.‘

‘The team stands out for the quality of knowledge and of service. They are incredibly commercial and able to work within our (often) tight timescales with great professionalism.‘

‘All of the team are impeccable.‘

‘The team’s commercially astute and legally sound advice has greatly contributed to the continued growth and success of our group.‘

‘We would not use any other corporate lawyer in this market other than Lynsey Mallon. She is the best that we have dealt with. Alan Taylor is a trusted adviser to our business and his insight is invaluable. William Curry is technically excellent.‘

‘The corporate team at Arthur Cox is technically excellent but also very commercially astute.’

‘Alan Taylor is by far one of the most accomplished corporate lawyers in this market. He has become a trusted adviser to our numerous businesses over the years and we are yet to meet a better lawyer for delivering what he promises.‘

‘Lynsey Mallon handles most of our M&A and investment work now and she is the best around for closing deals. She always remains calm and finds a solution even when the other side cannot.‘

‘The team at Arthur Cox is professional and knowledgeable with the relevant experience to be able to advise the client from a commercial viewpoint in addition to dispensing relevant and material legal advice. The team is very hands-on and also very straightforward.‘

‘Lynsey Mallon is very knowledgeable in the relevant laws and regulations of Northern Ireland. She is able to provide excellent advice from a legal viewpoint as well as able to discuss and provide alternatives from a commercial viewpoint so that the client is able to gain a feel of the big picture.‘

‘The team has an incisive knowledge and approach to dealing with the client’s issues. The professionalism and focus they give to dealing with the issues we bring to them is of critical importance and we continue to use them as our default source of legal advice.‘

‘Associate David White is thorough, solid, conscientious, dependable and highly professional.‘

‘The firm is always very accommodating and always puts forward the best relevant lawyer that our company needs expertise for.‘

‘Alan Taylor takes an interest in the client’s affairs.‘

‘Carson McDowell consistently provides excellence service and advice in multiple areas of corporate law in a very prompt and effective way.’

‘Neasa Quigley is our “go to” senior attorney. She provides expert assistance in many areas of corporate law and general counselling.’

‘Carson McDowell is, in a word, exceptional. The team is always available for advice, responsive in meeting tight deadlines, and focused on the detail whilst never losing sight of the bigger picture.‘

‘The difference between Carson McDowell and its competitors is that you always feel that you are Carson McDowell’s most important client.‘

‘Richard Gray and dispute resolution partner Declan Magee both offer exceptional service and are highly effective in obtaining results that the clients prioritise.’

‘Carson McDowell’s partners understand their disciplines fully rather than pretending to and the junior staff are the equal of partner level in many larger firms in terms of ability.‘

‘Richard Gray and Neasa Quigley both excel in their disciplines, exude professionalism, create client confidence in their abilities and manage their own in-house teams with the minimum of fuss.‘

‘The firm is particularly customer-focused and commercially aware.‘

‘Hilary Griffith is very commercial and very approachable, seeking to add value for clients wherever possible. She has a strong understanding of contract and commercial law, but take a pragmatic approach, listening to a client’s needs.‘

‘Tughans has a depth of knowledge both in team and individuals. They put themselves in front and drive and solve whatever the problem. I feel that they are the best in their field.‘

‘Tughans gets things done! The partners in the team are exceptional and work together in such a way that complex deals can be achieved through their combined expertise. They don’t just advise and then leave the problem of final decisions at the feet of their client. They work until the right path is clear and then accompany their client to the end of the journey.‘

‘James Donnelly is a leader who can guide clients through the demands of a purchaser at exactly the right level. James’ key ability is an appropriately pragmatic approach that balances in favour of his client where to mitigate risks and where to accept risks.‘

‘Tughans offers a diverse professional service.‘

‘Associate Brendan Donnelly is excellent.‘

‘Ciara Lagan is very efficient and pragmatic.‘

‘Director Paul O’Brien is very knowledgeable, both with respect to the law and with respect to the client’s business. He is pragmatic and is easy to work with.‘

‘Tughans has a very strong team all round. It is experienced and technically highly competent, with good strength in depth.‘

‘John McGuckian and Paul O’Brien provide dedication and commitment to every transaction. They are technically strong and take a commercial view. They provide good advice and hold their line when required without becoming entrenched.‘

‘John McGuckian is an exceptional local lawyer.‘

‘The team is small and provides a high level of personal attention.‘

‘John McMahon has a wealth of experience and an eye for the commercial priorities in every transaction.‘

‘A very dedicated and capable team who integrate across various aspects of the business. Led by John McMahon, they are both pragmatic and commercial, and very focused on delivering for their clients.‘

‘John McMahon and his team are experienced practitioners. They know what the issues are and flag them for discussion in advance. They are not “learning on the job” – they know the job inside out. Experience, locally, nationally and internationally, means that they don’t lead clients down cul-de-sacs.‘

‘Keystone Law provides good value advice.’

‘Danny McKay and John McMahon provide practical and commercial advice. JP Irvine is also a very hungry and commercial lawyer, who seeks to truly help facilitate deals and make things happen, which is indicative of Keystone Law’s progressive, value-adding service.‘

‘Damian McParland is very experienced, commercial and well respected.‘

‘The firm provides an excellent all-round level of service. Partners are technically very good and work is done in a very timely and proactive manner. Lawyers are easily assessible whenever you need to speak to them.‘

‘From a technical perspective Damian McParland is excellent. Damian is also exceptional on very quickly getting to grips with the commercial reality of the deal so that the transaction progresses as quickly and efficiently as possible. Damian is always available to deal with issues personally in a very timely and proactive manner.‘

‘The team’s expertise in each area is excellent and the practice still has the ethos of treating the customer very well.‘

‘Damian McParland is exceptional in his field of M&A.‘

‘The service provided by Millar McCall Wylie is way above other firms not just in terms of the team’s knowledge, but also in terms of turnaround and the ability to deliver.‘

‘The team is technically strong but also able to take a commercial view when required.’

‘Scott Kennedy has been a trusted legal adviser for some time. Scott is very strong technically but also pragmatic in approach. He is solutions focused and doesn’t waste time.‘

‘Scott Kennedy has the skill and ability to manage complex transactions with many parties involved. He consistently goes beyond the scope of works to ensure all parties remain involved and the transactions complete on time.’

‘The team offers exceptional value for money combined with responsive, practical advice, with great specialisms to help deliver great advice. They are very commercially driven and help drive solutions to issues at all times.‘

‘Damian McParland is an excellent lawyer with arguably the broadest skills base of any corporate lawyer in the business, with very strong commercial acumen. He has an excellent ability to summarize complex concepts into simple statements and documents, benefiting his clients and facilitating smooth transactions.‘

‘The legal team work and function efficiently together and communicate well.‘

‘Damian McParland provides a personal, hands-on approach and has a great working knowledge of what is required.‘

‘Pinsent Masons stands out for the consistency, experience, and professionalism of the team.‘

‘The team has a real understanding of our business and this is vitally important in helping us with difficult and complicated business matters.‘

‘What has impressed me most is the commerciality of team and the speed of service. The lawyers provide practical, workable guidance and advice in easy-to-understand language, which combines their first-rate knowledge of the law and many years of relevant experience.‘

‘What particularly makes Elliott Duffy Garrett stand out is that Kevin McVeigh and commercial property partner Leo Brown are extremely personable and bring calmness and common sense as well as strength in depth of legal knowledge to bear on every assignment. This gives confidence to both clients and other professionals.‘

‘Cathy Murphy is very calm, pragmatic and easy to deal with.‘

‘Kevin McVeigh is very experienced and gets to the key issues promptly and professionally. He saves layers of drafting and explains clearly to clients in layman’s terms the commercial implications of legal documentation.‘

‘The Johnsons team combines a high level of technical knowledge and expertise, professionally delivered, with a strong commercial awareness and practical approach to problems. The team is accessible and approachable. The lawyers are strong communicators and make the complex problem “simple” for the client to understand.‘

‘Rhys Jones has excellent technical knowledge and a practical approach with strong commercial awareness.‘

‘The team provides a high level of practical advice on “day-to-day” legal issues. The team is approachable and the level of accessibility is high.‘

‘Rhys Jones has a practical and realistic approach to advice given on day-to-day and higher level, strategic legal issues. He is approachable and accessible.‘

‘TLT provide a very high standard of service and are very knowledgeable of our business and the retail sector. They have good strength in depth and provide cost effective commercial legal advice.’