Firms To Watch: Banking and finance

DWF's office, led by Orla Hanna, has recruited senior associate Emma Copeland from Carson McDowell.
Recently incorporated firm MacAllister McAleese Solicitors Limited fields a banking team led by experienced practitioner David McAleese.

Banking and finance in Northern Ireland

A&L Goodbody Northern Ireland LLP

A&L Goodbody Northern Ireland LLP‘s large, dedicated team of experts covers all areas of banking and financing, including syndicated lending, project finance, financial regulation, securitisation and capital market transactions. Team lead Ciaran McAlinney is recognised by clients as ‘one of the leading banking lawyers in NI’, and leads on major financings and restructurings. The highly experienced Louise Bailey covers a broad range of financing transactions, including real estate finance and leveraged finance. Judith Brown additionally covers social housing finance, investment finance, and corporate acquisition finance. Christopher Jessup has a respected regulatory practice, and is particularly active in the fintech sector. Associate Hannah McDaid is a name to note.

Practice head(s):

Ciaran McAlinney


Other key lawyers:

Louise Bailey; Judith Brown; Christopher Jessup; Hannah McDaid


Testimonials

‘Having worked with the ALG banking team for 10 years, they demonstrate significant experience in dealing with complex transactions, a commercial approach, are well resourced and always accessible.’

‘Ciaran McAlinney is one of the leading banking lawyers in NI with breadth of experience across complex transactions. He is professional, personable and someone you can take comfort from to protect your position.’

‘I think they are the leading commercial firm in Northern Ireland. They are very professional and have solid expertise particularly in the areas of banking, corporate and commercial, and insolvency and restructuring.’

‘Louise Bailey, Judith Brown, Michael Neill, Sam Corbett – they stand out due to their knowledge, expertise, drive and calm, commercial approach.’

Key clients

LBBW London Branch


ABN Amro


ING


Ulster Bank


Sabadell


UK Infrastructure Bank


National Westminster Bank plc, trading as Ulster Bank


Aviva Life & Pensions UK Limited


Industrial Alliance Insurance


Financial Services Inc.


Pension Insurance Corporation plc


The Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland


FinTech NI


Work highlights


  • Acted for a syndicate of banks on all NI aspects of the financing of Fibrus Networks Ltd’s rollout of full fibre broadband to homes and businesses.
  • Acting for NatWest in connection with facilities to Marram Hotel Partners to acquire the iconic Bushmills Inn.
  • Acted for a group of investors in relation to their funding of a GBP 100m social housing private placement transaction by Clanmil Housing Association Limited.

Arthur Cox Belfast

Arthur Cox Belfast's full service banking and finance practice is highly active for retail banks, investment funds, and private equity firms, including those based outside the jurisdiction. Team lead Stuart Mansfield is experienced in domestic and international finance transactions and handles secured lending and refinancing. Colm McElroy's practice includes debt restructuring and security enforcement strategies, as well as commodity, currency, and interest rate swap transactions. Sarah Thompson specialises in financial regulation, and is qualified to practice in Northern Ireland, England and Wales, and the Republic of Ireland.

Practice head(s):

Stuart Mansfield


Other key lawyers:

Colm McElroy; Sarah Thompson


Testimonials

‘The practice is unique due to the strength of the individuals in it, both in terms of their legal capabilities, which are exceptional, but also how easy they are to work with in terms of personalities etc.’

‘They differ from competitors in the NI market due to the strength of their partnership, all-island of Ireland offering and fantastic personal skills.’

‘First class customer service and depth of team.’

‘Considered one of the top tier banking law firms in Belfast. A sister office in Dublin is also attractive, as many NI based transactions can have ROI elements attaching thereto.’

‘As well as being very technically strong, Stuart is personable and straightforward to deal with which lends itself well to transactions being completed with minimal conflict or confrontation.’

Key clients

Barclays Bank PLC


Ares Management Limited


Nidda Healthcare Holding GmbH


Ballykeel Beg No.1 Limited


Bank of Ireland


HSBC


Ares Capital, Natwest Bank Plc, Barclays Bank Plc


Goldman Sachs and Starling Bank


Work highlights


  • Acted for Barclays Bank PLC in relation to its acquisition of Kensington Mortgage Company Limited.
  • Acted for Nidda Healthcare Holding GmbH in relation to the issuance of €1,385,900,000 in aggregate Senior Secured Notes to fund working capital requirements of the Group.
  • Acted for HSBC in respect of financing the acquisition of high profile Northern Irish accountancy firm FPM by global services group AAB.

Tughans

Tughans covers the full range of banking and finance matters, with areas of strength including secured and unsecured lending, acquisition and property finance, and refinancing and restructuring. Team lead and ‘terrific lawyerFearghal O’Loan is a highly experienced transactional lawyer, with particular expertise in debt structuring and financing. Core team members include Douglas Anderson, whose practice includes syndicated lending, acquisition finance and general corporate lending, and Julie Huddleston, who specialises in real estate finance and cross border lending. Sarah Sharkey, who is dual qualified in England and Wales and Northern Ireland, advises lenders and borrowers on a range of finance transactions.

Practice head(s):

Fearghal O’Loan


Other key lawyers:

Douglas Anderson; Julie Huddleston; Sarah Sharkey


Testimonials

‘Tughans always does a terrific job of melding brilliant legal insight and practical guidance, so clients can take action. They’re very hands-on and clients love their more personal touch–their attorneys are not just great lawyers, but are genuine people with whom we like to work.’

‘Fearghal O’Loan is a terrific lawyer with top-notch legal skills. He’s able to drill down to the specific issue(s) in front of the client, even those issues the client hasn’t yet considered. He’s able to leverage his training in a way that provides proactive practical guidance.’

‘Well established team of banking lawyers who are experienced in the NI market and active on a large volume of transactions.’

‘Fearghal O’Loan and Douglas Anderson continue to provide an exceptionally strong level of service and expertise.’

‘Tughans are our go-to local counsel for Northern Irish work on securitisation transactions. They have a wealth of knowledge in the Northern Irish market and ensure all of the latest trends and issues are easily dealt with.’

‘Fearghal O’Loan is fantastic. Very switched on, good at making sure the Northern Ireland piece of a securitisation transaction isn’t a problem, and understands the needs of the securitisation market. Very easy to deal with.’

‘Fearghal O’Loan and Sarah Sharkey are knowledgeable, responsive and reliable. They adapt quickly to changing client needs and can always be trusted to be on hand when required.’

‘They are approachable, professional and commercial. Throughout the last few challenging years, the partners have been consistently accessible and thorough… they never skipped a beat in terms of service. And they are great fun to work with.’

Key clients

Diageo


Ulster Bank


Close Brothers Limited


HSBC


Bank of Ireland


Danske Bank


Upstream Capital


Investec


Barclays Bank UK Plc


Santander


Work highlights


  • Advising Diageo Northern Ireland Limited on several lending transactions.
  • Advising HSBC on the Northern Irish elements of a refinance.
  • Advising Dale Farm in respect of financing matters.

Carson McDowell

Carson McDowell's 'professional, knowledgeable, articulate' team is active on banking matters across numerous key sectors, including energy and renewables, manufacturing, healthcare and logistics. Team lead Sinead McGrath, described by clients as 'knowledgeable, responsive and efficient', has a broad practice which covers acquisition finance, real estate finance, and general corporate lending. Damian McElholm, who joined from Eversheds Sutherland in January 2022, has experience in debt restructuring, security enforcement strategies, and loan sale transactions. Associate Rachel Lewis acts for domestic and international clients.

Practice head(s):

Sinead McGrath


Testimonials

‘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.’

Key clients

The Governor and Company of Bank of Ireland / Bank of Ireland (UK) plc


Northern Bank Limited trading as Danske Bank


AIB Group (UK) plc


Barclays Bank plc


National Westminster Bank plc trading as Ulster Bank


Santander


WhiteRock Capital Partners LLP


European Investment Bank


JP Morgan


Work highlights


  • Acted as local NI Counsel to Heitman, a global real estate investment management firm, in relation to its €125,000,000.00 investment in U Store It, the island of Ireland’s largest self-storage platform.
  • Advised Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c. in relation to the NI aspects of the funding of the acquisition by Cardinal Capital (an Irish private equity growth fund) of a majority stake in Uform (a Northern Ireland-based manufacturer of kitchen doors and furniture).
  • Acted as NI advisers to Davidson Kempner in respect of a residential mortgage-backed securitisation, which was backed by a pool of buy-to-let, owner-occupied and right-to-buy mortgage loans from across the UK.

Cleaver Fulton Rankin

Cleaver Fulton Rankin‘s department is active in a broad range of transactions, including corporate finance, project finance, and real estate finance. The group has experience acting for borrowers and lenders based within Northern Ireland and internationally. Team lead Stephen Cross advises on a range of financing matters, and provides regulatory advice to clients. Patrick O’Hanlon joined the firm from TLT in September 2022, and specialises in real estate finance.

Practice head(s):

Stephen Cross


Other key lawyers:

Patrick O’Hanlon; Jennifer Rankin


Testimonials

‘They are my go to firm for difficult and complex banking matters in Northern Ireland. A really responsive team.’

Key clients

Clanmil Housing Association Limited


Arbour Housing Association


Harland & Wolff


Treliant LLC


Triodos Bank UK Ltd


LSC Capital Limited


Danmarks Skibscredit A/S


Whitehawk Capital Partners LP


Ipsum Capital (GB) Limited


Kensington Mortgage Company Limited


HSBC UK Bank Plc


Danske Bank


Charity Bank


BNP Paribas


Nationwide


Virgin Money


Close Brothers


Ulster Bank / NatWest Bank


Work highlights


  • Advised Clanmil Housing Association on a £100million secured loan note investment by a consortium of UK and US investors.
  • Advising the Harland & Wolff Group of companies on a $70million Green Term Loan Facility with Riverstone LLC for the development of the Group’s contracts for offshore Wind and hydrogen projects and also for the development of its gas storage project at Islandmagee, Northern Ireland.

Millar McCall Wylie LLP

Millar McCall Wylie LLP is highly active on behalf of local banks and alternate lending clients, including peer-to-peer lending platforms, overseas funds, and private investors. John Finnegan and Peter McCall lead the team. Finnegan focuses on corporate finance matters, and the securitisation of non-property assets, while McCall specialises in property finance and security. Damian McParland is a key name for corporate aspects of secured lending.

Practice head(s):

John Finnegan; Peter McCall


Other key lawyers:

Damian McParland


Testimonials

‘We found this firm to be very professional and knowledgeable in the areas we worked together.’

‘John Finnegan was our contact in MMW. We found his attitude to be professional yet relaxed, which made for a great working relationship.’

‘Accessible, customer focused, proactive, offers solutions, support of a full services business that brings market leading expertise to every issue.’

‘The team and in particular John is a pleasure to work with. Speed of response is a key component of our business model, and the firm deliver this in every aspect of their work.’

‘MMW are far more proactive than a lot of firms out there, and proactively find solutions rather than problems, which is something that is really just something that other firms say, but MMW actually do.’

‘John Finnegan – Excellent all-rounder with good experience across a range of corporate transactions, but his specialism in banking and finance transactions is as good as anything in the local market.’

Key clients

Danske Bank


Bank of Ireland


Assetz Capital


Whiterock Capital Partners (Growth Finance Fund, Growth Loan Fund)


Blend Loan Network


First Trust/Allied Irish Bank


Fairfield Real Estate Finance Services Ltd


McAleer & Rushe Group


Funding 365 Limited


Ortus Secured Finance


Work highlights


  • Advised Cardinal Capital Group on financing its investment in UForm.
  • Advised Lagan Investments/Collinbridge Finance on its provision of finance to Clover Group for its acquisition of the landmark Belfast hospitality venue, the Eglantine Inn.
  • Advised Keystone Group on its group finance facility from Danske Bank.

Pinsent Masons Belfast LLP

Pinsent Masons Belfast LLP‘s Belfast group works as part of the firm’s all-Ireland offering, in close partnership with the full-service Dublin office. The department is led by Jane Boyd, who has particular expertise in real estate matters, and is a prominent name in the education sector. Legal director Seána Donaghy specialises in advising market participants in all areas of debt finance. Solicitor Adam McCann is a key name.

Practice head(s):

Jane Boyd


Other key lawyers:

Seána Donaghy; Adam McCann


Testimonials

‘Experienced team who are well resourced, professional and reliable. They have advised us on complex high value transactions over a number of years and are considered one of the leading firms in NI. The global presence is also a positive when dealing with multinationals.’

‘Jane Boyd and Seána Donaghy are both great to work with and really strong on LMA documentation.’

Work highlights


Shoosmiths LLP

Shoosmiths LLP fields a team with significant expertise in real estate finance, in addition to coverage of energy finance, asset finance, and acquisition financing. ‘Knowledgeable’ team lead Anna Vangrove acts for borrowers and lenders with complex funding needs, and is experienced in both domestic and international matters. Principal associate Michael Kelly is described as an ‘exceptional resource’ for his aptitude in real estate finance.

Practice head(s):

Anna Vangrove


Other key lawyers:

Michael Kelly; Grainne Fairbrother


Testimonials

‘Anna Vangrove and Michael Kelly are a great team who are knowledgeable, responsive, practical and great value. They keep clients informed of work, completion expectations and deliver what they say they will.’

‘Anna Vangrove is a knowledgeable solicitor in both NI and English law. She is practical and suggests appropriate solutions to suit client needs.’

‘Shoosmiths are our go-to firm for large, complicated or time critical work. They have an ability to work to a very high standard under pressure.’

‘Michael is an exceptional resource within the local NI market. He is utterly dedicated to his role and delivers consistently at or above expectation. He grasps all issues quickly and in many instances provides creative solutions which manages risk in line with our expectations.’

Key clients

AIB Group (UK) plc


Ulster Bank


Danske Bank


Ultimate Finance


Industrial Finance & Leasing


Ortus Secured Finance


Hughes Mushrooms


Wilson’s Auctions Group


Causeway Geotech Limited


Keys Finance


Santander


Choice Housing


Capitalflow DAC


Foresight Fund Managers


Work highlights


  • Advising Ulster Bank in relation to its funding of the circa £58mil property portfolio consisting of twenty-one commercial premises, and three large NI residential schemes comprising over 146 units.
  • Advising Foresight Fund Managers on their investment into E-tag Fixings. This was a significant first investment by the Foresight AIB investment fund.
  • Advising AIB Group (UK) plcon the property, corporate, tax and banking aspects of their investment facility to fund the refinance of an £85 million office development in Belfast known as the Ewart Building.

TLT

TLT fields a team with expertise in real estate finance, securitisations, and structured finance transactions. The group works alongside the firm's wider UK practice to provide comprehensive support to clients based outside of Northern Ireland. The department is headed by 'excellent lawyer' Richard Houliston, whose practice includes securitisations, fund finance, and regulatory matters. Caroline MacLaughlin has significant experience in the practice area, and covers corporate finance, real estate finance, and debt restructuring transactions.

Practice head(s):

Richard Houliston


Other key lawyers:

Caroline MacLaughlin; Nichola Coghlan


Testimonials

‘TLT have strong expertise in banking and litigation – the key lawyers are very genuine, commercial and enthusiastic. They are also very good at offering added value such as training, events and additional industry insights.’

‘Very experienced, commercial and effective in assignment delivery.’

‘The team is extremely hard-working, always available, pragmatic in approach and easy to work with.’

‘Richard Houliston is an excellent lawyer and leads a very capable team.’

Key clients

Danske Bank


NatWest / Ulster Bank


AIB Group (UK) plc


Santander UK plc


Bank of Ireland


Ortus Secured Finance


CBRE Capital Advisors and the Northern Ireland Investment Fund


HSBC Bank UK plc


Element Finance


Triodos Bank UK


Investec Bank plc


YFM Equity Partners


David Samuel Properties


Work highlights


  • Advising Bank of Ireland on its c£10,000,000 real estate investment facilities to the iLiv Group secured against a portfolio of over 100 residential apartments in Northern Ireland.
  • Advising Ulster Bank on its multi-million-pound investment and development facilities to the Turkington Group in connection with construction of the new 7,000 square metre logistics warehouse at James Park in Portadown and surrounding development lands (which includes significant infrastructure for electric vehicles (EV) charging points).
  • Acted for institutional funder AIB on both the £18m financing and subsequent £18.6m refinancing of Ulster University-affiliated 123 York Street, purpose-built and award-winning student accommodation located in the heart of Belfast.

Davidson McDonnell Solicitors

Davidson McDonnell Solicitors is a prominent name for financing transactions, with experience handling matters on both borrower and lender side. The department is led by Aisling Owens, who joined from A&L Goodbody Northern Ireland LLP in October 2022. Owens’ practice includes real estate finance, acquisition finance, and mezzanine financing. Solicitor Rowan Gibney, who joined the team from Wilson Nesbitt in January 2023, is also a key name.

Practice head(s):

Aisling Owens


Other key lawyers:

Rowan Gibney


Testimonials

‘The finance team are extremely capable and provide the best in service for the bank.’

‘Aisling Owens is an exceptional banking lawyer. Not only does she possess the technical expertise to deal with complex matters, she is also personable and easy to deal with.’

Key clients

Wirefox Group


The Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland


Bank of Ireland (UK) plc


Whiterock Capital Partners LLP


Work highlights


  • Advised Wirefox Group on the acquisition financing of 35 Donegall Place, a landmark commercial premises in Belfast city centre.
  • Advised Bank of Ireland (UK) plc in respect of their financing of certain high-profile commercial retail units for an NI based corporate group.
  • Advised Wirefox Group on the acquisition financing of the Bushmills Hotel, a landmark hotel in Northern Ireland.

Elliott Duffy Garrett

Elliott Duffy Garrett provides general banking advice and secured lending service to a broad range of clients. Team lead Kevin McVeigh specialises in the sale and purchase of businesses. Cathy Murphy is a key name for secured lending, while associate John McElrone has experience in securitisation and restructuring.

Practice head(s):

Kevin McVeigh


Other key lawyers:

Cathy Murphy; John McElrone


Testimonials

‘Friendly, open, commercial, attentive and thorough. The practice has worked efficiently and supported us through Covid and beyond without a glitch – and they adopted tech based solutions for completions and document signing very quickly.’

Key clients

Northern Bank Limited


Ulster Bank Limited


Leeds Building Society


Feniton Property Finance DAC


Premium Credit Limited


Tennent’s NI Limited


Choice Housing Ireland Limited


Connswater Homes Limited


Lloyds Banking Group


Bank of Scotland plc


Upstream Trade Finance Limited


Upstream Working Capital Limited


Special EU Programmes Body


Pepper Finance Corporation (Ireland) DAC


Whiterock Capital Partners LLP


Work highlights


Eversheds Sutherland

Eversheds Sutherland 's growing Belfast team works closely with other offices across the Republic of Ireland and the UK to provide comprehensive cross-border service. Team lead Deborah Archer, who joined from PwC in April 2022, is dual-qualified in Northern Ireland and England and Wales.

Practice head(s):

Deborah Archer


Key clients

Phenna Group


Starwood European Finance Partners Limited


Fortus Group


QSix Real Estate Finance LLP


Barclays Bank PLC


Titanic Distillers Limited


Ulster Bank Ireland DAC


Work highlights


  • Acting for a UK Bank in relation to the refinance of a locally owned leisure group and more particularly to aid the refurbishment of one of its prestigious hotels.
  • Acting for a local bank with all island presence in relation to the share acquisition by a ROI packaging group of a Northern Irish entity for circa €35 million.
  • Acting for a UK wide real estate client of the firm in respect of a complex financing transaction with a deal value of £440 million.

McKees

McKees represents well-known banking clients on complex and cross-jurisdictional transactions. The group has particular strength in the hospitality, retail, and social housing sectors. 'Highly respected and experienced' practitioner Avril McCammon leads the team alongside real estate specialist Donald Thompson.

Practice head(s):

Avril McCammon; Donald Thompson


Testimonials

‘The team adopt a sound commercial approach that addresses our requirements whilst keeping to timelines.’

‘Avril McCammon is a highly respected and experienced lawyer who is excellent to deal with. Avril’s commerciality, proactivity and speed of responsiveness are all greatly appreciated.’

‘The team is proactive, knowledgeable and quick to react. They display an alertness to what we are seeking to achieve as clients and quick to talk us through how to provide a legal framework around this.’

‘The speed and attention we get sets the team aside from other practices in Belfast.’

‘It is Avril that makes this practice unique. She is the go-to person for complex transactions and it is a pleasure being on the opposite side of a deal to her.’

‘Avril McCammon is without doubt one of the leading lawyers in this practice. She is also very helpful to her professional colleagues in other firms. She finds solutions rather than problems.’

Key clients

Danske Bank


Bank of Ireland


National Westminster Bank t/a Ulster Bank


AIB Group (UK) Plc


Close Brothers


The Housing Finance Corporation


Work highlights


Wilson Nesbitt

Wilson Nesbitt has expertise in both commercial banking and finance transactions, and is primarily active on behalf of lenders. Max Nesbitt and Natasha Adamson jointly lead the team. Nesbitt is experienced in a range of financing matters. Adamson specialises in property and conveyancing issues, and is a key name for equity release mortgage transactions.

Practice head(s):

Natasha Adamson; Max Nesbitt


Other key lawyers:

Neil Logan


Testimonials

‘Natasha Adamson is an expert on equity release transactions. Her team ensure that transactions are completed smoothly and without delay’

‘Natasha Adamson is always available to deal with any queries or issues. She is extremely professional and helpful.’

Key clients

Bank of Ireland


Fiduciam Nominees Limited


Assetz Capital Limited


Folk2Folk Limited


Aberclay Limited


Sonic Funding Partners Limited


Paddington Street Ltd & Skybridge Lending Limited


Stoneygate 2007 Ltd


Fiduciam Nominees Limited


Sonic Funding Partners Limited


Lloyds Banking Group


Barclays Bank UK plc


HSBC UK Bank plc


Santander UK plc


Aviva Equity Release UK Limited


Just Retirement Money Limited


Leeds Building Society


Clydesdale Bank plc t/a Virgin Money


Nationwide Building Society


Tandem Bank (Previously Oplo)


Work highlights


  • Acted for Aberclay Limited in the granting of a facility to a local property developer to fund the acquisition of the entire shareholding of an SPV company. Deal value £2.5m.
  • Instructed by Fiduciam on a cross border multi-facility, multi-party and multi-property facility with a total value of £8,000,000.
  • Acted for Fiduciam Nominees in a £3.8million facility granted to a property development company to fund the purchase of two development sites in Northern Ireland.