Arthur Cox Belfast > Belfast, United Kingdom > Firm Profile

Arthur Cox Belfast > The Legal 500 Rankings

Corporate and commercial > Corporate and M&A Tier 1

Arthur Cox Belfast‘s team acts for a diverse client list of domestic and international companies, with experience in all major industries. Areas of particular strength include agri-food, retail, tech, and logistics. Team lead Lynsey Mallon, described as an ‘excellent negotiator’ and ‘exceptional leader’, handles a broad range of M&A, and has expertise in company law and corporate governance. Alan Taylor, who is the firm’s Northern Ireland chairman, acts for both overseas corporates and indigenous businesses. Also key are David White, who has expertise in the energy sector, and Richard Armstrong, who made partner in January 2022. Associate Lois Arbuthnot is a name to note.

Northern Ireland > Dispute resolution Tier 1

Arthur Cox Belfast is active within Northern Ireland for a significant number of premiere multinational clients, including Coca-Cola, Sky, and Mastercard, in addition to prominent automotive companies such as Renault, Volvo, and Jaguar. The team handles an extensive range of commercial disputes, with expertise in contractual, finance, fraud, and insurance cases. Managing partner and department head Catriona Gibson covers the full range of commercial litigation and operational disputes. Chris Ritchie regularly represents clients from outside the jurisdiction, and has expertise in public procurement and judicial review. David Black covers general commercial disputes, and has expertise in professional negligence matters.

Finance > Banking and finance Tier 1

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.

TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > IT and telecoms Tier 1

Arthur Cox Belfast‘s team is experienced in all areas of IT law, including commercial, regulatory, and procurement law matters. Department lead and firm chairman Alan Taylor has a long history of acting on behalf of public and private sector clients, and is noted for his expertise in data protection issues. Lynsey Mallon is a prominent name in the fintech, regtech, and advanced manufacturing sectors. William Curry specialises in procurement, M&A, and investments, and acts on behalf of major governmental clients.

Northern Ireland > Employment Tier 2

Arthur Cox Belfast‘s full service offering provides clients with expertise in immigration, TUPE, and corporate transactional support, as well as contentious matters such as industrial relations disputes and tribunal representation. Rosemary Lundy has significant experience advising local and international clients on all areas of employment law, with a specialism in termination of employment. The ‘highly professional’ Chris Fullerton, who made partner in 2022, covers both contentious and non-contentious employment matters.

Finance > Insolvency and corporate recovery Tier 2

Arthur Cox Belfast‘s team is experienced acting for directors, creditors, lenders and insolvency practitioners. Areas of expertise include debt recovery, corporate restructuring, and cross border insolvency. Stuart Mansfield, who leads the team, specialises in advising lenders and creditors on restructurings and insolvencies. Colm McElroy covers a broad range of refinancing and corporate insolvency matters, with a specialism in the management of non-performing loan portfolios.

Private client > Personal tax, trusts and probate Tier 2

Arthur Cox Belfast caters to high value and complex trusts and family office investment firms, as well as individuals with private offices in Northern Ireland. The group has strength in cross-border matters, and regularly acts for those with assets across Europe and the Republic of Ireland. Firm chairman Alan Taylor co-leads the department with consultant Rowan White, who is a real estate specialist.

Projects, energy and natural resources > Energy, project finance and PFI Tier 2

Arthur Cox Belfast‘s all-island energy practice is active across the electricity, gas, renewables, and natural resources sectors, and has particular expertise in regulatory matters. William Curry, whose expertise covers all aspects of public procurement and project delivery, co-leads the group with corporate partner David White, who specialises in the energy sector. Other key names in the group include Alan Taylor and associate Erin Carruthers.

Real estate > Commercial property Tier 2

Arthur Cox Belfast fields a team with expertise in the energy, leisure, and retail sectors, which has a record of acting for prominent national and international clients. Team lead Alastair Todd, ‘a good man to have in your corner’, handles both contentious and non-contentious property matters. Todd is supported by consultant Rowan White, who was formerly the department head, and Mark Jameson, who specialises in commercial property development, investment, and management.

Real estate > Construction Tier 2

Arthur Cox Belfast fields a team described as 'responsive, direct and always commercial', with expertise in high value contentious and non-contentious matters. Cahal Carvill co-leads the team alongside William Curry. Carvill covers the full spectrum of construction matters, and has experience working both within Northern Ireland and internationally. Curry specialises in non-contentious projects, and works with clients from inception to completion. Associate Darren Fitzsimmons is an integral member of the team.

TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property Tier 2

Arthur Cox Belfast advises clients on the full range of IP matters, including copyright law, trade mark law, and patents law. The group acts for prominent clients in a diverse set of industries, such as agritech, medtech, and education. Team lead Alan Taylor is experienced in IP matters at the global scale, and advises on the exploitation and maintenance of intellectual property generally. Lynsey Mallon is particularly prominent in the technology, retail and public sectors, while Richard Armstrong is a key name for pharmaceutical and medtech clients. Associate Erin Carruthers is a core team member.

Insurance > Personal injury and clinical negligence: defendant Tier 3

Arthur Cox Belfast represents insurers of corporate clients in relation to a broad range of personal injury matters, including employers’ liability, public liability, and occupiers’ liability claims. Team lead Chris Ritchie has more than 25 years of experience in personal injury matters, and has expertise in key areas such as hearing loss, asbestos-related illness, and product liability claims.

Ireland > Fintech

Arthur Cox impresses with the breadth of its offering in the fintech space, acting for an array of global financial institutions and leading fintech companies. The team has recently been highly active in advising major banks and investment firms on the procurement of new tech, and also stands out for its expertise in financial regulatory work, with a strong record of assisting international fintechs establishing entities in Ireland. Robert Cain leads the financial regulatory practice, where Belfast and Dublin-based Sarah Thompson is also a key contact, while Ian Duffy specialises in outsourcing, digital transformation projects and data protection.