Eversheds Sutherland > Belfast, > Firm Profile
Eversheds Sutherland Offices
SCOTTISH PROVIDENT BUILDING
DONEGALL SQUARE WEST
BELFAST
BT1 6JH
Eversheds Sutherland > The Legal 500 Rankings
Northern Ireland > Employment Tier 2
Eversheds Sutherland caters to a high profile roster of major clients, including PayPal, Sky UK, and Sportsdirect. Team lead Ian McFarland specialises in redundancy processes, with additional expertise in TUPE, and employment aspects of commercial transactions. McFarland joined the group from Elliott Duffy Garrett in January 2023. Associate Laura McManus has particular strength in contentious issues, and acts as the group’s primary point of contact for tribunal matters in the jurisdiction.Practice head(s):
Ian McFarland
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The team offer pragmatic and commercially minded legal advice, quickly and efficiently. We sometimes find it frustrating that some law firms do not match our pace and expected delivery timelines, but Eversheds Belfast consistently delivers.’
‘Laura McManus offers expert legal advice, can work to tight timelines and is readily available.’
‘There is a personal element to the service and flexibility to look beyond straight forward advice and move into business solutions.’
‘Really professional and flexible.’
‘Laura McManus has been a profound professional throughout all dealings.’
Key clients
Aviva
BA Kitchen Components
Brinks Cash Ireland Limited
Capita Business Services Limited
CDE Global Limited
Countrywide Freight Logistics Limited
Crown Packaging
DFS
Edgewater Contracts
EshopWorld
Expedia
Global Pay
GXO Logistics
Hannon Transport Limited
ITW Limited
Johnson Controls
Kestrel Thermoplastics Limited (client for 10 years)
Kingfisher plc – B&Q (client for 5 years)
Kingspan Water & Energy Limited (client for 6 years)
Lloyds Banking Group
Marks & Spencer plc (client for 9 years)
Mediahuis
Northern Ireland Hospice
PayPal
Riggotts
Sky UK (client for 17 years)
Specsavers
Sportsdirect
Statsports Group Limited
Sysco (formally Brakes / Pallas Foods)
Walsin Limited
Westrock
Whitemountain Quarries Limited
Work highlights
- Represented CDE Global Limited in seeking an emergency interim injunction to prevent an employee joining a direct competitor.
- Advising a multinational corporation in defending a claim for unfair dismissal and age discrimination, including an appeal to the Court of Appeal and tailored advice regarding DSAR and legal/litigation privilege.
- Advised a private equity consortium on all employment aspects relating to a majority share purchase in a group of NI recycling businesses.
Northern Ireland > Real estate > Commercial property Tier 2
Eversheds Sutherland acts for a client list of both local companies and prominent global businesses in all real estate matters, including investment, development, and leasing transactions. Gareth Planck, who is experienced working in both Northern Ireland and England, acts for institutional fund, developer, tenant, and finance clients. Core to the team are senior associate Hannah Boyd, whose focus is landlord and tenant work in the retail sector, and senior associate Corrina Cassidy, whose practice includes property development, asset management, and acquisitions and disposals.Practice head(s):
Gareth Planck
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Undisputed property knowledge and client service with commercial and professional delivery every time.’
Key clients
Frasers Group plc
Wolseley UK
Sweaty Betty
Hollandale Projects
Park Street Projects
Choice Housing Ireland
Domino’s Pizza UK and Ireland
Kildare Projects
Sports Direct International
Tim Hortons
Work highlights
- Instructed by Frasers Group Plc in the acquisition of Boucher Retail Park in South Belfast for GBP 40m from a well known Northern Irish investor.
- Advised Martin Property Group, a Londonderry-based property development company, on the acquisition of the Tillie and Henderson site. Upon receiving planning permission for a residential led regeneration of the site, our client sold the property to Ark Housing under a design and build contract.
- Advised Choice Housing Ireland on the acquisition and development of a number of high value sites across Northern Ireland that would ensure the client delivered on their Govt. set social housing targets.
Northern Ireland > Dispute resolution Tier 3
Areas of expertise for the Eversheds Sutherland department include procurement disputes, commercial litigation, and construction litigation. Team lead Matthew Howse, who is qualified in England and Wales and Northern Ireland, specialises in financial litigation. Associate Emily Paisley joined the group from Worthingtons in 2021, and covers commercial litigation.Practice head(s):
Matthew Howse
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Emily and Matthew are diligent and pragmatic – very professional, with sound advice.’
‘Matthew Howse is a dedicated lawyer who leaves no stone unturned when engaged in litigation.’
‘The dispute resolution team at Eversheds Sutherland have developed over a number of years to become one of the market leading teams in Belfast and maintains a significant present in the Commercial and Chancery Courts in Belfast.’
‘Matthew Howse as Partner is top tier in the dispute resolution market in Northern Ireland. He is superb at leading large teams of lawyers working on complex matters.’
‘The firm is extremely detail oriented. They take a collaborative approach so that each team member will be able to deal with matters which arise in a case at extremely short notice.’
‘Emily is able to effectively manage a large case load for us and provide us with expert knowledge on all areas of Northern Irish Law.’
‘The team work quickly and cohesively, readily available and pragmatic and commercially minded legal advice. This is a high standard I have come to expect from this team and are my go-to support for dispute resolution.’
‘Eversheds Sutherland are always willing to adapt their service offerings to match our changing requirements. This is done quickly and efficiently without any adverse drop in service.’
Key clients
Agua Fabrics Limited
Alex Properties Limited
AON UK Limited
AP Wireless II (UK) Limited
Azzuro Associates Limited
Bannatyne Fitness Limited
BDO
Bentley Corporate Manufacturing LLP
CDE Global Limited
Clover 51 Limited
CSC Computer Sciences Limited t/a DXC Technology
DFS
Ellard Limited
Fermanagh & Omagh District Council
Four Seasons Healthcare Limited
Frasers Group Plc
Funding Circle Limited
Guarantee Protection Insurance Limited
Harcourt Construction (NI) Limited
Keenan Corporate Finance Limited
Kevin Watson Construction Limited
Kildare Projects Limited
Legal & General Group Plc
Lloyds Bank General Insurance Limited
Northern Ireland Local Government Officers’ Superannuation Committee
Northland Deutsche Bucht GMbH
Northstone NI Limited t/a Farrans
Pearson Management Services Limited
PwC
Radius Housing Association Limited
Ramos Ferreira UK Limited
Roland Graham
Royal London Mutual Insurance Society Limited
Shoe Zone
Totara Learning Europe Limited
Trustees of the Calor Group Pension Trust
Work highlights
- Advising AP Wireless II (UK) Limited after it had been served with 16 separate sets of Article 7 Notices pursuant to the Business Tenancies (Northern Ireland) Order 1996.
- Advising Lloyds Bank General Insurance Limited on a variety of different types of claim in circumstances where our client provides a policy of home insurance, and where our client’s insured is the subject of threatened or actual legal proceedings.
- Advising Radius Housing Association Limited in two procurement challenges over the last 3 to 4 months, with values of c.£10million and c.£100million respectively.
Northern Ireland > Finance > Banking and finance Tier 3
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.
United Arab Emirates > Dispute resolution: compliance and investigations
Eversheds Sutherland LLP's 'experienced and knowledgeable' team is well equipped to handle complex sanctions and compliance queries, regulatory advice and investigations, and workplace disputes. The firm has recently been engaged in significant accounting fraud cases that required cross-border collaboration and close engagement with the ADGM. The team is led by Rebecca Copley, who is a go-to for the the firm's extensive list of financial services providers and institutions, and is active in compliance regulation and defending investigations. Lisa Bryson is noted for her stellar employment practice, handling both employee-specific disputes and company-wide non-compliance issues and senior associate Shibani Kapur has been kept busy handling investigations concerning fraud and malpractice.Practice head(s):
Rebecca Copley
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Rebecca Copley goes above and beyond for clients, providing an excellent service.’
‘The team experienced and knowledgeable and can put together a very good value and efficient offering for clients.’
‘Rebecca Copley is excellent, very experienced in the region and full of insight. A pleasure to work alongside, she thinks creatively and fights hard for clients. Shibani is an excellent up and coming associate with a bright future. ’
Key clients
Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC
Work highlights
- Representing Dubai Islamic in various proceedings arising out the NMCH Administration.
Eversheds Sutherland > Firm Profile
Eversheds Sutherland, one of the world’s leading legal providers, serves local and international clients in Northern Ireland through our Belfast office, located centrally on Donegall Square West.
As the only global law practice providing the full range of legal services across the island of Ireland and the UK, we are in a unique position to assist business and public sector clients in Northern Ireland.
Our team provides commercially-focussed and pragmatic legal advice of the highest standard.
We recognise that the marketplace is changing, and we have analysed what is shaping the industries we serve. Our lawyers understand the sectors that clients operate in and seek to build genuine long-term relationships. Strategic and commercial thinking adds real value to the first class legal expertise that we provide. We develop innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges, helping clients to save time and money, manage risks and open up new opportunities. It is an approach that makes Eversheds Sutherland such a distinctive and innovative force in the legal world.
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Law; Projects & Procurement | Peter Curran | petercurran@eversheds-sutherland.ie | +44 28 9091 8604 |
| Managing Partner; Real Estate | Alan Murphy | alanmurphy@eversheds-sutherland.ie | +44 28 9091 8604 |
| Real Estate | Gareth Planck | garethplanck@eversheds-sutherland.ie | +44 28 9568 0556 |
| Projects & Procurement | Aine Smith | ainesmith@eversheds-sutherland.ie | +44 28 9091 8604 |
| Corporate and M&A | Richard Kyle | richardkyle@eversheds-sutherland.com | +44 20 7919 4837 |
| Employment & Immigration | Lisa Bryson | lisabryson@eversheds-sutherland.ie | +44 28 9568 0518 |
| Dispute Resolution & Litigation | Matthew Howse | matthewhowse@eversheds-sutherland.ie | +44 28 9568 0139 |
Lawyer Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Deborah Archer | Partner | View Profile |
|
Matthew Howse | Partner | View Profile |
|
Ian Mcfarland | Partner | View Profile |
|
Emily Paisley | Senior Associate | View Profile |
|
|
Gareth Planck | Partner | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Belfast office : 10+ Figures for Ireland : 285Languages
EnglishMemberships
Eversheds Sutherland International LimitedOther
Other offices : Please see www.eversheds-sutherland.com for details of offices around the worldLegal Briefings
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