Carson McDowell > Belfast, Northern Ireland > Firm Profile

‘The team are practical, commercial and costs conscious, in addition to being subject matter experts.’

‘I have always found the team to be very professional, efficient and thorough in everything they do.’

‘A busy practice which is able to provide first-class service to clients.’

‘Carson McDowell’s employment law team offered a number of helpful free seminars during the pandemic. The employment law team is extremely professional and commercially astute and they focus on the best outcome for clients. They go the extra mile and are a very safe pair of hands.’

‘Rachel Penny and her team are swift negotiators and offer intelligent, pragmatic and concise advice. Rachel herself is an outstanding lawyer to work with. I would recommend Rachel Penny and her team without hesitation.’

‘Carson McDowell has been a valuable source of expert professional advice on a number of complex employee relations issues. They have responded quickly to any queries, even outside of normal business hours, and have attended meetings at short notice when requested.’

‘Orlagh O’Neill continues to provide us with a pragmatic approach to navigating complex employee relations issues. Orlagh understands our organisation, which saves time in arriving at the most appropriate solution for us.’

‘They are very professional and strong technically. I find their can-do attitude to be excellent – it makes a change from the sit-on-the-fence approach, that other employment practices use.’

‘An unparalleled blend of knowledge, expertise and skill, combined with an uncommon sense of pragmatism, in a team that is wonderful to work with and a pleasure to do business with. Nothing that we have thrown at them has fazed them in any way and the level of service has always been exceptional.’

‘Rachel Penny is in a league of her own; indeed others aren’t even playing in the same game. Her knowledge of the law, combined with a sense of understanding of the needs of the client, wrapped up in a personality that is joyous to work with, makes the usual drudge of employment relations and litigation much more of a pleasant experience.’

‘Sarah Cochrane’s ability to stay abreast of the ever-changing legislation and guidance around the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has made our lives considerably easier over the last year. No question was too large or too small and her expertise was always expertly delivered with a smile to go with it.’

‘Excellent client service, market knowledge and most of all delivery of a premium service.’

‘Claire Harmer is client focused, stand out levels of service and strategically astute.’

‘They provide an excellent service with detailed, quality advice. Cases are progressed to a conclusion without any unnecessary delay where possible and a satisfactory outcome is nearly always achieved. They have adapted well to Covid and are available to discuss cases and tactics.’

‘Claire Harmer: Partner – Professional, very responsive – excellent advice and always available to discuss cases.’

‘The discrete professionalism, competence and client chemistry is what in my experience typifies what makes the the firm’s private client team so special.’

‘I have continued to work with Neil Bleakley, Partner in charge of the Trusts and Probate matters. In these areas I would have no reason to approach any other firm.’

‘Highly approachable team who provide clear, concise advice and are experts at cutting through complicated scenarios and situations to simplify things and achieve results.’

‘Dawson McConkey – exceptional lawyer who brings a common sense solution-focussed approach to achieving the best result for his client.’

‘They were knowledgeable, efficient and helped deliver completion of all transactions within a tight timescale. The fee structure is fair and overall the experience was excellent. Thoroughly recommended.’

‘Dawson McConkey and his team are excellent at what they do and have a strong presence in the market. We dealt mainly with Dawson McConkey – he was very quick to act on all matters and ensure the transactions completed smoothly and without delay. All communication was clear and concise and he was able to give pragmatic solutions and comments on issues where required.’

‘An excellent legal practice with an extremely strong and very capable team. Carson McDowell has provided sound legal advice and guidance to me for many years.’

‘A strong resilient firm and their response to the public health emergency was seamless in terms of productivity.’

‘Stuart Murphy is a vastly experienced and extremely capable legal expert. Stuart is well versed in dispute resolution and his advice is always very sound.‘

‘Subject matter expertise and a thorough and practical understanding of construction works’

‘Stuart Murphy is adept at working cheek-by-jowl with construction professionals and lawyers alike to get the job done and the right result.’

‘Carson McDowell are leaders in dealing with real estate and construction matters with a very proactive and positive approach providing us with confidence and reassurance. Nothing is ever a problem – promptness in responding to our queries is always their priority.’

‘Working with John Dugdale, in particular, is a pleasure. John is a very pleasant individual and has great interpersonal skills. His approach is always well planned and thought through.’

‘Carson McDowell have a great team of people who can cope with a project of any size. It is very clear that some of their partners have relationships with many leading retailers and developers. Carson McDowell can tackle a project of any size always in a professional manner.’

‘Very good practice with excellent team who fully understand the workings of our system here in Northern Ireland. They have a great network of contacts who are able to provided expert advise on a vast range of subjects.’

‘They are very focused and approachable with great interpersonal skills.’

‘The team at Carson McDowell are the most formidable in NI. They have a wealth of experience and the largest team which other firms in NI simply can’t compete with. ’

‘Gary McGhee is the partner you want on your side. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of planning and environmental law. A great strategist on large complex cases but is also incredibly personable.’

‘We found the practice to be extremely proactive throughout the process. they were easy to engage with, highly knowledgeable in all aspects of the industry. We were able to carry out all our meetings in these difficult times with ease and they had very good use of technology to ensure that the processes ran smoothly.’

‘Gary McGhee is extremely knowledgeable in the area of planning and has excellent communication skills. He was very assured in all aspects of the case.’

‘They have a flexible approach and are available when needed, they can also flex their approach based on our needs and the needs of our clients, which is invaluable to us as a business.’

‘One of few firms in NI who can genuinely say they are experts in this area. Great client base.’

‘Peter Guzhar – one of few genuine IP experts in NI.’

‘The team is extremely flexible and never fails to go the extra mile when working to deadlines.’

‘The practice is very quick to identify appropriately qualified and experienced individuals who make themselves readily available to discuss issues and to volunteer solutions to even the most complex and confusing situations.’

‘Team members are very personable and patient when it comes to explaining the law and teasing out relevant legal issues, uncertainties and potential solutions.’

‘They strive to ensure that they fully understand the brief and will present options in a concise fashion that encourages further discussion to crystallise the optimum course of action in even the most uncertain of circumstances.’

‘The firm was able to flex to provide a speedy response on a contractual issue where time was of the essence.’

‘The partners we deal with are always available 24/7 and provide extremely pertinent and succinct advice’

‘All the partners go the extra mile to ensure we receive excellent customer service and have always ensured our very tight deadlines.’

‘They are very responsive in terms of timeframes, and also provide detailed, understandable advice and options in areas they have been asked to advise on. People are very easy to deal with and provide recommendations and solutions, while working with clients, understanding their needs.’

‘Have dealt with several of the Carson McDowell team over the years. Specifically on banking and financing, have worked with Sinead McGrath and Fearghal McVey and have always received very timely, knowledgeable advice. The people involved are easy to deal with, making things as straightforward as possible for the client.’

‘Legal advice is all about individuals – their competence, their “commerciality” and their ease of relationship. The individuals I have interacted with at Carson McDowell excel in these areas resulting in clear, commercial advice in an efficient and effective manner.’

‘The team stands out among its peers for sector expertise, availability and commerciality.’

‘Darren Toombs stands out for his expert, commercial and pragmatic approach. A stand out practitioner in the area. Trusted by clients and peers.’

‘There is a strong and well regarded team. They have very strong technical background and access to a wide and multi disciplinary practice.’

‘Darren Toombs is very well regarded and is technically very knowledgeable. He is extremely efficient with a turn around time that is second to none. He is excellent at communicating and very commercial in his approach.’

‘Very efficient, client focused firm. High standard of partners and associates. The detail and clarity of instructions to barristers is second to none.’

‘The team is very well managed and there is appropriate supervision of junior members of the team at all times. However, they are also utilised effectively. They are good at discerning what we as an organisation actually want and need from them and they respond appropriately. When necessary they work well with their IT colleagues to come up with solutions to assist. For example, during a recent trial their IT department brought monitors to court and set them up so that the other parties could look at medical scans in a meaningful way.’

‘Jacqueline McAleese is a thorough, excellent and incredibly hardworking solicitor. She is a pleasure to work with and for. She utilises a collaborative approach to solving problems arising during the course of litigation. She is smart and practical and a true people person.

‘Jacqueline McAleese is an extremely capable lawyer- one of the best I have come across. She is forensic and insightful in her analysis of cases and yet at the same time she is friendly and easy to work with. She always tries to take the pressure off those instructing her. She is definitely someone you would want on your side.’

‘Principally I deal with Claire Harmer. She is always prepared to go the extra mile. Her technical knowledge of personal injury litigation is first class. Claire communicates in detail and regularly. She has good social skills and relates well to our clients. Cathal O’Neill is also an excellent solicitor, particularly in handling liability claims and NIHL cases. He is also prepared to take on board our views and that of the client.’

‘Claire Harmer: exceptional, expert and always available.’

‘Cathal O’Neill: exceptional in knowledge and response times.’

‘Sam Francey is very smart, responsive, always available and very hard working. He is a pleasure to work for.’