Peter Guzhar > Carson McDowell > Belfast, Northern Ireland > Lawyer Profile

Carson McDowell is a key name in the market for advising on IT infrastructure agreements, most recently assisting Fibrus with Project Stratum, a public initiative to develop broadband across rural areas. The team has also been advising Statsport, which has attracted investment from footballer Raheem Sterling. Dawn McKnight leads the team and excels in IT contracts and software development agreements. The team also has a contentious offering, with Peter Guzhar focusing on copyright infringement and licensing disputes. Associate Aisling O’Hare is a key name for non-contentious work.

Advising on contentious and non-contentious matters, Carson McDowell is a highly respected name for IP work and recently assisted Linen Mills Studios with its agreement with HBO for the new Game of Thrones tour. The team has also carved out a niche in the university sector, and advises Queens University and Ulster University on IP matters. Other sectors of interest include the life sciences, technology and financial services industries. Co-chair Declan Magee is highly experienced in IP disputes, especially patent litigation. Dawn McKnight also leads the team and advises on the IP aspects of commercial agreements and corporate transactions. Peter Guzhar, who excels in trade mark litigation, is also recommended.

Carson McDowell’s broad commercial litigation practice has standout strengths in handling procurement challenges as well as assisting manufacturing companies in disputes concerning their commercial agreements with suppliers and other parties. Declan Magee heads the ‘professional, efficient and thorough‘ commercial litigation and dispute resolution team and has extensive experience in procurement challenges, counting Translink as a key client. Another key area of expertise is insolvency litigation, with head of debt recovery Darren Toombs regularly acting on restructuring and debt recovery cases. Commercial litigator Peter Guzhar is another key name in the team; he acted for Tayto in a widely publicised trade mark infringement case against a supplier which was selling the Republic of Ireland’s similarly named yet separate crisps in bars and restaurants in Northern Ireland. Head of insurance Hugh McGrattan and head of construction Stuart Murphy are also highly recommended for disputes in their respective areas of expertise.