The Legal 500 > Carson McDowell > Belfast, NORTHERN IRELAND > Lawyer profiles

Carson McDowell

MURRAY HOUSE, MURRAY STREET, BELFAST, BT1 6DN, NORTHERN IRELAND

Tel:: Work 028 9024 4951
Fax:: Fax 028 9024 5768
DX:: 403 NR-BELFAST

Email:

Web:: www.carson-mcdowell.com

Graeme McKee

Tel:: Work 028 9024 4951
Email:

Profile
Lawyer Rankings

Work Department

Banking & Finance

Position

Graeme is an Associate at Carson McDowell LLP, where he has built up considerable experience in advising lenders, borrower, funds and investors on property-related security and on corporate finance generally. In recent months, Graeme has been involved in an increasing number of loan portfolio sales and acquisitions, as well as commercially significant local, national and multi-jurisdictional transactions in the licensed trade, social housing, healthcare and energy sectors (often upon instructions from leading law firms in the Republic of Ireland, the UK and Europe).

Career

Joined Carson McDowell LLP as an apprentice in 2002; Admitted as a Solicitor in Northern Ireland in 2004; promoted to Associate in 2008 to present.

Member

Law Society of Northern Ireland; Corporate and Commerical Lawyers Group.

Education

1989 to 1996: Ballyclare Grammar School; 1996 to 2000: University of Dundee (LLB Honours); 2000 to 2002: Institute of Professional Legal Studies at Queens University Belfast.

Leisure

Cycling, motorsport and (occasionally) golf.

Northern Ireland: Finance

Banking and finance

Within: Banking and finance

The ‘knowledgeable and responsive’ finance group at Carson McDowell assists lenders and borrowers with financings and securitisation transactions for clients from the real estate, renewable energy and infrastructure sectors. Housing and agri-food mandates are growing areas of instruction; highlights included acting for Barclays in taking security over a £38m facility for 13 separate housing schemes from two prominent housing associations in Northern Ireland, and assisting the Hilton Food Group with the financing of its £80.8m acquisition of fish processor Icelandic Seachill. In a showcase of its refinancing expertise, the team acted for JPMorgan Chase, a member of a syndicate of lenders, as Northern Ireland counsel on the €600m refinancing of Valeo Foods. Other highlights included advising Skipton on the Northern Ireland aspects of the £220m sale of a portfolio of 1,600 residential UK mortgages to a fund managed by a global investment management firm. Sinead McGrath heads the practice, which also includes senior associate Graeme McKee and associate Naomi Gaston.

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Insolvency and corporate recovery

Within: Insolvency and corporate recovery

Carson McDowell ’s team provides ‘pragmatic and commercial advice’ on a range of insolvency cases, for clients ranging from accountancy firms and lenders to individuals and distressed companies. Recent work for the firm included high-profile administrations, debt recovery issues and bankruptcies across the healthcare, construction and professional sport sectors. In a key mandate, the group is advising longstanding client Grant Thornton, as administrator of a local trading company, on challenges to the former directors of the trading company, a property unit trust and a local Irish League football club concerning transactions taking place before the insolvency proceedings involving the recovery of a multimillion-pound loan from the trust. Other clients include Ulster Bank, Bank of Ireland and the Lakesmere Group. Sinead McGrath leads the team with the ‘very knowledgeable and responsive’ Darren Toombs, who is well known for his debt recovery expertise, and senior associate Graeme McKee, who has particular experience in distressed property sales.