Mills Selig > Belfast, Northern Ireland > Firm Profile

Mills Selig
21 ARTHUR STREET
BELFAST
BT1 4GA
Northern Ireland

Private client > Personal tax, trusts and probate Tier 1

In addition to domestic Northern Irish work, Mills Selig is active across England and the Republic of Ireland on the administration of complex and high-value estates. The team has experience in trusts, wills, and charity law, and acts on contentious and non-contentious matters. Fiona McFall leads the department and impresses with her experience in all matters of wealth management, particularly estate and succession planning. Associate Paula Gibson covers mental capacity, controllership, and enduring powers of attorney.

Practice head(s):

Fiona McFall

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Fiona and Paula provide a first class personal service to each of their clients. Clients appreciate their valuable advice delivered in a timely manner.’

Work highlights

    Corporate and commercial > Corporate and M&A Tier 2

    Mills Selig has seen increases in both deal volume and values over recent years, and now act for a number of global clients on transactions with Northern Irish elements. Clients remark on the firm’s ‘willingness to find solutions to allow transactions to reach successful conclusions‘, which has contributed to high profile deals across the technology, energy, and real estate industries. Managing partner Chris Guy leads the department, and has substantial experience in MBOs, investments, corporate restructuring and shareholder arrangements. He is supported by Glenn Watterson, who also works on the firm’s energy team, and Darren Marley, who was promoted to partner in 2021. Solicitor Emma McCloskey is a name to note.

    Practice head(s):

    Chris Guy

    Testimonials

    ‘Great team – willingness to find solutions to allow transactions to reach successful conclusions.’

    ‘Chris Guy – hugely experienced and measured in his approach. Nothing seems to rattle him. Darren Marley – pragmatic and tenacious to deliver transactions in tight timeframes.’

    ‘The team’s strength is its ability to communicate effective and regularly. They always make you feel that you are the most important client and keep you up to date with information and make time to explain or guide as necessary.’

    ‘Glenn Watterson has been with us since our inception. He has guided, supported encouraged. We totally trust his advice and he is always calm and precise in his communication.’

    Key clients

    Version 1 Software UK Limited

    Natural World Products

    FD Technologies plc

    Endzone Investments Limited

    Valsoft

    Galgorm Collection

    Power-On Technologies Limited

    NiSoft

    Cyphra Limited

    Blue Clarity Design Services Limited

    Work highlights

    • Acted for Version 1 Software UK Limited on the purchase of the entire issued share capital of Neueda Limited.
    • Acted for the shareholders of B9 Developments Limited, the holding company of Natural World Products Limited, on the sale of the entire issued share capital of B9 Developments Limited to Harvest Bidco Limited.
    • Advised global software provider First Derivatives in relation to its sale of its stake in RX Data Science, Inc. to Syneoas Health.

    Northern Ireland > Dispute resolution Tier 2

    Mills Selig acts on a broad array of disputes, including niche areas such as gross negligence manslaughter, and acted in a precedent-setting dispute involving car parking. Emma Hunt leads the team and specialises in complex property disputes, regularly advising banks, landlords, and retailers. Kirsten Magee offers experience in patent infringement and trade mark disputes. Maeve Fisher is noted for her licensing expertise in addition to her experience in all areas of insolvency and property litigation. Associates Katie Major and Rebecca Logan are names to watch.

    Practice head(s):

    Emma Hunt

    Other key lawyers:

    Testimonials

    ‘Emma Hunt and Kirsten Magee are outstanding partners in this field.’

    ‘Rebecca Logan – courteous, bright, persistent and tuned in to the needs of commercial client. One to watch.’

    ‘Practical, commercially-minded, resolution-focused.’

    ‘Emma Hunt – very hardworking, diligent, experienced and professional.’

    ‘Kirsten Magee and Katie Major – very personable and a pleasure to work with on NI-based matters.’

    ‘Boutique commercial firm with excellent litigation and licensing teams. Always friendly and practical.’

    ‘Emma Hunt – excellent litigator with superb communication skills. Maeve Fisher – stellar reputation on licensing matters.’

    Key clients

    Warrenpoint Harbour Authority

    Boojum Limited

    Smart Parking Limited

    Ammann Czech Republic AS

    Mannok Industrial Holdings

    Channel 4

    Twitter International Company

    Hagan Homes Limited

    Sky News

    Bamford Bus Company Limited

    Work highlights

    • Represented Ammann Czech Republic AS in a coronial inquest and related civil proceedings.
    • Represented a private client in long-running complex proceedings against Ulster Bank.
    • Acted for a manufacturing company defending patent infringement proceedings raised in the High Court and in related challenge to the EPO.

    Real estate > Commercial property Tier 2

    Mills Selig acts across the RoI and the UK in a wide range of sectors, including telecommunications, leisure, and hospitality, with particularly high-value work in the energy sector. Anne Skeggs, who is praised for her ‘clear experience and commercial approach‘ leads the department, and has a particular specialism in property finance. Anna-Marie McAlinden, who has over 16 years’ experience in the field, handles significant acquisitions, lettings and disposals for high-profile clients in addition to heading the firm's climate & energy department.

    Practice head(s):

    Anne Skeggs

    Other key lawyers:

    Testimonials

    ‘A great team led by Anne Skeggs.’

    ‘Anne is very commercial, personable, and really knows her stuff.’

    ‘Mills Selig is an extremely versatile and personable company. Each person you will come across within the firm is knowledgeable, personable and adaptable and willing to go above and beyond to ensure client satisfaction.’

    ‘Each individual we work with within Mills Selig is highly driven and caring.’

    ‘They were very quick to respond, available, commercial in their advice and were key to the smooth running of the deal. We were particularly pleased with their collaborative approach to working with us for the client.’

    ‘We would specifically mention Anne Skeggs. Anne’s clear experience and commercial approach was invaluable.’

    Key clients

    Ducales Capital

    Alpha Real Renewables/Elm Solar Limited

    Bamford Bus Company

    Euro Garages

    Hagan Homes

    Glenmayne Group

    Galliard Homes Limited

    Marcol Group Limited

    IMC Cinema Group

    ITV Group plc

    Clanmil Housing Association

    Total Produce Limited

    Quinn Industrial Holdings (now Mannok Holdings)

    Waterways Ireland

    A P Wireless Ireland Investments Limited

    Quicklet Properties Limited

    Earlsfort Capital Partners

    Lloyds Development Capital (Holdings) Limited

    Rexel Group

    Reed Group

    Ortus Secured Finance

    Mamas and Papas

    Rentokil

    Herbert Group/Kirk Bryson Limited

    Murdock Property Group/Lotus Group

    BSI Wind Limited

    TST Holding (NI) Limited

    Sky UK Limited

    NMQ-One Limited

    Travers Smith

    Devenish Nutrition

    McKibbin Sulliven

    Van Rath

    Chrifin Limited

    Work highlights

    • Acted for London investment group Alpha Real Capital (Alpha) on the acquisition of Innova Energy, a multi-million multi-asset operating portfolio.
    • Acted for Natural World Products on receipt of an investment of £20m from MML Growth Capital Partners Ireland and asset manager 57 Stars.

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

    Mills Selig is active on IP issues relating to a broad range of sectors, with a special focus on patent litigation. Their aptitude for contentious work has been bolstered this year with the promotion of commercial litigator Kirsten Magee to practice co-head alongside Emma Hunt and Glenn Watterson. Hunt brings experience in copyright, patent and trade mark disputes, while Watterson is mostly active in an advisory role for corporate IP matters.

    Practice head(s):

    Emma Hunt; Kirsten Magee; Glenn Watterson

    Testimonials

    ‘Mills Selig were recommended to us and in our initial discussions demonstrated an extensive knowledge of the particular technology problem we had encountered.’

    ‘The representative listened to our problem and devised a number of potential solutions. Outlined the potential costs for us and came in within the agreed budget in a timely manner.’

    Key clients

    Valsoft Corporation, Inc

    FD Technologies PLC

    Work highlights

    • Instructed by the intended defendant in proceedings threatened by their competitor in which it is alleged that a particular machine manufactured by our client uses technology which is protected by their patent.
    • Acting on behalf of the plaintiff company that claims infringement of its patent by an NI-based manufacturer of circuit boards, with similar proceedings ongoing in the USA.
    • Instructed to act on behalf of Valsoft Corporation Inc. (Valsoft), a Canadian-based company specialising in the acquisition and development of vertical market software businesses, on the acquisition of Fluent Technology.

    Northern Ireland > Employment Tier 3

    Mills Selig fields an employment team which specialises in advising commercial clients, especially large Northern Irish companies, on a wide range of matters, including TUPE obligations, tribunal claims, and day-to-day HR problems. Kiera Lee, who leads the department, has over 20 years of experience in the practice area, and is experienced in complex restructurings and strategic decisions. She works closely with solicitor Andrew Edwards, who has defended claims in the Industrial and Fair Employment Tribunals, and very well versed in contract law.

    Practice head(s):

    Kiera Lee

    Other key lawyers:

    Key clients

    First Derivatives Plc

    DCC Plc

    Virgin Media Plc

    Arjo UK Limited

    Golf Holdings Limited

    Homecare Independent Living

    Bamford Bus Company t/a Wrightbus

    Dunnes Stores Limited

    Van Werven Holdings Limited

    Galgorm Hotel Group

    Hospital services Limited

    MSC Group

    Town Parks Car Sales

    W Hall Limited

    Savage and Whitten Wholesale

    Ulster Shredders Engineering

    Vita Materials Limited

    Maw Engineering Limited

    Geda Construction Company Limited

    Habinteg Housing Association

    Triangle Housing Association

    Mannok Build Limited

    McKinstry Skip Hire Limited

    Asia Supermarket

    Newry Food Centre Limited

    Work highlights

    • Advised Hospital Services on the employment aspects of its acquisition of ROI company MDI Medical.
    • Advised Questel on all employment aspects (both Northern Ireland and England and Wales matters) of the company’s multi-million pound cross-border acquisition of Morningside.
    • Advised Agio UK on the employment aspects of setting up an office in Belfast.

    Finance > Insolvency and corporate recovery Tier 3

    Mills Selig acts on both corporate and personal insolvencies and is regarded as ‘practical and pragmatic‘. Richard Craig has led the team since 2020 and has experience appearing before the High Court in insolvency proceedings. Senior partner John Kearns  has more than 25 years’ experience and a client list which includes numerous domestic businesses, banks, and high-net-worth individuals.

    Practice head(s):

    Richard Craig

    Other key lawyers:

    John Kearns

    Testimonials

    ‘The team led by Richard Craig provides legal advice alongside practical and pragmatic solutions to complex matters. My team can access simple advice at the touch of a button or through a call.’

    ‘Insolvency and corporate recovery can stir up emotive reactions, and Richard Craig’s non-confrontational manner enables solutions to be reached which are fair and balanced.’

    Key clients

    PKF-FPM Accountants

    Gildernew & Co Accountants

    Keenan CF

    Rachel Fowler Advisory

    Hannaway CA

    Cavanagh Kelly

    Grant Thornton

    Arthur Boyd & Co

    McKeague Morgan

    HNH Group

    Begbies Traynor

    Work highlights

      Projects, energy and natural resources > Energy, project finance and PFI Tier 3

      Mills Selig acts on investments, acquisitions and disposals and is primarily active within the wind energy market. Anna-Marie McAlinden co-leads the team with Glenn Watterson. McAlinden has experience in all areas of renewable energy and has acted for both local and national clients. Watterson is the key contact for corporate matters in addition to advising on contractual and commercial issues. Associate Emma McCloskey plays a key support role.

      Practice head(s):

      Anna-Marie McAlinden; Glenn Watterson

      Other key lawyers:

      Testimonials

      ‘Mills Selig has a combination of technical excellence and client focus that we have found to be excellent. It means that we get great advice and we receive it in a manner that is aligned with our business needs.’

      ‘Glenn Watterson has been exceptionally good at working right alongside us through several tricky phases. He has always been clear, direct and empathetic when advising us.’

      Key clients

      Natural World Products Limited

      Power On Technologies Limited

      Girona Energy Limited

      BSI Wind Ltd

      Natural World Products Limited

      3T Power Limited

      Alpha Real Renewables

      Work highlights

      • Acted for Alpha Real Capital on its largest solar transaction to date with the acquisition of Innova Energy, of a multi-million multi-asset operating portfolio.
      • Advise Power On Technologies on regulatory issues regarding its requirements for a generation licence pursuant to the Electricity (Northern Ireland) Order.

      Real estate > Construction Tier 3

      Mills Selig fields a team active in a wide range of industry sectors, with a record in contentious and non-contentious matters which makes them a consistent favourite for housing associations. Practice head Adrian Kerr is experienced litigating, adjudicating and mediating across both planning and construction. Associate Conor Mulligan is also noted.

      Practice head(s):

      Adrian Kerr

      Other key lawyers:

      Testimonials

      ‘Collaborative, commercially-minded and work things through with clients in context of risk solutions. Focused, pragmatic, thorough knowledge of construction and sector.’

      ‘Adrian Kerr – we trust his knowledge and advice. Pragmatic and solutions-focused thorough knowledge of construction and housing association sector.’

      Key clients

      Clanmil Housing Association

      Radius Housing Association

      Construction Employer’s Federation

      Choice Housing Association

      Felix O’Hare & Company

      Glasgiven Contracts Limited

      Gilmore Engineering Services Limited

      Habinteg Housing Association (Ulster) Limited

      Lotus Homes

      GEDA Construction

      Work highlights

      • Acted for Clanmil Housing on all construction matters.
      • Act for Choice Housing Association in relation to its extensive ongoing construction project portfolio.

      The firm: Mills Selig is one of Northern Ireland’s most innovative and progressive corporate and commercial law firms. It acts for leading plcs, private equity funds, entrepreneurs, private companies and businesses, property developers, leading retailers and national and international media organisations.

      Its expert lawyers also advise on English law and are regularly involved in high-level property, corporate and commercial transactions in Ireland, Great Britain, mainland Europe and worldwide.

      Notable clients include First Derivatives plc, Bank of Ireland, Devenish Nutrition, ITV, DCC Energy, Murdock Group, Hughes Insurance, Wine Inns, SDC Trailers, and White Rock Capital Partners. The firm has experienced considerable growth over the past few years in restructuring, liquor licensing, banking, construction, energy and environment.

      Principal areas of work
      Banking and finance: Mills Selig advise borrowers and lenders on property and corporate finance transactions across many different sectors and can assist individuals and businesses as well as banks on all aspects of financing transactions. The firm’s experienced team have expertise in advising on recovery of secured debt and fixed charge receiverships.

      Commercial: Well-drafted commercial agreements are fundamental to successful business. Robust terms and conditions and distribution agreements are imperative in today’s competitive environment. Mills Selig’s commercial contracts team are experts at striking the balance in their advice so that client contracts are both workable from a day-to-day business perspective but also offer all appropriate safeguards to limit the risk of contract disputes.

      Commercial property: Mills Selig’s dedicated commercial property team have the technical edge to offer sound and decisive commercial property advice in Northern Ireland, England and Wales. The team works closely with clients and their agents to deliver effective, business-minded solutions in all areas of commercial property law.

      Construction: Mills Selig is a market-leading construction specialist employing a dedicated team focusing entirely on construction-related issues — the team has a proven track record of dealing with high-value and technically complex cases. The firm sets itself apart by providing solution-focused advice in relation to live construction projects and provides the full construction legal package.

      Corporate: Mills Selig’s corporate team is made up of market-leading specialist corporate lawyers and solicitors who combine superior technical expertise with substantial transactional experience of high-value, complex transactions both nationally and internationally. The team’s approach is based on clear, direct, problem-solving advice driven by business needs and objectives to get the deal done.

      Dispute resolution and litigation: Mills Selig has a highly successful, market-leading team adept at handling all types of litigation — with notable experience in managing high-value and complex cases. The litigation team is particularly skilled at adopting a trusted advisor approach and providing not only commercial but strategic advice.

      Employment: Mills Selig’s highly regarded employment team is recognised for its experience in all types of employment matters. In this specialised and complex area of law, the firm’s dedicated team focus on delivering expert advice with a strong commercial focus.

      Energy and environmental: Mills Selig’s energy and environmental team draws on key sector knowledge from across the firm’s practice areas, including corporate, commercial and property. The team has advised a wide range of clients involved in the generation of energy from renewable and non-renewable sources, as well as businesses operating in the supply chain.

      IP and technology: Mills Selig offers legal expertise across all aspects of IP. The firm advises businesses on strategies that enable their intellectual property assets to be fully protected and commercially exploited – this includes copyright, trademarks and design rights through to joint venture collaborations, franchising and licensing.

      Licensing: The licensing team at Mills Selig are recognised market leaders, combining detailed knowledge and practical experience of a wide range of licensing applications. Chambers and Partners ranks the Mills Selig licensing team Band 1. The team’s services include; applications for new licences for public houses, hotels, off licences and restaurants, all types of renewal application, transfers, sale and purchase transactions, protection orders, amendments/additions to licence terms, objections to applications and social club applications.

      Media and defamation: Mills Selig’s media and defamation team are recognised experts, representing national newspapers, broadcasters, book and online publishers as well as high-profile individuals. The team enjoy longstanding recognition in Chambers UK legal directory as a leader in defamation and reputation management and have been involved in many of the major libel and media cases in this jurisdiction— including Northern Ireland’s first-ever State Immunity case.

      Private client: Mills Selig’s specialist private client team assists individuals and families for whom wealth preservation is a fundamental objective. The team is trusted locally and throughout the UK and Ireland to handle all private client matters sensitively, professionally and with unparalleled expertise. The team has extensive experience in a range of private client matters including wills, trusts, business succession, estate planning and creating bespoke structures to protect personal and family wealth.

      Residential property: Mills Selig’s restructuring and insolvency team advises debtor companies, secured and unsecured creditors, financial institutions, banks, insolvency practitioners and failing businesses needing support on all aspects of recovery, turnaround and insolvency. The team is highly regarded for its expert, timely guidance, which has on several occasions helped businesses avoid formal insolvency arrangements.

      DepartmentNameEmailTelephone
      Senior Partner - Restructuring and Insolvency John Kearns
      Partner - Head of Property Anne Skeggs
      Partner - Head of Construction Adrian Kerr
      Managing Partner - Head of Corporate Chris Guy
      Partner - Head of Litigation Emma Hunt
      Partner - Head of Employment Kiera Lee
      Partner - Property / Head of Climate & Energy Anna-Marie McAlinden
      Partner - Head of Private Client Fiona McFall
      Partner - Restructuring and insolvency Richard Craig
      Partner - Corporate Glenn Watterson
      Partner - Corporate Darren Marley
      Partner - Litigation Kirsten Magee
      Partner - Litigation / Head of Licensing Maeve Fisher