Barrister Profile

Main Areas of Practice

Commercial Law
Insolvency
Land Law
Personal Injury

Biography

I have a broad commercial practice and I accept instructions in nearly all areas of civil law, both contentious and advisory. While I am regularly instructed to deal with high value contested claims and complex commercial or property disputes, I represent clients before all court tiers and tribunals and am also adept at using alternative dispute resolution, including mediation and arbitration.

Areas of particular interest include contractual disputes, shareholder disputes, banking litigation, insolvency litigation, the enforcement of security, debt recovery, asset recovery, professional negligence claims, property litigation, landlord and tenant law, construction disputes, road traffic claims and personal injury litigation.

Before being called to the Bar, I was a solicitor for over 12 years. I was a director in the litigation department of one of Northern Ireland’s leading law firms, was a consultant to a firm specialising in the international banking sector and was a negotiator for the derivatives team of a global law firm based in London. I also practised as a solicitor in Dublin, including acting as a specialist advocate at an appeals tribunal and serving as in-house counsel for a well-known national bank.

I have been recognised, amongst other things, for a “good attention to detail and commercially minded approach” (Legal 500).

Qualifications

Law (LL.B Hons) (M.A), Trinity College Dublin

Delaney Gold Medal for Debating, Trinity College Dublin

Solicitor, Law Society of Ireland (2007 to 2019), Law Society of Northern Ireland (2009 to 2019) and Solicitors Regulation Authority for England & Wales (2009 to 2019)

Degree of Barrister-at-Law, The Honorable Society of the Inn of Court of Northern Ireland (2019)

Degree of Barrister-at-Law, The Honorable Society of Kings Inns (2023)

Experience

Barrister, The Bar of Northern Ireland (2019 to Present)

Consultant, Donaldson Legal Consulting LLP, Belfast (2019)

Negotiator, Fieldfisher LLP, London Office (2019)

Director and Solicitor, Tughans Solicitors, Belfast (2011 to 2018)

Solicitor, Allied Irish Banks Plc, Dublin (2010 to 2011)

Specialist Advocate, Refugee Appeals Tribunal, Dublin (2009 to 2010)

Solicitor and Trainee Solicitor, Landwell Solicitors, Dublin (2004 to 2007)