Teacher Stern LLP

Litigation, Partner

Gillian is a Partner and joint Head of the firm’s Belfast office. Gillian heads up the Northern Irish Dispute Resolution & Litigation team.

Gillian advises on a wide range of commercial and real estate disputes with a particular emphasis on financial services litigation. Gillian is part of the firm’s UK wide Financial Services Disputes and Investigations team working very closely with her counterparts in Scotland and England and also sits as a member of the firm’s Financial Services Sector group.

Gillian acts on behalf of the firm’s clients in relation to breach of contract disputes, injunctions, property disputes, Lands Tribunal actions, specialist banking disputes, asset finance disputes and claims against lenders. Gillian has a market leading professional negligence practice and acts on behalf of some of the UK’s leading banks and financial services institutions in relation to their professional negligence actions in Northern Ireland.

Gillian’s recent instructions include:

Acting on behalf of an international accountancy firm in injunction proceedings following its appointment as Administrators of a major UK retain company; Acting on behalf of a large UK renewable energy company in proceedings surrounding the sale of a wind farm for a sum in excess of £100 million; Acting on behalf of a global Bank Plc in the successful settlement of a £1 million professional negligence claim against a valuer; Acting on behalf of a global fast food brand in relation to its property portfolio litigation strategy following the Coronavirus outbreak; Acting on behalf of a UK Building Society in the successful strike out of a multi-million pound claim against the Society; Acting on behalf of a number of UK shopping centre Landlords in disputes relating to their property portfolios. Gillian has specialised in commercial litigation since qualification and became a partner in her previous firm in 2012. Gillian joined Shoosmiths as a partner in June 2018. Gillian is qualified in both Northern Ireland and England & Wales so this enables Gillian to provide her clients with cross-jurisdiction litigation advice.

Gillian’s team has been ranked in the field of Dispute Resolution in Northern Ireland by Legal 500 and Gillian is described as being “highly technical and competent, but with a real human touch” and “highly competent, very personable and has great commercial awareness”.

Gillian has specialised in commercial litigation since qualification and became a partner in her previous firm in 2012. Gillian joined Shoosmiths as a partner in June 2018. Gillian is qualified in both Northern Ireland and England & Wales so this enables Gillian to provide her clients with cross-jurisdiction litigation advice.