Partner
Carson McDowell
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Partner
Partner & Head of Real Estate
Partner commercial property. Advises in respect of the acquisition, disposal and leasing of commercial property within Northern Ireland and England and Wales, with a particular specialism within the energy sector and advising energy companies in respect of the acquisition and disposal of property interests and property aspects of energy projects. Recent cases/clients: advising various companies including ESB, SSE, Infinis, TCI Renewables respectively in respect of the acquisition of various energy interests within Northern Ireland and advising generally in respect of the property aspects of energy projects; advising Bord Gais and Storenergy in respect of the property aspects of the development of an underground gas facility, acting on behalf of several developers in respect of the leasing, acquisition and disposal of property interests in Northern Ireland and England and Wales, including interests within the leisure sector and various shopping centres.
Faye is a Senior Associate in the Planning and Environmental team at Carson McDowell.
Francesca is a partner in the litigation department at Carson McDowell LLP and works within the healthcare litigation team. Francesca has extensive experience defending dentists, doctors and pharmacists in relation to clinical negligence claims and at Inquests. Francesca’s clients include the Medical Protection Society, Dental Protection, the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland and the National Pharmaceutical Association. Francesca also has significant experience in acting on behalf of local hospital Trusts and the NHSLA.
Gavin is an associate in Carson McDowell's Construction and Engineering team. He is involved in all aspects of non-contentious contract drafting and negotiating, as well as contentious construction disputes involving adjudications, arbitrations and litigation in the High Court.
Gerard is a member of Carson McDowell’s corporate and projects teams. A partner in the firm’s corporate finance department, Gerard has experience of acting for some of Northern Ireland’s most commercially sophisticated companies in relation to corporate sales and acquisitions, as well as advising on a wide range of commercial arrangements and ventures. As an integral member of the projects unit, Gerard has extensive experience of advising clients in relation to a number of schemes and projects, including PPP, PFI, DBFO and DBFOM projects and refinancing projects, having advised funders, public bodies and the private sector in relation to a number of projects which have successfully been negotiated through to financial close and beyond. In addition, Gerard has advised a number of clients in relation to non-PFI projects including windfarm projects and energy from waste developments.
Partner. Grant advises on planning and environmental matters with an emphasis on waste and contaminated land matters, renewable energy projects as well as providing planning and environmental due diligence support to the corporate team within the form. He also provides planning law advice to one of the new local planning authorities in Northern Ireland. Recent highlights have included a successful appeal of a noise abatement notice served upon a client and assistance in the acquisition of planning permission for Dunluce Visitor Centre on appeal. Types of work undertaken include: the co-ordination of major planning applications for commercial clients; representation of clients at planning and enforcement appeals; instigation/defence of judical reviews of planning decisions.
Partner
Jacqueline is a partner in the litigation department at Carson McDowell LLP and works within both the healthcare and commercial litigation teams. Jacqueline has extensive experience of defending doctors in relation to clinical negligence claims, of mixed but primarily high value on behalf of Medical Defence Organisations and Insurers, including Medical Protection Society, the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland and Lloyd’s Underwriters. Jacqueline’s breadth of experience also includes defending other (non-clinical) professionals in relation to High Court negligence claims to include surveyors and architects on the instructions of their professional indemnity insurers; defending personal injury/industrial disease claims on behalf of various insurers, loss adjusters/self-insured companies and defending claims arising from general accidents (including catastrophic injury/fatal accidents). Jacqueline also has experience of conducting judicial review proceedings associated with various healthcare matters and of assisting/advising doctors/corporate bodies in relation to public inquiries/inquests. In addition, Jacqueline has very significant experience in defending companies in relation to health and safety investigations/criminal prosecutions following serious work-related accidents and deaths, which has involved assisting with site investigations, representation at formal interviews with the police/the health and safety executive Northern Ireland (HSENI), and advice and representation in relation to HSENI prosecution proceedings. Jacqueline regularly provides bespoke seminars in relation to healthcare law and health and safety law.
John Dugdale is a Partner in Carson McDowell specialising in construction and property disputes.
As regards construction, John advises on the entire project delivery process from end to end. He is familiar with the drafting and negotiation of all of the standard forms of contract used in Northern Ireland and elsewhere including the JCT, NEC and FIDIC forms. He has extensive experience of working with contractors, subcontractors, consultants, clients, funders and insurers in a wide variety of market sectors.
John's dispute resolution expertise includes mediation and negotiation, adjudication, arbitration and litigation. His recent experience has included insurance coverage disputes, negligence claims and bond claims in addition to general construction claims.
John also has extensive experience in property litigation, having worked for a number of high profile clients on a variety of contentious real estate issues, including security of tenure, lease termination and dilapidations. He also frequently advises clients on issues such as nuisance, breach of quiet enjoyment and derogation from grant arising out of active and proposed property developments.
Partner and specialises in defending professionals in regulatory proceedings brought by the General Medical Council, General Dental Council and Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland, as well as a range of disciplinary proceedings. Clients include the Medical Protection Society, Dental Protection and the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland.
Partner in Carson McDowell’s real estate team.
Mary-Kim has experience in all areas of real estate law including, site assembly and disposal, landlord and tenant law, land law disputes, rates appeals, refinance and compulsory acquisition. Mary-Kim acts for many retailers, landlords, developers and both advised public and quasi-public bodies.
Mary-Kim’s retail tenant clients include B&M, JD Sports, Molton Brown, Trespass, Pandora, Fat Face, the Body Shop, Regatta and The Original Factory Shop. Her landlord clients include the owners of Faustina Retail Park, Londonderry and Park Centre, Belfast. Mary-Kim also acted in the sale of Clandeboye Retail Park, Bangor, on behalf of her client Threadneedle.
Mary-Kim has experience in acting for a number of high-profile waste clients within the jurisdiction including River Ridge Recycling and Irish Waste.
Mary-Kim has extensive experience in student accommodation schemes having been involved in the disposal of a number of schemes throughout Belfast on behalf of her client McAleer and Rushe. In addition, she has advised Investec plc with respect to the financing of a number of other student accommodation schemes financed by third-party developers.
Mary-Kim acts for a number of food manufacturers, including Finnebrogue Foods, in the acquisition and development of production facilities and acting on behalf of Greggs plc in respect of their Northern Irish stores.
Senior Associate Solicitor in the real estate team advising on the acquisition and disposal of commercial property and on the law of landlord and tenant. Specialises in offering advices in relation to licensed premises as part of the Licensing sub-team and on the application of the Telecommunications Code to land.
A Senior Associate at Carson McDowell LLP, Olivia defends professionals in a range of regulatory matters brought by the General Medical Council, General Dental Council and the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland. Olivia also advises in disciplinary matters.
Olivia advises in health and safety matters, including providing compliance advice, providing corporate support on due diligence projects and acting on behalf of companies in relation to investigations and prosecutions for breaches of health and safety legislation.
Peter is a partner in the commercial litigation team at Carson McDowell and heads up the firm's contentious IP practice. Peter has extensive experience of advising and acting in company, shareholder and partnership disputes to include minority shareholder petitions, breach of directors’ duties actions and partnership dissolution actions. Peter’s breadth of experience also includes defending and prosecuting intellectual property actions in the High Court in Northern Ireland to include a number of high value and complex patent infringement cases for clients in the technology and manufacturing sectors; advising and acting in copyright and trademark infringement matters, and further misappropriation and misuse of confidential information actions which have necessitated applications for injunctive relief to include mandatory injunctions and search and seizure orders. Peter also has experience of advising in complex contractual disputes relating to supply and manufacturing defect issues and has defended a number of Commercial Agency Regulations claims brought by agents. In addition, Peter has successfully prosecuted a judicial review action on behalf of interested parties against a Health Trust in respect of the failure to properly consult on the proposed closure of a hospital facility.
Rachael is a senior associate at Carson McDowell LLP. She specialises in healthcare, assisting Doctors and Dentists in regulatory proceedings brought by the General Medical Council and General Dental Council. In addition, defends Doctors in relation to disciplinary proceedings and complaints. Clients include the Medical Protection Society, Dental Protection and the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland.
Hall of fame
Rachel is a partner in the highly regarded employment team at Carson McDowell. Although she practices a broad range of non-contentious and contentious employment law, Rachel’s particular expertise is in providing clients with advice on strategic and advisory employment law matters, including sensitive investigations, executive appointment and termination, outsourcing transactions (particularly those involving the public sector), large scale ‘change management’ and redundancy programmes. Rachel is also known for her work on transactional employment matters, particularly acquisitions involving TUPE and trade union issues.
Sarah is a partner in the employment team advising clients on contentious and non-contentious aspects of employment law. She advises clients in a wide variety of industries across both the public and private sectors throughout the UK. Sarah regularly defends claims in the industrial and fair employment tribunal and advises clients on matters such as TUPE, restructuring, bullying and harassment, grievances and redundancy. Sarah also assists Carson McDowell’s corporate team in relation to the employment aspects of mergers and acquisitions.
Sarah is a Senior Associate at Carson McDowell and specialises exclusively in the Planning and Environmental Law team.
Stuart is a Senior Associate with Carson McDowell LLP. Advises corporate, individual and institutional developers and investors on all property aspects of commercial property transactions and has considerable experience in acting on renewable developments in Northern Ireland. Regularly acts on the negotiation of initial land documentation and the acquisition, disposal and ongoing management of large real estate portfolios involving both commercial and residential properties. Stuart works closely with partners Dawson McConkey and Emma Cooper.
Timothy is a senior associate with Carson McDowell LLP. He works closely with Hugh McGratton advising solicitors, surveyors, architects, accountants and other professionals in the defence of claims issued against them in both the High Court and County Court.