Cleaver Fulton Rankin

Cleaver Fulton Rankin is a leading commercial law firm in Northern Ireland, providing a full legal service to both commercial and private clients, including national and local private companies, developers, financial institutions, public institutions and quasi-public bodies, not for profit organisations and other government funded organisations.

The firm’s primary areas of work are described below and comprise of banking and finance, corporate and commercial, commercial property, employment and immigration, dispute resolution, planning and environment and private client, supplemented by niche units specialising in areas such as construction, insolvency and business restructuring, intellectual property, planning and environmental, and procurement.

We offer unique sector expertise across areas such as property and construction, energy and renewables, manufacturing and technology. In addition, we offer specialist legal solutions, such as a legal technology, including eDiscovery and managed document review, CFR HR Consultancy, providing expert HR and employment law advice, and an ESG Hub, to support clients with legal matters related to Environmental, Social and Governance issues in business.

We have established links with Dublin, London, regional UK and international law firms, and provide an ‘all-island’ and wider UK and international service to our clients. We are members of leading lawyers’ networks, including LawNet and Nextlaw, which gives us access to a worldwide network of commercial law firms.

Principal areas of work
Banking and finance: The banking and finance team has recognised expertise in acting on the full range of finance transactions,  corporate finance and project finance transactions, acquisition finance, commercial property finance transactions, asset backed lending, invoice discounting, factoring, restructuring and specific services relating to the securitisation of Northern Irish assets. We also advise on applicable regulation, compliance and best practice.

Corporate and commercial: The corporate and commercial team has a long-standing reputation for providing sound practical advice to clients in both the private and public sectors and across a wide range of industries on all types of commercial transactions, including intellectual property, construction, energy, IT, banking and charities law.

Employment and immigration: The employment and immigration team is widely acknowledged for its expertise both locally and nationally. It offers guidance to clients (many of whom are businesses and lawyers operating in other jurisdictions) on the differences in employment law that exist in Northern Ireland and practical advice on measures which should be taken in specific circumstances.

Dispute resolution: As one of the largest litigation teams in Northern Ireland, our dispute resolution team has an impressive clientele in a variety of practice areas. This includes general commercial litigation, construction, property, defamation, disputes about wills and trusts, corporate recovery, insurance, intellectual property and IT, personal injury, product liability, procurement and debt recovery.

Planning and environment: Cleaver Fulton Rankin is at the forefront of this specialised area of law, with a wealth of experience in providing practical legal advice throughout the planning application process, appeals and inquiries. The firm also provides environmental and planning due diligence for property transactions and company acquisitions.

Private client: The private client team is dedicated to providing high-quality and specialist advice on inheritance tax and estate planning, including the use of lifetime and testamentary trusts where appropriate. In addition, the team regularly advises on the administration of trusts and estates, enduring powers of attorney, nursing care issues and matters involving the Office of Care and Protection. The team also includes a residential conveyancing team and a family and matrimonial team.

Property: The firm’s commercial property team has extensive experience in all aspects of non-contentious commercial and residential property matters with a broad client portfolio, including developers, investment institutions, national retail chains, PPP projects and joint ventures. The team is well used to working seamlessly with other professionals to deliver on major projects for clients.