Hall of fameCarson McDowell
Declan is a partner and jointly heads the dispute resolution team. The team has enjoyed continuous growth during his tenure and is widely recognised within the legal sphere as being at the forefront of the niche practice areas it covers. Declan specialises in commercial disputes including procurement disputes, judicial review, intellectual property, professional negligence defence work, fraud, regulatory matters and defamation. He has a strong client base both in the public and private sectors. Declan is regularly involved in high value, high profile matters. His breadth of expertise extends to matters at an appellate level before the Northern Irish Court of Appeal to a successful challenge before the House of Lords which has set a new test on judicial review discovery obligations. He has successfully represented a private company in a challenge to the awarding of a significant public sector contract which also set a leading authority on the issue of award criteria for contract procurement. Defending a challenge to a release decision of the Parole Commissioner for Northern Ireland will see Declan again before the Supreme Court, as will the defence of a challenge to a public sector pension provider. Declan’s ability to provide prompt advice, to present solutions and to relate complex legal issues into real terms readily understood by clients greatly enhances and secures his footing as one of Northern Ireland’s forefront litigators.