Carson McDowell expands with appointment of four new partners in Belfast and Dublin

Carson McDowell is Northern Ireland’s largest independent law firm, with 120 solicitors and more leading individuals and top ranked practice areas than any other local firm in respected industry guides Chambers UK and the Legal 500.

The firm announced that it has expanded its senior team to 32 partners with the appointment of Hilary Griffith as a corporate partner, Richard Dickson as a partner in its real estate division, Damian McElholm as a partner in its banking & finance team and Kathleen Byrne as a partner in its healthcare team, based in the firm’s Dublin Office.

Carson McDowell achieved the ‘Band one’ rating in 21 out of 25 practice areas ranked in the 2022 Chambers guide and had 13 partners given the top accolade on an individual basis, more than any other Northern Irish law firm. It also had 11 practice areas ranked as tier 1 in the 2022 edition of the Legal 500 guide, also higher than any other local firm.

As it announced the continued growth of its team in Belfast, the firm also confirmed that it plans to further expand its office in Dublin and will shortly move to new premises in order to accommodate this growth.

Carson McDowell’s managing partner Roger McMillan, said: “I’m delighted to welcome four new partners to the firm who add significant experience and expertise to a market leading team that remains as focused as ever on delivering for our clients and helping them to take advantage of opportunities for growth.

“As well as continued growth in Northern Ireland it is fantastic to see the further expansion of Carson McDowell’s specialist healthcare team in Dublin, where there continues to be significant demand for our services.”

Neasa Quigley, Senior Partner at Carson McDowell, added: “The growth of the firm remains closely aligned to the growth of our clients and at the moment it is a very active market. We are fortunate to represent a large number of commercially sophisticated local businesses, high-profile international clients and prestigious organisations in education and the public sector.

“As an employer of 200 people the wellbeing of our colleagues is of utmost importance and striving to make this a great place to work is a major focus for us. Carson McDowell has a strong track record of attracting and developing the best talent and retaining that talent is key as we look to the future.”