LAW firm Carson McDowell has expanded its corporate team in response to increased demand for the team’s expertise from local and international clients.
Paul McGuickin has joined the firm as a senior associate, Rosanne Brennan has been appointed as an associate and Helen Boyle has joined as a solicitor.
Rosaleen Jones has also become the corporate team’s new legal secretary, which brings the total number of lawyers in the team to 20, with five support staff.
In the past 12 months Carson McDowell’s corporate team has advised on transactions with a combined value of more than £750 million for clients in Northern Ireland and other markets.
In 2018 alone this includes acting as lead advisers on the £400 million-plus sale of Lagan Group’s materials business to Breedon Group plc, advising the shareholders of Lowe Rental Ltd in relation to the £60m investment by private equity fund Perwyn, and taking the lead adviser role on the acquisition by SHS Group Limited of 3V Natural Foods.
Earlier this month Carson McDowell was named by Experian as Northern Ireland’s leading legal adviser for M&A in quarter one by transaction volume, working on nine deals in total.
Neasa Quigley, joint head of the firm’s corporate team, said: “Last year was a busy one for Carson McDowell’s corporate law team and the first half of 2018 has continued in the same vein.
“We have advised leading Northern Irish businesses and international businesses across a full spectrum of corporate transactions, including acquisitions and disposals, corporate finance, joint ventures, group reorganisations and corporate governance.”
Richard Gray, joint head of the corporate team, added: “In recent years the firm has been at the forefront of some of the most significant corporate transactions across many different sectors in Northern Ireland.
“Continued growth in this area has caused us to expand the team and we are confident that the appointments announced today will further strengthen Carson McDowell’s offering to our clients.”
Other high profile transactions Carson McDowell has worked on in the last 12 months include advising OMERS Infrastructure in the sale of Airports Worldwide, including Belfast International Airport, to Vinci Airports; acting as lead advisers to the owners of Options Technology Ltd in relation to the investment of almost $100m by New-York private equity firm Bregal Sagemount; and advising Helm Housing Association on its merger with Fold Housing Association to create Radius, the north’s largest housing association.
