Business

Carson McDowell expands with appointment of four new partners

Carson McDowell managing partner Roger McMillan and senior partner Neasa Quigley (both seated centre) with (from left) new partners Richard Dickson, Hilary Griffith, Kathleen Byrne and Damian McElholm. Picture: Elaine Hill
Carson McDowell managing partner Roger McMillan and senior partner Neasa Quigley (both seated centre) with (from left) new partners Richard Dickson, Hilary Griffith, Kathleen Byrne and Damian McElholm. Picture: Elaine Hill

BELFAST law firm Carson McDowell has continued its recent expansion with the appointment of four new partners in both Belfast and Dublin.

Already the north's largest independent law firm, it has expanded its senior team to 32 partners with the appointments of Hilary Griffith (corporate), Richard Dickson (real estate), Damian McElholm (banking & finance) and Kathleen Byrne (healthcare).

The appointments came as Carson McDowell confirmed plans to further expand its office in Dublin, where it will shortly move to new premises to accommodate this growth.

Managing partner Roger McMillan said: “I’m delighted to welcome four new partners, 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 our specialist healthcare team in Dublin, where there continues to be significant demand for our services.”

Neasa Quigley, senior partner at Carson McDowell, added: “Our growth remains closely aligned to that 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. We have a strong track record of attracting and developing the best talent and retaining that talent is key as we look to the future.”

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.