Commercial Law
Insolvency
Land Law
Professional Negligence
I have a broad commercial practice and accept instructions in nearly all areas of civil law, both contentious and advisory. Areas of particular interest include: Banking & Insurance, Chancery, Commercial Law, Company Law, Construction, Contract Law, Employment Law & Industrial Tribunals, Immigration & Asylum, Insolvency & Bankruptcy, Intellectual Property, Judicial Review, Land Law & Property, Personal Injury, Probate and Professional Negligence.
Prior to joining the Bar, I was a Solicitor for over 12 years. I was a Director in the litigation department of a leading law firm in Belfast and a Consultant to a legal services firm specialising in the international banking sector. I have experience managing a variety of complex civil and commercial litigation disputes and have been recognised, amongst other things, for a “good attention to detail and commercially minded approach” towards contentious insolvency matters (Legal 500, 2019).
LL.B Honours Degree in Law, M.A. (Trinity College Dublin)
Delaney Gold Medal for Debating (Law Society of Trinity College Dublin)
Admitted as a Solicitor in Ireland (2007 to 2019)
Admitted as a Solicitor in England & Wales (2009 to 2019)
Admitted as a Solicitor in Northern Ireland (2009 to 2019)
Called as a Barrister in Northern Ireland (2019 to Present)
Specialist Advocate at the Refugee Appeals Tribunal, Dublin
In-House Solicitor at Allied Irish Banks plc, Dublin
Director at Tughans Solicitors, Belfast
Consultant to Donaldson Legal Consulting LLP (DLC), Belfast
Speaker at seminars organised by DLC and Fieldfisher, Dublin & London
Barrister-at-Law at the Bar of Northern Ireland (Present)
Sample Experience Prior to Call:
Acting for creditors and debtors in numerous insolvency matters, including winding-up petitions, bankruptcy petitions, annulment actions, administration applications, director disqualification proceedings, proceedings compelling directors to deliver up company books and records, public examinations, retention of title disputes and actions to reverse transfers of assets.
Acting in numerous debt recovery proceedings, both for small debts and for multi-million pound sums in the Commercial Court, as well as in proceedings for possession of properties, the enforcement of security and related professional negligence actions.
Acting in numerous property litigation matters, including actions to enforce grants of easements, actions alleging undue influence, actions to enforce rights affecting land without registration, recovery of rent arrears, dilapidations claims, disputes over payment of service charges, disputes over rates and advising on the enforcement of residential and buy to let mortgages.
Acting for various major banks in the negotiation of Industry Master Agreements and regulatory Initial Margin documentation with their international counterparties.
Acting in a variety of breach of contract cases, company and shareholder disputes, unfair prejudice actions, breach of warranty claims, intellectual property disputes, construction disputes, banking litigation, employment claims, contempt of court proceedings and general negligence actions.