A&L Goodbody

Chairman of Belfast Office: Mark Thompson

Head of Belfast Office: Michael Neill

THE FIRM 

A&L Goodbody is one of Ireland’s leading corporate law firms. The Belfast office works with domestic and international companies and government bodies in relation to their business activities in Northern Ireland. The firm provides the full range of corporate legal services and has advised on some of the most significant, challenging and complex assignments in Northern Ireland in recent years.

The Belfast and Dublin teams work very closely, providing fully integrated legal services across the island of Ireland.

Contacts:  

Administrative & Public Law: Micaela Diver

Banking & Financial Services: Ciaran McAlinney, Judith Brown, Louise Bailey, Christopher Jessup

Competition law: Micaela Diver

Construction: Brendan Fox, Mark Stockdale, Micaela Diver, Tracey Schofield

Corporate/M&A: Alastair Keith, Peter Stafford, Mark Thompson, David Rowan, Mark Stockdale

Defamation/Reputation Management: Brendan Fox, Ciaran O’Shiel

Education: Gareth Walls, Aisling Byrne

Employment, Pensions & Benefits: Gareth Walls, Aisling Byrne

Energy & Natural Resources: Mark Stockdale, Mark Thompson, Ciaran McAlinney

Environment: Micaela Diver

EU and Brexit: Micaela Diver, Mark Thompson

Information Technology and Data Protection: Mark Thompson, Brendan Fox, Aisling Byrne

Intellectual Property: Brendan Fox, Mark Thompson, Ciaran O’Shiel

Licensing: Gareth Walls

Litigation & Dispute Resolution: Brendan Fox, Michael Neill, Gareth Walls, Micaela Diver, Sam Corbett, Ciaran O’Shiel

Media & Entertainment: Brendan Fox, Mark Thompson, Ciaran O’Shiel

Planning: Micaela Diver, Tracey Schofield

Professional Negligence (defendant): Brendan Fox, Sam Corbett, Ciaran O’Shiel

Projects: Mark Thompson, Mark Stockdale

Public Procurement: Micaela Diver

Restructuring & Insolvency: Michael Neill, Sam Corbett, Ciaran McAlinney, Judith Brown, Louise Bailey

Real Estate Litigation: Brendan Fox, Michael Neill, Gareth Walls, Micaela Diver, Sam Corbett, Ciaran O’Shiel

Real Estate: Tracey Schofield, James Pringle, Gregory Martin

Social Housing: Micaela Diver, Judith Brown, Louise Bailey, Brendan Fox

PRINCIPLE AREAS OF WORK  

Banking & Financial Services:

The banking and financial services group is involved in a significant share of high profile matters in Northern Ireland, providing a comprehensive range of banking and financerelated legal services including structured finance, syndicated facilities, acquisition finance, securitisation, corporate lending, asset finance and financial services regulation.

Commercial Property: 

The strong energetic team advises clients on every aspect of the commercial property business on the island of Ireland. The team’s services include investment, development, commercial leases, property financing, portfolio management and enhancement, corporate recovery, and also encompasses the environmental, planning and construction aspects of commercial and residential property deals.

Employment, Pensions & Benefits: 

The team has a national and international reputation for dealing with all aspects of employment relationships, with specific expertise in handling complex, business critical matters. The firm advises on a wide range of matters including Tribunal and High Court representations, drafting, maintenance and training on HR matters, policies, procedures, service agreements, corporate support in transactional matters (TUPE), and leads the jurisdiction on corporate immigration and visa issues.

Energy & Natural Resources: 

The energy and natural resources group has been at the forefront of the most complex and demanding transactions on the island of Ireland, acting for international and domestic developers, financial institutions, utilities, government entities, funds, equity houses, system operators/ owners and industry associations across the full spectrum of energy and natural resources related matters.

EU, Competition & Procurement:  

The EU and competition group is recognised as the leader in its field. The firm’s experienced team provides commercial and strategic expert solutions on competition/anti-trust law, merger control, public procurement, state aid, EU law and utilities and transport regulation.

Environmental & Planning:  

The environmental and planning group provides legal advice to businesses on environmental, planning and health and safety issues. The group advises on all aspects of environmental issues including assessing environmental risk, defending prosecutions, regulatory and compliance issues, environmental due diligence, the preparation and review of environmental warranties, negotiating indemnities and disclosures, and advising on IPPC, waste licences and waste contracts. It advises on all planning issues to include appeals, hearings and judicial review.

Infrastructure & Construction: 

The infrastructure and construction group advises public and private end-users and off-takers, sponsors, developers, funders, investors, contractors, designers, operators and government bodies. The team has vast experience of all the standard forms of contract used on the island of Ireland and elsewhere, and although would favour early resolution of disputes through mediation and conciliation, they also have extensive experience of adjudication, arbitration and litigation.

Intellectual Property & Information Technology:  

The IP and technology group combines skills across the areas of intellectual property, technology and communications. The group advises on both contentious and non-contentious matters and team members have significant international experience, having worked in multiple jurisdictions.

Litigation & Dispute Resolution:  

The litigation and dispute resolution group is one of the largest and most specialised in Northern Ireland and focuses on resolving both local and multi-jurisdictional disputes whether by way of litigation, mediation, arbitration or expert determination. In consultation with its clients, the firm supplies experience and knowledge in developing a strategy for tackling a dispute. The group represents clients in the courts of Northern Ireland and the European Courts of Justice.

Mergers & Acquisitions & Corporate: 

The corporate practice has advised on the most significant transactions in the region in recent years. The firm’s leading market position is endorsed by the work we do and by leading international publications and commentators. It provides legal advice to leading global and domestic companies, banks, private equity and venture capital providers from all industry sectors, on their corporate activity in Northern Ireland.

Restructuring & Insolvency:  

The restructuring and insolvency group combines expertise in commercial law, commercial litigation, property and banking and financial services to provide effective solutions and advice in all insolvency and corporate recovery situations. The group has worked extensively with international firms who have operations on the island of Ireland and have an in-depth understanding of the particular issues arising in cross-border insolvencies.