Carson McDowell announced as one of the most elite law firms in Britain in Chambers UK 2023

Belfast-head quartered law firm Carson McDowell has been announced as one of the most elite law firms in Britain according to the results of leading industry guide, Chambers UK, released today (20 October).

Carson McDowell has achieved this accolade due to continuing to outrank all local law firms in Northern Ireland, achieving a ranking in 26 practice areas of the Chambers UK 2023 guide and ‘Band 1 status in 20 of those areas. The firm also received 54 individual lawyer rankings, 26 of which were recognised as ‘Band 1”, a definitive mark of excellence across the legal industry.

The firm also outranked any other Northern Ireland competitor in The Legal 500 guide, [another influential industry guide] released earlier this month, with 11 practice areas achieving a top ‘Tier 1’ ranking. This was along with 11 of the firm’s lawyers recognised as ‘Leading Individuals’ and notably, 8 lawyers honoured for their continued excellence as leading elite lawyers on a global basis in The Legal 500 Hall of Fame.

Carson McDowell’s top rankings were further supported by fantastic client quotes. Clients, who responded said “Client service is absolutely one of Carson McDowell's strongest traits. Turnaround is excellent, even when demanding timescales are set”, their lawyers are “impressive at all times’” and “They are capable and commercially-minded and excellent to have by your side during negotiations.”

Commenting on Carson McDowell's continued strong performance, Managing Partner, Roger McMillan said, “We’re very pleased to see our practice areas continue to be recognised at the top of these industry guides and we are particularly honoured to be recognised by Chambers UK as one of the most elite law firms in Britain. To put these rankings into perspective, the firm in second position in the Northern Ireland section of the guide ranked in 20 practice areas, with Band 1 status in 12. Our significantly higher rankings are a great testimony to the hard work of the entire team at Carson McDowell and clearly demonstrates the excellence and expertise of the firm’s team of multidisciplinary legal professionals.”

Carson McDowell is regarded for representing a large number of commercially sophisticated local businesses, high-profile international clients and prestigious organisations in education and the public sector in Northern Ireland.

Neasa Quigley, Senior Partner at Carson McDowell, commented: “At Carson McDowell, we have always been 100% focused on delivering for our clients across multiple sectors and service lines. The latest directory results continue to evidence this and I am very proud of the contribution that our people continue to make to our clients and their businesses.”

“I would particularly like to extend our thanks to our clients who continue to support Carson McDowell’s position as the highest-ranked Northern Irish law firm. I know our clients value the expertise our teams provide and the 2023 rankings and quotes from our clients is reflective of this feedback”.

The Legal 500 and The Chambers UK guides are published annually and based on extensive research and the independent opinions of clients.