A&L Goodbody Northern Ireland LLP, ‘a great team with a wide breadth of knowledge’ regularly advises a strong network of Northern Ireland and international clients on high value lender work. Ciaran McAlinney, who is ‘very knowledgeable, experienced, personable and calm under pressure’ leads the practice. Louise Bailey is well experienced in advising on large facilities agreements for banks and investment funds. Judith Brown has recently been advising clients on the sale of distressed business loans and social housing private placement transactions. Christopher Jessup is well known for financial services regulatory work. Senior associate Hannah McDaid has a wide range of experience on financing and refinancing real estate and infrastructure.

The Arthur Cox Belfast banking and finance team has a strong focus on the corporate banking market, often advising domestic and foreign retail banks, investment funds, and private equity firms on a wide range of financial matters. Stuart Mansfield leads the practice. Mansfield has deep experience in acting as administrative agent for foreign banks on the Northern Irish legal aspects of US bankruptcy proceedings. Colm McElroy often acts as local counsel for international clients on acquisition and financing transactions, while Sarah Thompson is a financial services regulatory specialist. At the associate level, David Rogan regularly provides support on acquisition finance, construction finance, and general corporate finance.

Tughans' banking, finance, and restructuring team specialises in advising both domestic and international clients in conducting debt structuring and implementation. To this end, the practice regularly engages in securitisation transactions of receivables portfolios. The ‘very accommodating’ Fearghal O’Loan leads the practice. O’Loan is a key contact for major financing facilities in Northern Ireland in conducting secured and unsecured lending. Douglas Anderson regularly engages in drafting and negotiating loan market association facilities agreements in the real estate and energy sector. Julie Huddleston is ‘very approachable and will always provide sound advice’ and has particular focus on real estate finance and cross border lending.

The ‘customer and solution focused’ team at Carson McDowell specialises in advising real estate finance, energy finance, and cross-border lending. Practice head Sinead McGrath regularly advises on the financing of solar, waste, and other renewable energy infrastructure. Damian McElholm has strong experience in advising real estate clients in secured lending transactions. In August 2023, Rachel Lewis was promoted to senior associate; she regularly works on real estate and infrastructure financing and refinancing transactions.

Cleaver Fulton Rankin holds a number of panel roles for major lenders and assists specialised lenders with asset finance transactions. The ‘commercial and pragmatic’ Stephen Cross leads the practice. He regularly provides banks with regulatory assistance and compliance advice on capital markets transactions and OTC derivative products. In August 2023, Sinead Stewart joined the team from A&L Goodbody Northern Ireland LLP. Stewart specialises in corporate lending real estate finance, debt restructuring, among other areas.

The ‘excellent’ Millar McCall Wylie LLP is well regarded in advising local entrepreneurs and private businesses on acquisition and debt financing transactions. The practice is jointly led by John Finnegan and Peter McCall. Finnegan is well-experienced in a range of corporate transactions, and often advises lenders in property finance transactions. McCall regularly assists clients in acquisition and joint venture transactions.

The ‘precise and clear’ banking and finance team at Shoosmiths LLP specialises in advising corporate borrowers and lenders on acquisition financing, real estate financing, and asset-based lending. The Belfast office regularly collaborates with the firm’s wider network, including the Edinburgh and Thames Valley offices. Anna Vangrove, ‘a pleasure to deal with’, regularly advises on real estate and energy transactions. Principal associate Michael Kelly  provides support on real estate finance transactions, while associate Grainne Fairbrother supports Vangrove on energy and real estate projects.

Davidson McDonnell is well-regarded for its expertise in financing transactions, often supporting the firm’s real estate and corporate departments on completing facility agreements and secured liabilities documentation. Aisling Owens leads the department, focusing on lender security agreements. At the associate level, Rowan Gibney is a key name to note.

DWF offers a wide variety of banking and finance services to clients. The practice often supports the firm’s real estate team on completing relevant financial tax work, refinancing, and acquisition financing, while also advising lenders and borrowers on acquisitions and facility security transactions. Promoted to partner in January 2024, Orla Hanna leads the practice and regularly advises lenders and borrowers on secured and unsecured lending matters. Senior associate Emma Copeland supports Hanna on secured lending as well as real estate finance.

The ‘skilled, accessible, friendly and approachable’ banking team at Elliott Duffy Garrett offers secured lending services to a variety of banks and funds. Kevin McVeigh, leading the team, specialises in granting securities for various facilities and housing. Cathy Murphy and associate John McElrone both bring expertise in securitisation and restructuring lending transactions.

At Eversheds Sutherland's Belfast base, Deborah Archer is head of banking and finance; she acts as the Northern Ireland point person on major international matters, routinely working with teams of colleagues from the firm's network of offices across the UK and in Dublin. Recent work has included high-profile refinancings and complex loan facilities, with the firm's client roster boasting many household name banks. Real estate finance transactions is another key area of focus.

The key names at McKees are consultant Avril McCammon - a well-regarded banking specialist known for her 'intricate technical legal knowledge' - and Donald Thompson, who heads up the firm's commercial property team while also providing real estate advice to the banking team. The firm is described as being ' best in class for the services it provides in banking and finance matters'.

The TLT banking and finance team specialises in advising clients on real estate finance, social housing finance, and project finance transactions. Practice lead Caroline MacLaughlin is an expert in all project finance transactions, including facilities agreements, loan purchase agreements, and due diligence reporting. Managing associate Nichola Coghlan regularly advises corporate borrowers on the financing aspects of mergers and acquisitions. In April 2024, Richard Houliston moved to Mills Selig.

Wilson Nesbitt‘s practice has notable strength in assisting the firm’s broader property and corporate departments, particularly advising borrower clients on facilities issues. The group also counts several financial institutions on its client roster including alternative lenders and residential lenders. Max Nesbitt now leads the practice following the departure of Neil Logan in 2023 and Natasha Adamson in 2024; he works closely with colleagues in Bangor.