Corporate law firm A&L Goodbody has announced the appointment of Michael Neill as head of its Belfast office.

Mr Neill succeeds Mark Thompson, who has completed two terms in the role and will now focus on his extensive corporate client practice.

With over 20 years specialising in financial services, corporate restructuring and disputes, Mr Neill (pictured left of Julian Yarr) is consistently ranked as a leader in his field by various legal publications. He will continue advising clients alongside his role as head of the firm’s Belfast office.

Julian Yarr, managing partner at A&L Goodbody, said: “Firstly, I would like to thank Mark Thompson for his tremendous contribution as head of our Belfast office over the past six years.

“Together with a diverse group of 12 partners in Belfast, Mark has laid firm foundations for the continued growth and success of A&L Goodbody in Northern Ireland and we have every confidence that Michael will continue this fantastic work in the years to come.

“Michael is both an outstanding lawyer and leader and assumes this role at an exciting time for A&L Goodbody. We have ambitious plans to better serve our clients and also attract and develop the very best talent. I look forward to working with him in achieving these ambitions.”

Mr Neill graduated in 1995 with an LLB in Law and Accounting from Queen’s University Belfast before studying at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies (IPLS). He was admitted to the roll of solicitors by the Law Society of Northern Ireland in 1997.

He sits on the Law Society’s finance committee, and lectures and writes extensively in the areas of corporate recovery and insolvency.

Mr Neill said: “Since joining the firm nine years ago, I’ve seen our Belfast office grow significantly in size, expertise, capability and geographical reach, both locally and internationally.

“This growth is testament to our commitment to providing exceptional client service delivery and the quality of our people. Moving forward, we will further strengthen our position as a market leader by continuing to invest in our people and emerging technologies in order to offer a modern, efficient and commercially-focused service to our clients.”