Paul McGuickin has been promoted to partner in the firm’s corporate team and Chris Phillips has been promoted to partner in the firm’s real estate practice.

Managing partner Roger McMillan said: “These appointments and the growth of the firm’s partner group reflects our commitment to hiring and developing talented lawyers to provide the highest levels of service to clients.

“I would like to congratulate Chris and Paul and on their promotion to the partner group. Both are highly experienced and capable lawyers whose expertise and advice is greatly valued by their clients.”

A graduate of Queen’s University Belfast, Mr McGuickin qualified as a solicitor in 2007 and practised as a corporate and commercial lawyer with an international law firm before joining Carson McDowell in 2018 as a senior associate.

He has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, private equity, corporate restructuring strategies and corporate governance issues.

Mr Phillips studied at the University of Oxford before joining Carson McDowell as an apprentice in 2007 and qualified as a solicitor in the real estate team in 2009.

He is involved in all aspects of commercial property, including acquisitions, disposals, landlord and tenant work and providing asset management advice to clients with large property portfolios.

Senior partner Neasa Quigley said: “Carson McDowell has always focused on delivering for our clients and in the past 15 months we have concentrated our efforts on helping them to meet the challenges to their businesses from the coronavirus pandemic.

“We are fortunate to represent a large number of commercially sophisticated local businesses and high-profile international clients operating in and from Northern Ireland.

“As lockdown restrictions ease and the economy begins to accelerate again we look forward to helping them to take advantage of opportunities for growth.”

The firm has also promoted banking lawyer Rachel Lewis and Dublin-based healthcare lawyer Emma Duffy to associate solicitors.

Carson McDowell employs 112 solicitors, over two thirds of whom are women, bringing its total headcount to more than 180 people.