Ms Galbraith joined C & H Jefferson in 1998 as a trainee solicitor, and was a partner when the business merged with DWF in 2016. She is DWF’s Northern Ireland head of real estate, managing a team of legal professionals delivering advice on all aspects of real estate law and with specific expertise in acting for retailers, commercial occupiers, developers and investors.

She will take up the role on 1 May 2022 to lead the 100-strong Belfast team at DWF, following the retirement of long-standing executive partner, Ken Rutherford.

Mr Rutherford joined C & H Jefferson in 1988 and, together with Mark Tinman, developed the commercial side of the business and ultimately led the business through its merger with DWF in 2016. He has enjoyed a long career in law, specialising in banking, corporate, M&A, and insolvency law. He is also global deputy head of finance and restructuring at DWF.

The Belfast office of DWF has a number of sector and practice area teams including insurance, employment, real estate, corporate, dispute resolution, construction and banking, and acts for a range of multinational businesses, banks, insurers, property developers, retailers and supermarket chains.

Commenting on her promotion, Ms Galbraith said: “I want to highlight the fantastic legacy which Ken has created by firmly establishing and growing our Belfast team within the global DWF network and it is an honour to take on this new role.

“We recently announced a number of new appointments to the team with more significant recruitment to come, in a strong signal of our aspirations to enhance our offering even further. I’m looking forward to working alongside our colleagues to deliver this next exciting phase in our journey.”

Mr Rutherford added: “I’m delighted that Julie is taking on the role. Julie is already running an excellent team in Belfast and has all the qualities to excel in her new position. I wish Julie and the team every success in the future.”