Sarah Blaney and Tim Nelson qualified today after completing their two-year training contracts with Gateley Legal NI while studying at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies (IPLS) at Queen’s University Belfast.

Ms Blaney obtained her law degree from the University of Galway in 2019. Following qualification, she will become a solicitor within Gateley Legal NI’s commercial dispute resolution team, working closely alongside partner Peter Barr and legal director Jonathan Jackson on high-value complex disputes.

Mr Nelson graduated from Queen’s University Belfast with a law degree in 2019 before completing a Master’s in law at Ulster University in 2021. Following qualification, he will become a solicitor within Gateley Legal NI’s construction team, specialising in contentious construction matters. He will work closely with partner Mark Lennon on fire and building safety matters for housebuilder and developer clients.

Both Ms Blaney and Mr Nelson will be formally called to the roll of solicitors in Northern Ireland by the Lady Chief Justice Siobhan Keegan in February 2024.

Alison Reid, partner and office head of Gateley Legal in Northern Ireland, said: “We are really pleased to be able to announce the qualification of our first-ever pair of trainee solicitors within the Belfast team.

“Both Sarah and Tim have worked extremely hard within their respective specialisms during their training contracts and it’s great to be able to bolster our Northern Ireland team with homegrown talent. It has been a pleasure guiding them from trainees to fully qualified solicitors and I am very proud of them both.

“I look forward to seeing their continued growth and development in their specialist areas post-qualification and wish them the very best for their careers.”