NAPIERS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director
- Council Member of the Law Society of Northern Ireland
Brigid has been practising in the area of Insolvency and Commercial Litigation for over 30 years. She is a Licensed Insolvency Practitioner and a Notary Public.
Brigid is the only Northern Ireland lawyer ranked for three consecutive years in Band One for Personal Insolvency in the UK by Chambers & Partners. She has been described as the "doyenne of personal solvency in Northern Ireland" and as "second to none in her ability to review documentation, make recommendation and makes things happen".
She currently advises on all aspects of Personal and Corporate Insolvency and is regularly appointed Trustee in Bankruptcy and as a Liquidator in Members' Voluntary Liquidations, Creditors Voluntary Liquidations and by the Insolvency Service in Compulsory Liquidations. Brigid regularly advises on alternatives to bankruptcy and liquidation for clients facing Personal and Corporate Insolvency, and on directors' responsibilities, disqualification and personal liability.
Brigid has been a Council member of the Law Society of Northern Ireland since 2017 and served as the Society's President in its Centenary year.
She lectures on insolvency and also provides in-house instruction and advice to Accountants and Estate Agents.
Brigid received the "Best in Professional Services Award" from Women in Business and was awarded Advanced Coaching status by the Institute of Leadership and Management.
Claire graduated with First Class Honours in Law with French. She qualified as a solicitor in 2007 and commenced practice in plaintiff litigation and dispute resolution.
She joined the team at Napiers with over a decade of experience as a highly successful and distinguished solicitor having assisted in the largest, most prominent personal injury class action in Northern Ireland. She is a formidable force in litigation. Her main areas of practice are Employer/Public/Motor Liability Claims for both plaintiff and defendant as well as Commercial Dispute Resolution. She represents a variety of local government, private commercial and third sector clients. She is an active member of the Law Society of Northern Ireland with a keen interest in Professional Standards & Continuing Professional Development.
Claire has a vast knowledge of civil litigation proceedings in Northern Ireland in the Small Claims, County Court and High Court jurisdictions - her experience in both bringing and defending claims affords her a unique ability to analyse matters from both perspectives and manage the risk to her clients. She provides comprehensive and pragmatic advice, and her focus is always to resolve disputes as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Denis' main areas of practice are property, trusts and charity law.
Denis acts for several charities, including independent schools and educational trusts, advising on matters such as grant funding, wider community use of charity premises and purchase and sale of property. He advises the Catholic Diocese of Down and Connor and many parishes within the diocese on property matters generally.
Denis is also responsible for ensuring the firm retains its ISO accreditation, key to our quality commitment, and for other areas of regulatory compliance.
He has been a lecturer and course tutor for the Northern Ireland Law Course run by the Institute of Auctioneers and Valuers in Ireland (IAVI) and has provided training in property law to staff of the Institute of Professional Legal Studies. He lectures on property matters for the Law Society of Northern Ireland's Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme.
Denis is experienced in all aspects of property law and has handled personal and corporate transactions of all sizes. He will ensure you have a clear picture of the legal issues of any situation or proposed transaction and move matters forward in accordance with deadlines and timescales.
Denis is highly regarded by his clients for his timely and pragmatic assistance in complex transactions.
Gemma has over 13 years experience as an insolvency and commercial dispute resolution solicitor.
Gemma qualified as a solicitor in England in 2010 and practiced as an Insolvency and Corporate Recovery solicitor at one of the UK's top 100 law firms for 7 years before undertaking a non-practicing role as a Senior Insolvency Consultant for HM Revenue & Customs. Gemma joined the firm in 2019 after relocating to Northern Ireland with her family.
Gemma has a wealth of experience in personal and corporate insolvency as well as financial litigation. Her diverse career background allows her to provide rounded legal advice to a range of clients, including private individuals, Insolvency Practitioners, Directors, and financial lenders. Gemma regularly represents the firm's clients in the High Court.
Hannah-Louisa Fitzmaurice is a Senior Solicitor specialising in Property Law.
Hannah-Louisa graduated with an Honours degree in Law with Criminology. She qualified as a solicitor in 2018 and commenced practice in Property Law working for individual and corporate clients in sale, purchase and refinancing transactions.
Hannah-Louisa has a wealth of experience acting for individual and corporate clients alike. She has acted in all aspects of property law and has handled transactions of all sizes and complexities. She will ensure you fully understand any issue throughout the transaction and move matters forward in a timely and effective manner.
Joe is the grandson of James J. Napier, the founder of the firm. He qualified in 1999 and is the Managing Director of Napier Solicitors. Joe has a diverse practice. He is recognised by Legal 500 for expertise within both the Dispute Resolution and Personal Injury sector areas.
Joe has successfully managed the provision of legal services to a range of large regional and national organisations, including public sector clientele, over many years. Within this role he delivers bespoke training, claims and business management advice.
Joe is also recognised as an expert within Education Law having been involved in some of the leading cases and Judicial Reviews in this sector in recent years.
He acts for a number of representative bodies and an array of Voluntary Grammar Schools. Joe also has a strong presence in the Charitable sector. He represented a core participant at the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry and represents a number of Religious Congregations. He is NI representative on Forum of Insurance Lawyers' Abuse Sector Focus Team and is actively involved in providing advice on current and legacy safeguarding and care issues.
Joe also manages Napier Solicitors private client work and is a member of STEP with Accreditation Certificates in both Probate and Administration of Estates.
Maria specialises in Insolvency Law and Commercial Dispute Resolution and provides a range of essential Business Advisory Services including Corporate Governance and Data Protection.
Maria joined the firm in 2004 with a First-Class Honours degree in Law from Queen's University, Belfast. She is a highly accomplished member of our team which is clearly demonstrated by the fact that she is the first and only solicitor in this jurisdiction to be accredited as a licensed Insolvency Practitioner following success in the Joint Insolvency Examination Board.
Maria is regarded as a key advocate in the firm regularly representing our clients in the High Court. In 2019, she was selected to join the Chancery and Probate Liaison Committee as a representative of the solicitor's profession at the Royal Courts of Justice. Maria has also recently been appointed to sit on the Quality Assurance Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ireland.
In recognition of the importance of continual professional development, Maria assists in co-ordinating the Insolvency Course for trainee solicitors at Queen's University. She also delivers the ‘Law for Accountants' course as part of the training provided to those seeking accreditation from Chartered Accountants Ireland. Maria regularly lectures at the Law Society of Northern Ireland and develops bespoke training for our private clients and a range of local organisations including Advice NI, STEP and the Housing Rights Service.
Paul's main area of practice is employment law.
Paul studied law at Queen's University and before joining Napier Solicitors he gained over 15 years post qualification experience as an employment solicitor at a major national law firm. He has worked with clients in a wide variety of employment sectors, including schools, further education colleges and universities.
Paul has specialist knowledge of all areas of employment law, including all forms of unlawful discrimination; unfair dismissal; TUPE issues; protected disclosures (whistleblowing); and cases involving part-time workers and fixed-term employees. He routinely runs complex high value Industrial Tribunal cases and has dealt with Tribunal appeals to the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal.
Paul also provides training to clients in relation to employment law and equality issues. He is a committee member of the Employment Lawyers Group for Northern Ireland.
A Legal 500 source recently said: "Paul Upson is now established as one of the leading employment and discrimination lawyers in the jurisdiction. His grasp of cases and complexities arising is second to none".
Rebecca specialises in Wills, Probate, Powers of Attorney and Office of Care and Protection work. Rebecca qualified as a Solicitor in England in 2015 and moved to Northern Ireland with her family, shortly before joining Napiers in 2023.
Rebecca is known for her empathetic and patient approach when dealing with matters that are often occurring at a stressful and difficult time in a client's life.