CLEAVER FULTON RANKIN LIMITED - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director
- Head of the Contentious Construction
Aaron is head of the Contentious Construction team and is a Director and Adjudicator in the Construction and Dispute Resolution department with experience in providing advice to a range of clients including blue chip corporates, national retailers, local Councils, educational institutions, national and international construction companies and financial institutions.
Aaron regularly acts in real estate and construction litigation disputes in the Commercial Court and advises on all forms of dispute resolution including adjudication, arbitration and mediation.
Aaron Moore has extensive experience acting for claimants on a broad range of professional negligence cases. He continues to represent banks, developers and individual clients in claims against solicitors and architects. Sources say that he is "easy to deal with in terms of assessing the issues and determining a way forward." He is best known for his representation of retail clients regarding issues such as lease covenants. He has a wealth of knowledge handling professional negligence claims relating to property. Sources describe him as "responsive, with a good level of knowledge and clear communication."
"He's a great communicator and is very clear and straightforward."
Abigail joined Cleaver Fulton Rankin's Private Client team as a Solicitor in October 2023.
Abigail completed her undergraduate degree in Law at Queen's University Belfast before going on to complete her Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Legal Studies at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies.
Before joining Cleaver Fulton Rankin, Abigail had worked for both commercial and private law firms before completing her training contract and qualifying as a Solicitor in 2023.
Abigail has experience in acting on Residential Conveyancing matters as well as Wills and Probate issues and has a keen interest in Property, Trusts and Estate Planning.
Job Titles:
- Solicitor
- Trainee Solicitor
Adele joined Cleaver Fulton Rankin as a Trainee Solicitor in 2021, and joined the Corporate & Commercial team as a Solicitor upon qualifying in 2023.
Adele graduated with a degree in Law from Queen's University Belfast in 2020. She obtained her Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Legal Studies at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies and qualified as a solicitor in October 2023. Prior to this, Adele worked as a legal analyst in the Belfast office of an international commercial law firm.
Aidan McCarron is a Solicitor in Cleaver Fulton Rankin's Dispute Resolution department.
Aidan has experience advising both private and commercial clients and has assisted with a variety of commercial disputes including debt recovery, medical negligence, ejectment proceedings and contractual disputes. Aidan also has experience assisting with regulatory and public law issues.
During his time at the Institute of Professional Studies, Aidan was awarded the DAC Beechcroft Prize for advocacy.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director in the Commercial Real Estate Department
Alan is a Director in the Commercial Real Estate department at Cleaver Fulton Rankin with a wealth of expertise in all aspects of commercial law.
Alan advises clients (both NI and GB based) on all aspects of Commercial Real Estate law including acquisitions and disposals, landlord and tenant issues, related planning and construction issues and property joint ventures. Alan also advises on non-contentious construction issues arising out of the property development process.
Alan has been practicing law for over 25 years and is an articulate and approachable solicitor who has a creative attitude when it comes to solving client issues.
Anna joined Cleaver Fulton Rankin as a Trainee Solicitor in 2021 and joined the Dispute Resolution department as a Solicitor upon her qualification in 2023.
Anna completed a postgraduate degree in Law at Queen's University Belfast before obtaining her Certificate of Professional Legal Studies in 2023. Prior to this, Anna worked as a contract analyst in the Belfast office of an international law firm.
While undergoing her training contract at Cleaver Fulton Rankin, Anna completed a secondment with one of NI's largest social housing providers.
Anna studied Law at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne and completed the Legal Practice Course at the College of Law, York in 2010 where she graduated with Distinction.
Anna gained pre-qualification experience working as a paralegal in the Property department at a large Belfast law firm before going on to complete her training contract at Cleaver Fulton Rankin. Upon qualification, Anna joined the Dispute Resolution department, and is qualified to practise in Northern Ireland and England and Wales.
Anna advises on a wealth of general commercial litigation matters, including contractual disputes, debt recovery, trespass and also construction law. Anna also acts on behalf of the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland ("PSNI") and has developed a niche area advising on a wide range of regulatory and public law issues. As well as advising the PSNI on fitness to practise issues, Anna also provides advices to the PSNI on their legislation and legislative requirements. This has included assisting with the drafting of amending pharmaceutical legislation.
Anna has also assisted on a number of recent case wins, the most notable of which being the Supreme Court case of In the Matter of K (A child) (Northern Ireland) [2014] UKSC 29 which was an extremely significant and high profile child abduction case.
Brendan is a Director qualified in Northern Ireland, England & Wales and the Republic of Ireland. Brendan was originally called to the Bar of Ireland having first studied Law at Queen's University Belfast and subsequently completing the degree of Barrister-at-Law at the Honorable Society of King's Inns.
Following a period of practice as a Barrister in Dublin, Brendan was subsequently admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and England & Wales respectively and has built up significant commercial practice experience in planning & environmental law in all three jurisdictions prior to joining Cleaver Fulton Rankin.
Brendan has particular expertise in advising on all types of renewable energy and commercial development projects and has a keen interest in the development of strategic infrastructure. Brendan is also a committee member of the Environmental & Planning Law Association for Northern Ireland (EPLANI).
Job Titles:
- Associate Director
- Member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners
Brid is a graduate of National University of Ireland Galway.
After completing her training contract with a large firm in Belfast, she spent three years as a solicitor working in the Private Client Departments of two large, regional law firms in the South East of England before returning to Belfast where she spent over 10 years as the Private Client solicitor in one of the largest commercial firms in Northern Ireland.
Brid specialises in the drafting of wills and the administration of estates as well as matters relating to capacity, such as Enduring Powers of Attorney and other applications to the Office of Care and Protection.
Brid has been a full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) since 2008.
Caitlin joined Cleaver Fulton Rankin's Planning & Environment team as a Solicitor in January 2024.
Caitlin completed her undergraduate degree in Law at Queen's University, Belfast before completing her Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Legal Studies at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies.
Before joining Cleaver Fulton Rankin, Caitlin worked for a general practice firm where she gained experience in family, matrimonial, criminal, civil litigation, and wills. Caitlin completed her training contract and qualified as a Solicitor in October 2023. Prior to this, Caitlin worked as a paralegal for a general practice firm.
Caitlin specialises in the areas of planning and environmental law, providing advice to both private and public sector clients in a wide range of regulatory and enforcement matters. Caitlin is also a member of the Northern Ireland Young Solicitors Association.
Caitlín Brown joined Cleaver Fulton Rankin's Dispute Resolution department as a Solicitor in February 2023.
Caitlín studied Law at Liverpool John Moores University and qualified as a Solicitor in 2020. Since qualifying, Caitlín has specialised in contentious matters and dispute resolution, and has experience of supporting clients with advocacy and representation in the Magistrates Court, County Court and High Court. Caitlín has particular expertise in advising on commercial disputes, regulatory legal issues, injunctive relief and debt recovery.
Job Titles:
- Solicitor
- Trainee Solicitor
Cara joined Cleaver Fulton Rankin as a Trainee Solicitor in 2021 and upon qualification in 2023, she joined the firm's Commercial Real Estate team.
Cara studied Law with Criminology at Ulster University before obtaining her Certificate of Professional Legal Studies at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies, Queen's University Belfast, in 2023. Prior to joining the firm, Cara worked as a paralegal at a public sector organisation.
Caroline joined the Dispute Resolution department as an Associate Director in November 2022, having worked in the Public Sector for over 11 years.
During this time Caroline has provided legal advices to a number of different Health and Social Care bodies across various areas of law including commercial litigation, contractual disputes, administrative law issues and regulatory work.
Caroline studied Law with Politics at Queen's University, before obtaining her Certificate of Professional Legal Studies in 2001. In addition to this, Caroline went on to receive a Certificate in Professional Legal studies Certificate in both Commercial Conveyancing and Company Law.
Caroline has successfully completed the Law Society/National Institute for Trial Advocacy Certificate in Advanced Advocacy.
Charles has been a member of the Cleaver Fulton Rankin team for more than 29 years. Prior to joining the firm, Charles studied Classics at Liverpool University followed by the Civil Professional Examination and Legal Practice Course at the University of Glamorgan.
Charles primarily deals with undisputed debt recovery cases in the small claims, County Court and High Court jurisdictions, together with registration and enforcement of UK judgments, Consumer credit vehicle recoveries, bankruptcy and winding up actions and property enforcement.
Charles acts for a wide range of clients including large finance companies, local businesses, non departmental government bodies and English solicitors.
Cormac joined Cleaver Fulton Rankin's Dispute Resolution team as a Solicitor in 2023.
Cormac studied Law at Ulster University before going on to carry out his training at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies at Queen's University Belfast. Cormac trained at a local Belfast law firm where he gained experience in commercial, civil, criminal, and immigration litigation and acted for plaintiffs in numerous Historical Institutional Abuse claims in Northern Ireland which were brought to the High Court and Redress Board.
Emma joined Cleaver Fulton Rankin in September 2023 as a Solicitor within the Corporate & Commercial team.
Emma studied a Masters in Law at Queen's University Belfast before beginning her training at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies in October 2020. Prior to this, she worked as a legal executive in a general practice firm.
Emma qualified in October 2022 and joined a global professional services firm, where she worked as a member of the Corporate and Commercial legal team, assisting with mergers & acquisitions and commercial contract negotiation.
Florence Smith has been an appointed as an Associate Director in the Employment Department at Cleaver Fulton Rankin.
Florence studied Common and Civil Law with French at Queen's University Belfast and completed the postgraduate Diploma in Professional Legal Studies at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies. Florence has specialised in employment law since 2008 and has advised on a wide range of both contentious and non-contentious employment matters.
Florence provides advice in relation to Compromise Agreements and appears regularly in the Office of the Industrial Tribunals and Fair Employment Tribunal, where she has represented clients in a variety of cases to include claims for unfair dismissal, unlawful discrimination and detriment, unlawful deductions from wages and protective awards. In addition, Florence has provided advice and representation in relation to employment related breach of contract and stress at work claims in the County Court and High Court. Florence has also provided employment law training to client organisations.
Gerald obtained his undergraduate degree in Business, before making a career change in 2014, when he travelled to England to complete a postgraduate law conversion course at the University of Law, Chester.
Gerald attained his Postgraduate Diploma at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies whilst working at a local firm before joining Cleaver Fulton Rankin in September 2019.
Gerald specialises in landlord and tenant matters, investment acquisitions & disposals, commercial leasing, telecommunications and property due diligence. Gerald has worked closely with local housing associations and charities, as well as corporate clients in refinancing, site acquisitions and disposals.
Gerald works across all aspects of Commercial Real Estate law, which includes advising banks in real estate finance and general lending, and provides specialist property advice to the technology sector team at Cleaver Fulton Rankin.
Job Titles:
- Solicitor
- Solicitor in the Dispute Resolution Department
Jack is a Solicitor in the Dispute Resolution department at Cleaver Fulton Rankin. He joined the team in 2020 and completed his training contract in 2022.
Jack specialises in providing commercial litigation advices to various private, commercial and public sector clients. Jack has experience of drafting Court proceedings, advising on discovery and the litigation process generally.
Jack's experience includes composing pre-legal action solicitor letters for unsecured debt recovery, including Letters Before Action and overseeing the proceedings in relation to unsecured debt recovery at county court level through to judgment. This includes providing initial advices to clients, negotiating to help reach settlement agreements and drafting of such agreements. Jack has particular expertise in debt recovery and ejectment matters.
Jamie Donnelly joined Cleaver Fulton Rankin's Dispute Resolution team as a Solicitor in October 2023.
Jamie specialises in providing commercial litigation advice to various public and private sector clients in Northern Ireland. Jamie has experience in drafting Court proceedings, advising on discovery processes and negotiating settlement agreements.
Jamie sits on the Law Tech committee at the Law Society of Northern Ireland and has experience working with and advising on various legal technology products in the area of artificial intelligence and e-discovery.
Since joining Cleaver Fulton Rankin in 1998, Janet has amassed 24 years experience within the firm.
Janet deals with all aspects of residential property law and has a varied range of clients, ranging from private individuals to mortgage lenders. Her work involves all aspects of domestic sale and purchase transactions; advising on rights of way and easement and provision of title reports; advising clients in respect of vesting applications and compulsory purchase of their lands; mortgages & remortgages; transfer of ownership, Co-Ownership Housing Association transactions; Ground Rent transactions; repossessions and auction sales; and residential landlord & tenant matters.
Janet is a graduate of the University of Abertay, Dundee having graduated with a BA (Hons) degree in Business Studies.
Jeanette is head of Cleaver Fulton Rankin's Dispute Resolution and Insolvency & Business Restructuring departments. She advises banks, creditors, financial institutions, insolvency practitioners and stakeholders both locally and nationally on all aspects of contentious and non-contentious corporate and personal insolvency.
Jeanette acts in a wide variety of complex financial services and insolvency related litigation and has advised litigants in a number of high profile reported cases.
Jeanette also has a specialism in insolvency related property transactions conducing a wide range of disposal work. Clients like that she takes an insolvency matter from commencement to conclusion advising throughout on strategy, appointment, dispute resolution, asset disposal and realisation.
Jeanette sits on the Northern Ireland Insolvency Technical Committee and the Northern Ireland Insolvency Service User Group Committee. She is a member of the R3 Association. She holds Professional I and II qualifications from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland.
Joe's professional career has been dedicated exclusively to Commercial Real Estate law and he now leads the firm's Commercial Property department.
He advises on all aspects of commercial property work, including investment deals, freehold and leasehold acquisitions and disposals, landlord and tenant, property development, property finance and portfolio management.
Joe regularly advises on Northern Irish aspects of cross border and international deals.
He is privileged to act for a broad range of clients, both public sector and private and is particularly active in the Retail and Leisure, Energy and Renewables and Telecommunications sectors.
Joe is a committee member of the Northern Ireland Commercial Property Lawyers Group.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Managing Director
Jonathan was appointed Managing Director on 2 May 2017. Since his appointment, he has primarily focused upon driving the company forward with significant investment in IT, Business Development and the expansion of both our professional team and the range of our legal services. As a result, our services have become more streamlined and client focused, with innovative legal solutions being tailored to address our clients' complex commercial issues and business requirements.
Jonathan also has nearly twenty years experience of Commercial Litigation and Real Estate Litigation in the High Court of Northern Ireland. He regularly acts for a wide range of clients including local and multi national companies, SME's, family businesses, property developers, financial institutions, local government agencies and high profile charities.
Jonathan is a keen proponent of ADR and has successfully completed the Alternative Dispute Resolution and Mediation training provided by the Law Society of Northern Ireland.
Jonathan is also a Committee Member of the British Irish Commercial Bar Association (BICBA).
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Legal Review Manager and Associate
- Legal Technology Specialist
Jude Copeland is a legal technology specialist in Cleaver Fulton Rankin's Legal Technology Group.
Jude is a Legal Review Manager and Associate with over 10 years' experience providing tailored services and solutions for clients using legal tech and trusted workflows. Jude has particular expertise and experience in conducting large scale, high volume, document-intensive reviews such as eDisclosure litigation exercises, regulatory investigations and Data Subject Access Requests (DSARs), and also regularly acts on disputes and non-contentious matters. Jude has acted for public authorities, inquiries and businesses including global and listed companies and SMEs.
Jude is qualified, and holds practising certificates, in Northern Ireland and England and Wales. Jude has completed the Law Society/National Institute for Trial Advocacy Certificate in Advanced Advocacy and is qualified as a solicitor advocate in Northern Ireland.
Jude studied Law and Government at Ulster University and holds four Postgraduate Certificates (Employment Law, Commercial Property, English & Welsh Property Law and Technology Law). He also has an LLM in Human Rights & Criminal Justice and a Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Legal Studies from Queen's University, Belfast. Jude is an accredited PRINCE2 Project Manager.
Jude is a frequent speaker on diversity and inclusion, in particular in relation to LGBTQIA+ rights and history. He has spoken on radio, podcasts/digital media and in person for BBC Northern Ireland, public bodies, businesses and charitable/grassroots organisations
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Director
- Associate of the Royal Town Planning Institute
Karen is the firm's Chairman and is head of the Planning & Environment, Public Law and Licensing teams. Her vast experience in these fields allows clients to obtain proactive, practical advice quickly and easily on even the most complex legal situations.
Karen has experience in acting for local public law bodies and national and international clients in various sectors including mining, aviation, tourism, retail, waste and energy. She has advised in respect of many key infrastructure projects throughout Northern Ireland.
Karen receives numerous commendation from clients and in legal directories which consistently recommend her as a leader in these fields.
Karen is a Legal Associate of the Royal Town Planning Institute and a member of the Executive Committee and Council of the UK Environmental Law Association ("UKELA"). She is also a Governor of the Linenhall Library in Belfast.
Karen Blair is considered a leading light in the industry, with an excellent track record in a wide array of environmental law work. She has a wealth of experience of waste and energy matters, as well as long-standing expertise in the environmental aspects of development and regeneration schemes. "She is very dedicated, prompt with replies and great on attention to detail."
Karen Blair is a key figure in the development planning market in Northern Ireland and regularly leads on major planning applications. A client notes her "excellent knowledge of planning law," while another market source describes her as "down-to-earth and approachable."
Karen Blair is a "premier environmental and planning lawyer". Clients note, "Karen Blair's cool and calm nature soothes even the hardest of situations."
"Karen is very knowledgeable and has a comprehensive approach to problems."
"Karen Blair keeps a very even keel and never loses focus of the law on everything and all that she does, emotion never plays a part - she keeps all our feet on the ground and has far sight into matters that may bring problems in the future."
Kathryn is a Director in the Commercial Real Estate department and has significant experience in all aspects of non-contentious commercial property. Her interests lie particularly with commercial development, the retail sector, acting for both local and national preservation charities and projects work, both on behalf of clients in Northern Ireland and also in England and Wales (where she is qualified to practice).
Kathryn is used to dealing with complex disposal and acquisition transactions as well as organising teams of solicitors where required in dealing with major projects. Kathryn also has experience in providing advice to leading financial institutions and also for administrators in preparing property portfolios for sale and the sale of the assets themselves. She has been a key player in some of Northern Ireland's largest retail and private sector developments.
Kerri joined Cleaver Fulton Rankin as a HR Director in October 2018, having previously worked as HR Manager at Robinsons Services Group, one of Northern Ireland's top 50 largest employers and Legal-Island, a highly respected Employment Law and HR training organisation.
Kerri has expert knowledge in people development and the commercial impact of Human Resources. In addition to her role at Cleaver Fulton Rankin, Kerri is currently a Non-Executive Director for Extra Care For Elderly People, a not-for-profit Organisation and volunteers with Young Enterprise NI.
Kerri's experience is supported by her educational background. She holds Chartered membership of the CIPD; a Bachelor of Law (LL.B) with honours; a PgD in HR Management (CIPD level 7); and awards in Leadership, Management, Education and Training.
Kerri Bradley has been recognised in the Business First Top 40 under 40 List in Northern Ireland, an exceptional achievement which shines a light on Northern Irelands leading business professionals.
*Please note that Kerri is not a qualified practicing solicitor.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director
- Solicitors