- Senior Partner: Phyllis Agnew
- Managing Partner: Ian Coulter
- Partners: 24
- Directors: 10
- Associates: 29
- Other fee-earners: 6
THE FIRM As one of Northern Ireland’s leading and longest established law firms, Tughans has a strong reputation for providing clients with first class advice on a range of legal issues. The firm’s partner-led approach ensures that clients, who include local entrepreneurial start-ups, established indigenous companies and international corporations doing business in Northern Ireland, receive sound technical, timely and commercially astute legal advice. Tughans has a formal association with leading Dublin law firm, William Fry and also works closely with major firms in the City of London and other leading firms in Great Britain, Europe and the USA, often handling the Northern Ireland aspects of multi-jurisdictional transactions.
PRINCIPAL AREAS OF WORK
Banking & Finance: The team advises financial institutions and corporate borrowers on secured and unsecured finance and lending and on the structuring of finance and security options. The team has experience in the areas of asset finance, acquisition and leveraged finance, property finance, securitisation and general corporate lending.
Corporate: The department’s principal activities include M&As, share issues, venture capital and inward investment, joint ventures, shareholder agreements and company reconstructions. The department has been involved in significant transactions across a range of business sectors and continues to attract a high proportion of the multi-jurisdictional work among Northern Irish law firms.
Dispute Resolution: The department is made up of three specialist units: commercial litigation; insurance-based litigation; and clinical negligence and professional regulatory work. All of the solicitors have expertise in methods of alternative dispute resolution including arbitration, adjudication, mediation and expert determination.
Employment: The team acts for a number of Northern Ireland’s employers advising on both contentious and non-contentious matters. The team also provides employment advice on mergers and acquisitions, outsourcing and TUPE.
Energy: The team advises clients in the energy sector principally in the energy from waste, electricity and renewable energy technologies markets, on issues relating to real estate, mergers and acquisitions, equity investment, regulatory, asset management and contentious issues.
Environment & Planning: The team advises on a range of environment and planning issues relating to real estate, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory issues and contentious matters. The team advises clients on brownfield development; planning applications; enforcement notices and appeals; waste management; permitting and licensing; environmental impact assessment; and renewable energy development.
Intellectual Property: The department specialises in the areas of IP, ICT, freedom of information and data protection, providing advice and assistance on all aspects of the protection and exploitation of intellectual property assets in a diverse range of sectors. The team has wide exposure to the technology environment in Northern Ireland, and draws leading clients from both the private and public sectors.
PFI/PPP/Projects: The firm continues to play a major part in the largest projects in Northern Ireland, principally in the healthcare, IT and infrastructure sectors.
Real Estate: The department, home to one of the largest commercial property practices in Northern Ireland, acts for a diverse range of clients including private, institutional and public sector bodies and housing associations in all property matters and in all aspects of landlord and tenant law. The department continues to reinforce its outstanding reputation by providing strong technical expertise, practical advice and a reliable delivery of service at all levels.
Restructuring & Insolvency: The team advises financial institutions, insolvency officeholders, corporates and directors. Where financial difficulties arise, the team will work with clients and their other professional advisers to protect their interests and to turn around and rescue ailing businesses. The team advises clients on their rights, liabilities and best practice for corporate governance in times of financial distress and seeks to provide creative solutions to their problems.