UK Guide 2026 : Northern Ireland
Ranked Individuals
Provided by A&L Goodbody
A&L Goodbody has the largest and most experienced litigation and dispute resolution team on the island of Ireland. The combined Belfast and Dublin team provide a seamless, fully-integrated all-island service to local, national and international clients. Our Belfast based lawyers work with clients to manage risk in all areas of their business and to resolve disputes in the most efficient and effective way. We are skilled in resolving disputes whether by way of litigation, arbitration, adjudication, mediation or expert determination. Our market leading position comes from a proven track record of managing large and complex cases in a strategic and commercial manner.
Our litigation specialisms include:
Provided by Chambers
A&L Goodbody has a stable team of highly regarded litigators advising on financial, shareholder and contract disputes. The team represents an impressive selection of clients across a variety of sectors, with notable experience advising companies in energy, technology, manufacturing and financial services.
Provided by Chambers
A&L Goodbody represented NatWest in a case concerning breach of contract and subsequent negligence.
Provided by Chambers
The advice provided is practical, considers a range of options and outcomes and is explained clearly. The depth and breadth of A&L Goodbody's team are strong.
A&L Goodbody has a team of lawyers that are responsive and easy to talk to.
The collaboration with A&L Goodbody is excellent; the firm always has the client's interests fully in mind and fulfils its role as a local counsel very effectively.
The team at A&L Goodbody were a pleasure to deal with. The firm was helpful and approachable, providing clear guidance and explanations when required.
The litigation team of A&L Goodbody provide a legal service that, in my view, is simply unrivalled across Northern Ireland.
Provided by Chambers
Michael Neill is head of A&L Goodbody's Belfast office and a strong commercial litigator with noteworthy expertise in restructuring and insolvency litigation, as well as shareholder disputes.
Michael Neill is very affable. He is one of the go-to lawyers for matters relating to procurement law in Belfast – a highly regarded lawyer in competition law.
Michael Neill is a really good operator and an all-around nice guy.
Brendan Fox is well known in the market for his strong expertise in commercial dispute resolution. His broad practice also covers construction, real estate and data protection, as well as intellectual property.
Brendan Fox is very experienced – an assertive and knowledgeable litigator.
Sam Corbett is noted for his strength in contentious insolvency as well as high-value financial services-related litigation.
Having Sam Corbett provide legal advice is like working with a member of your own team in that he is aware of not only the legal matters but also the commercial issues at stake.
Sam Corbett is head of the Insolvency Department. One of the brightest lawyers I have ever met, he is extraordinarily good. If I had a commercial litigation issue, he would be my go-to lawyer.
Sam Corbett is extremely committed and knowledgeable, but also very commercially sensitive. If I am looking for an expert solicitor in litigation, it would be very hard for me to bypass Sam Corbett.
Sam Corbett is highly commercial and pragmatic and knows the legal landscape very well. He is very tuned into what strategy works best for each case.
Sam Corbett is a very technically astute lawyer.
Micaela Diver is co-head of A&L Goodbody's litigation department, working on high-value, complex and contentious mandates in Northern Ireland. She is qualified to practice law in the Republic of Ireland and England and Wales, and regularly sought out to act in matters related to the construction and health sectors, among many others. She is also expert in cases relating to greenwashing.
She is a professional, diligent, pragmatic and thorough lawyer who is very much an expert in her field.
Chris Coulter is an active associate who frequently assists clients on breach of contract and breach of trust claims. He is highly knowledgeable about matters related to the banking and finance sector.
He is extremely amiable and is very keen to learn from someone else's experience.
We found Chris approachable and helpful. He provides clear explanations to make sure that we understand each step of the process.
Litigation
Head of Litigation
Litigation
Litigation
Litigation
Provided by A&L Goodbody
Micaela Diver
View profile of Micaela Diver
Ciaran O'Shiel
Gareth Walls
Aisling Byrne
Sam Corbett
View profile of Sam CorbettMichael Neill
View profile of Michael NeillChris Coulter
View profile of Chris Coulter
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