Belfast law firm Carson McDowell has appointed three new partners in Belfast, and has also promoted 14 lawyers to the position of senior associate.

The firm employs more than 200 people, working across 27 specialist areas, in its Belfast and Dublin offices.

It has now expanded its senior team to 34 partners with the appointment of Sarah Cochrane as a partner in its employment team, Cathal O’Neill as a partner in its defence-insurance division, and Francesca Lowry as a healthcare partner.

Associates promoted

Francesca Lowry joined Carson McDowell as an apprentice in 2003, becoming part of the healthcare team upon qualification in 2005.

Sarah Cochrane joined the employment team in 2012, and has worked closely with other departments within the firm, leading on the employment-law aspects of key transactions.

Cathal O’Neill joined the defence-insurance team in 2017, and has significant experience in handling a range of public- and employer-liability cases, with a particular proficiency in industrial-disease claims.

The 14 associates promoted to senior associate within the firm are:

• Aisling O’Hare (commercial),
• Andrew Davison (private client),
• Anna Haines-Smyth (healthcare claims NI),
• Enya McKenna (defence Insurance),
• Faye Phillips (planning and environmental),
• Fergal McGoldrick (media, communications and reputation/Lltigation and dispute resolution),
• Gillian Greenfield (professional indemnity),
• Helen Cosgrove (litigation and dispute resolution),
• Laura McKee (healthcare Ccaims NI),
• Le-ann Campbell (corporate/energy),
• Niamh Magee (procurement/competition),
• Orla Kelly (planning and environmental),
• Rosie Timoney (corporate),
• Yvonne McMahon (real estate).