Keystone’s Belfast office makes two significant senior hires
Keystone Law Northern Ireland, which launched in Belfast four months ago, has appointed commercial property solicitor Jim Houston, previously of Cleaver Fulton Rankin, and former Clifford Chance lawyer and Translink General Counsel, JP Irvine.
Jim advises on all aspects of commercial property, with a particular interest in commercial and residential developments. He acts for landlords and tenants in the negotiation of leases for retail, office, industrial and hotel accommodation, as well as advising on the management of such properties, including the negotiation of rent reviews and lease renewals. He has advised both British and US funds on the proposed acquisition of Northern Ireland loan portfolios.
JP joins the firm as director in the corporate/commercial department at the end of August. He brings skills in data and cyber protection from his time as Chief Information Officer/SIRO at Translink, plus years of experience working with major regulated utilities whilst serving as Legal Director in the NI Utility Regulator. In the past 12 months, he has been advising on the business impact of Brexit, and was invited by the Irish Prime Minister to participate in the recent All-island Civic Forum on Brexit.
John McMahon, managing director of Keystone Law NI, said: ‘It has been a busy few months since our launch in Northern Ireland. We are already experiencing an influx of new major projects and client-led demand, along with great interest from lawyers locally and international “returners” to the province. It is vital for us that we hire the best lawyers with impeccable service standards and the right cultural-fit to help us execute our vision.’
