Cleaver Fulton Rankin Achieves Strong Legal 500 UK 2027 Rankings with Tier 1 Success and New Family Law Recognition

Cleaver Fulton Rankin is delighted to announce another strong performance in The Legal 500 UK 2027 rankings, with recognition across a broad range of practice areas and individual lawyer categories. The latest results include continued Tier 1 rankings, a new Family Law ranking and a number of notable individual recognitions.

The firm continues to be recognised as one of Northern Ireland’s leading law firms, with rankings spanning private client, real estate, dispute resolution, employment, banking and finance, corporate and M&A, energy and projects, planning and environment, construction, insolvency and family law.

Continued Tier 1 Recognition

Cleaver Fulton Rankin has retained its Tier 1 rankings for Personal Tax, Trusts and Probate and Commercial Property, reinforcing the firm’s longstanding reputation for delivering market-leading legal advice to both private and commercial clients.

These top-tier rankings reflect the depth of expertise within the firm’s Private Client and Real Estate teams and the continued confidence placed in them by clients and professional contacts.

New Recognition for Family Law

A standout result in this year’s guide is the firm’s new Tier 2 ranking for Family Law, reflecting the continued growth and success of the team and its reputation for handling complex and sensitive family matters.

Alongside the new practice area ranking, Ryan Elliott has been recognised as a Leading Associate, further highlighting the strength and quality of the firm’s Family and Matrimonial Law offering.
Ryan commented:

“This recognition reflects our commitment to providing exceptional service to clients in Family and Matrimonial Law. Securing a new ranking for this practice area, alongside individual recognition, is particularly rewarding and highlights the strength of our team and the complexity and importance of the matters on which we advise.”

Individual Lawyers Recognised Across the Firm

The Legal 500 also recognised a number of Cleaver Fulton Rankin lawyers for their expertise across a range of practice areas.

Private Client Recognition

The firm’s highly ranked Private Client team received continued recognition for its market-leading expertise:

• Michael Graham retained his place in the prestigious Hall of Fame for Personal Tax, Trusts and Probate.
• Jonathan Forrester was again recognised as a Leading Partner in Personal Tax, Trusts and Probate.
• Timothy Rankin retained his ranking as a Next Generation Partner.
• Brid McColgan also maintained recognition as a Next Generation Partner.

Standout Individual Recognitions

Across the firm, a number of lawyers were recognised for their expertise and contribution to their respective practice areas:

• Stephen Cross retained his Hall of Fame rankings in both Banking & Finance and Energy & Projects.
• Michael Black maintained his position as a Leading Partner in Employment.
• Stuart Nevin retained recognition as a Leading Associate in Dispute Resolution.
• Patrick Fleming and Aaron Moore were both recognised as Leading Partners in Construction.
• Orla Kelly and Stephen Masterson achieved new recognition as Leading Associates in Planning & Environment.

Reflecting Excellence Across the Firm

These latest rankings demonstrate the breadth and depth of talent across Cleaver Fulton Rankin, with recognition spanning multiple practice areas and reflecting the firm’s continued commitment to outstanding client service.

These results reflect the exceptional commitment, expertise and client service delivered by our people every day. We are particularly pleased to see continued recognition in our Tier 1 practice areas, alongside new recognition for our Family Law team and several individual lawyers. These rankings are a testament to the trust our clients place in us and the dedication of our teams across the firm.

About The Legal 500

The Legal 500 is one of the legal profession’s leading independent directories, assessing law firms and lawyers through extensive market research, client feedback and peer review.

We would like to thank our clients, referrers and contacts for their continued support and valuable feedback throughout the research process.

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