Biography

Ciaran McAteer was educated at University College Dublin where he gained a BCL in Law. Ciaran served his apprenticeship with Donnelly Neary Devlin Solicitors in Newry. After qualifying in 1976, Ciaran became an assistant to Paschal J O’Hare in Belfast. Ciaran founded McAteer & Co Solicitors in 1983. Ciaran is currently the managing partner at McAteer & Co.

Ciaran acts for Private Clients in personal injury law and has developed specific expertise in acting for victims physical or of institutional, clerical or childhood abuse. Ciaran is a member of the Association of Personal Injury lawyers (APIL) and the Association of Child Abuse lawyers (ACAL)

Ciaran also acts for Business Client department of the firm with particular focus on Company law and Employment Law.

In anticipation of the change from traditional litigation to alternative methods of dispute resolution, Ciaran became a member of the Chartered institute of Arbitrators in 1999. Ciaran has also completed a Course of ADR and Mediation training at Queens University Belfast in 2001. Ciaran currently sits on the committee of the Northern Ireland Chapter of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Through his involvement with various charities, Ciaran has also developed the specialist area of Charity Law.

Ciaran has had an interest in Railways since childhood. His specialist knowledge in this area has resulted in Ciaran being retained as legal adviser to a number of Heritage Railways.

As a result of Ciaran’s wealth of experience of over 30 years in practice, he is the current
chair of the Law Centre (NI) and is a member of the board of Trinity Housing
Association.

Ciaran is a past president of the Belfast Solicitors Association.

* Member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyer