What McCartan Turkington Breen does

McCartan Turkington Breen is a full-service law firm headquartered in Belfast, Northern Ireland, founded in 1977 through a merger of two predecessor firms whose histories trace back to the 1920s. The firm serves both individual and corporate clients across Northern Ireland, with a cross-jurisdictional extension into the Republic of Ireland via its sister firm F.V. Harty & Co. in Dublin. Its practice spans personal injury and medical negligence (including cerebral palsy and birth injury claims), employment law (notably class actions such as the £30m+ PSNI holiday pay case), family and matrimonial law, wills/probate, property and conveyancing, corporate and commercial law, licensing law, criminal defence, debt recovery, judicial reviews, and GDPR data breach claims.

The firm operates on a traditional professional services revenue model: hourly billing for corporate clients, fixed fees for conveyancing and select corporate services, contingency-style arrangements where permitted under Northern Ireland law, legal aid for eligible matters, and after-the-event insurance. Free initial consultations are offered across all services. Client acquisition is primarily referral-led, supplemented by content marketing, SEO, earned media (BBC, Belfast Telegraph, Irish Times, The Times, The Guardian), and channel partnerships with NIPSA (Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance) and Hospitality Ulster.

The firm is structured as a private partnership with no external parent or private equity backing. It has grown from approximately 10 people at founding to over 80 staff today, ranking as one of the largest locally owned law firms in Northern Ireland. Six partners are individually ranked in the Chambers & Partners Guide, and Colin Mitchell currently serves as President of the Law Society of Northern Ireland. The firm is the only Northern Ireland member of the UK200 Group and holds ISO certification, ICO Data Controller registration, and memberships in STEP, APIL, and the Law Society of Northern Ireland.

Name

McCartan Turkington Breen

Legal name

McCartan Turkington Breen

Website

https://mtb-law.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

McCartan Turkington Breen is a full-service law firm based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, serving individual and corporate clients across personal injury, medical negligence, employment, family, corporate, and commercial law, with cross-jurisdictional capability into the Republic of Ireland via sister firm F.V. Harty & Co.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Estate Administration & Probate Services (FSAAANAE)

Keywords

• Personal injury claims
• Medical negligence claims
• Corporate legal services
• Employment law services
• Commercial dispute resolution

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: Traditional hourly billing for corporate clients with some fixed fee arrangements depending on specific service required. Personal legal services billed through various models including fixed fees for conveyancing, hourly rates for litigation, and contingency-style arrangements where appropriate under Northern Ireland law.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

McCartan Turkington Breen is a full-service law firm headquartered in Belfast, Northern Ireland, providing legal representation and advisory services to both individuals and businesses. Its individual services span personal injury, medical negligence, employment law, family and matrimonial law, wills and probate, property and conveyancing, criminal defence, debt recovery, professional negligence, and judicial reviews. Corporate services include corporate law, commercial dispute resolution, licensing law, commercial property, business succession planning, and insolvency. The firm offers free initial consultations across all practice areas.

Product overview

McCartan Turkington Breen is a full-service law firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of legal services to both individual and corporate clients. The firm's services are organized into two main categories: services for individuals (including personal injury claims, medical negligence, employment law, family law, property services, and wills/probate) and services for businesses (including corporate law, commercial transactions, licensing, and dispute resolution). The firm provides specialized practice areas such as cerebral palsy and birth injury claims, employment class actions, and data breach litigation. McCartan Turkington Breen also offers sector-specific services through partnerships with NIPSA and Hospitality Ulster.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Personal Injury Claims Legal representation for individuals seeking compensation for injuries, including road traffic accidents, workplace accidents, public and occupier's liability, and serious catastrophic injuries.
• Medical Negligence Claims Legal services for victims of medical malpractice including cerebral palsy and birth injuries, surgical negligence, dental negligence, A&E claims, missed fractures, misdiagnosis, blindness, amputation, and fatal accidents.
• Industrial Disease Claims Legal representation for workplace-related illnesses and diseases including hearing loss, repetitive strain injury, asbestos claims, and industrial skin disease.
• Employment Law (Individuals) Legal services for employees covering unfair and constructive dismissal, discrimination and harassment, grievances and disciplinaries, compromise agreements, and employment contract disputes.
• Wills, Probate & Estate Planning Legal services for estate administration, will making, power of attorney, estate planning, and probate dispute resolution.
• Property & Conveyancing Legal services for residential and commercial property transactions including buying, selling, land and site conveyancing, and transfer of property equity.
• Family & Matrimonial Law Legal services covering divorce, child law, domestic abuse, and division of assets.
• GDPR Data Breach Claims Legal services for individuals seeking compensation following data breaches and violations of data protection regulations.
• Debt Recovery Legal services for recovering outstanding debts and commercial claims.
• Criminal Defence Legal representation for individuals facing criminal charges.
• Professional Negligence Claims Legal services for claims against professionals who have provided negligent advice or services.
• Judicial Reviews Legal services for challenging decisions made by public bodies through judicial review proceedings.
• Corporate Law Legal services for businesses including startup advisory, equity transactions, mergers and acquisitions, governance and compliance, and commercial healthcare.
• Commercial Dispute Resolution Legal services for resolving commercial disputes through litigation, arbitration, or alternative dispute resolution methods; includes credit hire claims disputes.
• Licensing Law Legal services for obtaining and maintaining liquor, entertainment, gambling, and other commercial licences for bars, clubs, restaurants, hotels, and bookmakers.
• Business Succession Planning Legal services for planning the transfer of business ownership and management.
• Insolvency Legal services for businesses and individuals facing insolvency or bankruptcy.
• Employment Law for Employers Legal services for employers including compromise agreement drafting and other employer-side employment law matters.
• Commercial Property Transactions Legal services for commercial property transactions.
• Commercial Law Legal services for commercial matters including non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).
• NIPSA Services Specialized legal services for members of the Northern Ireland Public Services Alliance (NIPSA) union.
• Cross-Jurisdictional Referrals Cross-jurisdictional legal referrals and coordination with sister firm F.V. Harty & Co. in Dublin for Republic of Ireland matters, and via UK200 Group network for English and Welsh matters.

Quantifiable outcome

• Settled £20 million cerebral palsy case - one of largest medical negligence settlements in Northern Ireland
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Friends of the Cancer CentreminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Charity partner for 2026. Long-standing cancer charity helping local patients across Northern Ireland for over 40 years.
• Women's Aid Federation Northern IrelandminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Charity partner for 2025. Lead voluntary organization in Northern Ireland addressing domestic abuse and providing services for women and children.
• UK200 GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnly law firm in Northern Ireland in UK200 Group of independent UK law firms. Provides access to national and international legal resources, knowledge sharing, and collaborative opportunities across the UK.
• Hospitality UlstercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAccredited Legal Supplier for Hospitality Ulster representing the hospitality sector in Northern Ireland. Provides specialized legal services for bars, clubs, restaurants, hotels, and gambling operators regarding liquor licensing and entertainment licences. Partner Colin Mitchell edits the Guide to Liquor Licensing in Northern Ireland published by Hospitality Ulster.
• NIPSA (Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDedicated section on McCartan Turkington Breen website for NIPSA members. Provides employment law services specifically tailored for public sector workers represented by the union.
• F.V. Harty & Co.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister law firm in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. Enables firm to handle cross-jurisdictional matters across the island of Ireland. Partner Michael Allison practices through both firms for matters spanning Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland.
• Law Society of Northern IrelandcoreOthersGoverning body for solicitors in Northern Ireland. Firm partners hold leadership positions including Colin Mitchell as former President and current Senior Vice President. Colin Mitchell is former Chairman of Belfast Solicitors' Association.
• Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL)minorOthersProfessional membership organization for personal injury specialists. Partner Tanya Waterworth is an accredited Senior Litigator with APIL.
• Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)minorOthersProfessional body for trust and estate practitioners. Partner Damian Collins is a full member.
• Belfast Harlequins RFCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMulti-sports club sponsorship covering men's, women's, and junior's rugby and field hockey teams as well as grounds. Part of firm's CSR sporting sponsorships.
• Rosario FCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmateur football club sponsorship covering eight girls' teams aged 5-16. Part of firm's CSR sporting sponsorships.
• Cooke Collegians Cricket ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCricket club sponsorship for entire club from 1st XI down to midweek XI. Part of firm's CSR sporting sponsorships.
• Bredagh GACminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCounty Down GAA club sponsorship for Ladies' team. Part of firm's CSR sporting sponsorships.
• Ormeau Table Tennis ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity sports club sponsorship. One of UK's and Ireland's leading community table tennis clubs. Firm also hosts client events at the venue.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights12 records

Direct peers

• Carson McDowell: One of the largest commercial law firms in Northern Ireland, headquartered in Belfast. Direct competitor for corporate, commercial property, employment, and litigation work, with a comparable full-service offering aimed at both corporate and HNW individual clients across NI.
• Elliott Duffy Garrett: Belfast-based full-service firm directly competing with MTB across commercial, real estate, employment, and private client mandates in Northern Ireland.
• Cleaver Fulton Rankin: Established Belfast full-service law firm overlapping MTB on commercial, property, employment, and private client work, including wills/probate and litigation across Northern Ireland.
• Harte Cakley (formerly Harte), in liquidation: Northern Ireland full-service firm; recent market exit illustrates competitive dynamics MTB faces locally. Note: included for market context rather than as an active peer.
• Tughans: Major Belfast-headquartered full-service law firm competing with MTB across corporate, real estate, employment, and dispute resolution mandates in the Northern Ireland market.

Broad incumbents

• Irwin Mitchell: UK-wide firm with leading personal injury and medical negligence practices that compete with MTB's flagship PI work; their ability to advertise no-win-no-fee structures (unavailable to MTB in NI) creates a competitive asymmetry.
• A&L Goodbody: One of Ireland's largest full-service law firms. Comparable to MTB's full-service positioning and operates the Dublin market that MTB accesses only via its F.V. Harty & Co. sister-firm referral.
• Arthur Cox: Largest full-service Irish law firm with deep corporate, finance, and litigation practices. Comparable scale and practice breadth; relevant for cross-jurisdictional corporate work that MTB's Belfast-only presence cannot fully serve.
• Slater and Gordon: National UK personal injury and consumer law firm that competes with MTB in PI and employment claimant work; their marketing-led, no-win-no-fee model contrasts with MTB's traditional partnership approach.

Emerging players

• Kennedys: International insurance and defendant-side litigation firm. Comparable to MTB's banking litigation and defendant-side PI work via offices in Belfast and broader UK/Ireland network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mtb_law

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about McCartan Turkington Breen