Education
Bloomfield Collegiate, Belfast
Queens University, Belfast
Institute of Professional Legal Studies, Belfast
Profile
Alison qualified as a Solicitor in 2002. She spent her apprenticeship with a large City centre firm which specialised in defending clinical negligence and public liability claims on behalf of public bodies. She also gained experience in a variety of other areas, including plaintiff litigation, debt recovery, matrimonial and public family law, conveyancing, and probate. She was commissioned to prepare several research papers for public bodies dealing with, for example, the impact of the Human Rights legislation, and the law relating to consent to medical treatment.
Alison joined Johnsons in 2002, and since then has been a member of the Dispute Resolution and Litigation Department. She is primarily involved in defence litigation on behalf of a number of Insurers, both in the High Court and the County Court, and her work includes investigating claims, interviewing witnesses, drafting and preparing Pleadings, and preparing cases for trial generally.
Alison is also involved with the Private Client Department, and has experience in acting on behalf of Plaintiffs in large value personal injury claims, as well as presenting complaints on behalf of consumers.
She is regularly required to use advocacy skills, both in presenting interlocutory applications and Small Claims Court applications in Court, and in conducting settlement negotiations.
Alison also works in the Corporate and Commercial Department and has dealt with numerous Chancery and Commercial Court actions, including applications for injunctions and specific performance. She is au fait with the Practice Directions relating to these High Court Divisions, which set down strict timetables within which the actions must be processed.
She advises several large corporate clients, including a well-known tour operator, on consumer issues, and frequently acts as mediator in order to resolve consumer disputes without recourse to litigation. She is thoroughly familiar with the legislation and recent case law relating to the sale and supply of goods and package tours.
Alison also deals with debt recovery cases on behalf of these clients, and has wide experience of the Enforcement of Judgments and bankruptcy procedures.
Email alison.mcclung@johnsonslaw.co.uk