Calm, precise and relentlessly committed to client outcomes – that is how colleagues describe Nadine Brennan, newly appointed Disputes Partner at Tughans. Recognised for her measured approach and ability to navigate complex and high-profile disputes, Nadine has built a reputation for delivering clear, practical and commercially sensitive solutions to challenging cases.

 

Nadine Brennan has recently been promoted to Partner within the Dispute Resolution practice, where she will play a key role in driving strategic growth within the team and supporting the firm’s wider expansion plans.

 

Following her studies in Law with Politics at Queen’s University Belfast, Nadine completed the LPC at the College of Law, Manchester in 2011. She joined Tughans as a paralegal in 2012 and secured her training contract the following year, qualifying into the Disputes team in March 2015 after seats across several practice areas.

 

Over the past decade, she has built extensive experience across commercial litigation, particularly in public law, procurement, energy and property disputes.

 

Qualified to practice in both Northern Ireland and England & Wales, Nadine has extensive experience in commercial disputes. She acts for a wide range of clients, from public bodies, local authorities, charities and utilities to financial institutions, lenders and private companies and individuals. Described in Legal 500 as “fantastic … her support is unmatched,” Nadine brings this reputation to her role as partner.

 

Nadine’s interest in Dispute Resolution comes from the challenging and often unpredictable nature of the work and her enjoyment of getting into the detail of a problem and finding a path forward in order to deliver a solution for the client. “Every case is different, and I like the combination of legal complexity and commercial sensitivity that many disputes require. It’s about understanding the law but also understanding the client, what they are seeking to achieve and what we can do to get there.”

 

As a senior member of Tughans’ Dispute Resolution team, Nadine plays a central role in guiding and supporting colleagues. The team’s reputation as one of Northern Ireland’s leading disputes practices, combined with its depth of expertise and collaborative culture, provides the ideal environment for Nadine to mentor and develop talent effectively.

 

Known at Tughans for her calm and thoughtful approach, she helps junior lawyers build confidence, develop their skills, and navigate complicated disputes while creating space for them to grow professionally. Having recently returned from maternity leave ahead of her promotion, Nadine is also a visible and supportive role model for colleagues balancing the demands of high-level disputes work with personal commitments.

 

With over a decade in Tughans’ Dispute Resolution team, Nadine has seen the commercial litigation landscape evolve, with a rise in complex, high-profile, and commercially sensitive disputes across sectors such as energy, infrastructure, and public and administrative law.

• In the energy sector, the transition to net zero is driving a surge in contentious issues around electricity generation, renewables, infrastructure and regulatory decisions. Greater competition, specifically in the electricity market, is also leading to increased legal challenges.
• There is growing litigation around major infrastructure projects, such as new roads schemes, and improvements to public transport links and upgrades to water and sewerage infrastructure.
• Northern Ireland’s government funding pressures and identified funding shortfalls is an ongoing problem that has caused (and is likely to cause further) legal challenges, particularly in circumstances where the lack of sufficient funding poses serious risks to the sustainability of public services and infrastructure.
• The change in public procurement law which has come into effect this year with the Procurement Act 2023, will likely see changes in the type and frequency of challenges that are brought in respect of procurement competitions.

 

Looking ahead, Nadine expects these trends to continue, with high-profile and technically complex disputes likely to remain a significant feature of the Northern Ireland litigation landscape.

 

As Partner, Nadine looks forward to growing the practice, mentoring the next generation of dispute resolution lawyers, and helping clients navigate an increasingly complex commercial and regulatory environment. Nadine will also continue to work closely with colleagues in the real estate team to advance the firm’s specialist real estate litigation offering.

“I am excited to play a role in shaping the continued growth of the practice and to support our clients as their challenges evolve. It’s a privilege to work alongside a team with such depth and expertise.”

 

For advice on navigating complex commercial disputes, Nadine and the Tughans Dispute Resolution team can provide insight and guidance across Northern Ireland and further afield.