Institutional Abuse

Director

Claire McKeegan

Chief Operating Officer

Elaine Conlon

Legal Executive

Shanagh McAllister

Shanagh McAllister is a trainee solicitor in the Litigation, Healthcare and Abuse department. Prior to joining the firm in 2022 as a paralegal, Shanagh graduated from Queen’s University Belfast with an LLB in Law and from Trinity College Dublin with an LLM in International and Comparative Law.

Shanagh works closely with experienced senior partner Claire McKeegan in various actions before the High Court, specialising in historical institutional abuse, clinical negligence, and personal injury. 

She is involved in high profile civil actions against religious bodies and schools, representing victims and survivors of Fr Malachy Finegan and Br Paul Dunleavy. She is also a member of the redress team, representing clients in their applications to the Historical Institutional Abuse Redress Board against various religious and state-run institutions. Shanagh also has experience in data protection and privacy actions. She is involved in the unprecedented number of actions against the Interim Advocate for Victims and Survivors of Historical Institutional Abuse and The Executive Office following the circulation of the May 2020 newsletter, which mistakenly revealed the names and email addresses of over 250 victims and survivors of historical institutional abuse. 

Shanagh has gained experience in clinical negligence claims. She assists clients in actions resulting from the Independent Neurology Inquiry and the recall of a large number of patients by the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust following concerns of misdiagnoses by consultant neurologist Dr Michael Watt. Shanagh works closely with our clients affected by a potential misdiagnosis and administration of incorrect disease modifying treatments. Shanagh also has experience in handling industrial disease claims arising from the exposure to asbestos and asbestos-related illnesses. 

Shanagh also has experience in judicial review, challenging decisions made by public authorities in relation to education and healthcare provisions, and in inquests, investigating the deaths of clients’ loved ones in healthcare facilities. Shanagh has also worked closely with clients and their loved ones before the Office of Care and Protection, securing Declaratory Orders and Controllership.

Shanagh is a member of the Phoenix Law team diligently working on the Muckamore Abbey Hospital Inquiry, representing 46 Core Participants to the Inquiry.