Philip is the firm’s Managing Partner and heads up Caldwell & Robinson’s Corporate & Commercial team. He regularly negotiates Irish and Northern Irish transactions in which there are particularly complex ownership, international and succession issues. He provides commercially focused advice and is recognised for his ability to provide both legally accurate and practical advice, offering solutions tailored to fit clients’ needs before issues become contentious or protracted.

Philip has also worked extensively in international sourcing and organisation building, allowing him to look at issues outside of a legal vacuum and better appreciate commercial contexts.

He is a regular speaker at conferences on legal aspects of international trade, particularly within emerging markets. Former President of the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce, Philip is the current Chair of Avrio Advocati and is a former Director of Catalyst Inc (formerly the Northern Ireland Science Park).

A Derry native, he was educated at the University of Edinburgh, University of Pennsylvania, and the College of Law, before beginning his legal career at Clifford Chance in London and Brussels. He returned to Derry to work in a non-legal capacity for manufacturers Desmond & Sons Ltd., Marks & Spencer plc, and J. Sainsbury plc as General Manager Asia, before joining Caldwell & Robinson. These roles have given him extensive commercial experience in the developing markets of China, South Asia, and Eastern Europe.

Contact Philip by email — philip.gilliland@caldwellrobinson.com