TLT turbocharges UK-wide Banking team with high-profile partner hire

Award-winning UK law firm TLT has expanded its national banking and finance offering with the appointment of Orla Hanna as partner.

Based in the firm’s Belfast office and qualified in three jurisdictions, Orla brings over a decade of experience in the local market and will play a key role in expanding TLT’s banking and clean energy capabilities in Northern Ireland, England, Wales and Ireland.

Her appointment builds on TLT’s well-established strengths and reputation in energy finance and underscores the firm’s commitment to meeting the evolving needs of clients in Belfast and across the UK.

Orla has joined TLT from DWF, where she led the Irish Finance & Restructuring team. She brings a broad and commercially-focused banking and financing practice, covering a wide range of domestic and international financing transactions, including secured and unsecured lending, syndicate finance, renewable energy finance, project finance, acquisition finance, real estate finance and debt restructuring. Her clients range from large corporates to SMEs, private developers, banks and governmental bodies.

Recognised as a go-to banking and finance lawyer, Orla is adept at handling large corporate deals with cross-border elements. Her work to date has included advising on real estate financing transactions in Belfast, the financing aspects of some notable mergers and acquisitions, project financing of numerous clean energy projects and loan portfolio sales.

Orla’s arrival further enhances TLT’s ability to deliver complex, business-critical transactions both locally and nationally. She is the latest partner to join the banking team, following the recent appointments of debt finance expert Roy Grist in Birmingham and banking partner Euan Cluness in Scotland, expanding TLT’s cross-jurisdictional footprint and deepening its sector expertise. Her appointment also reflects TLT’s investment in its growing Belfast partner team, making it one of the few firms in Belfast to have two tri-qualified banking partners, to include Irish law advice capabilities.

Orla is the third partner to join the Belfast office in the last four months, alongside Jonathan O’Hagan, Real Estate Partner; and Nuala Maguire, Projects, Infrastructure and Construction Partner, strengthening the firm’s offering in real estate and development finance with a particular benefit for cross jurisdictional transactions.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Orla is a mentor for 'SistersIn', a Northern Ireland-based charity empowering young women to become confident and capable leaders, reflecting her dedication to supporting the growth and progression of women in the banking sector. 

Caroline MacLaughlin, Banking Partner at TLT said: “Orla's appointment underscores our focus on investing into our existing banking offering in the market, with the aim of further developing and enhancing our team capabilities to ensure we're one step ahead and continuing to deliver a best-in-class service.

"Rapid team growth is further enhancing our cross-border capabilities and our ability to deliver complex, high-value projects across banking, energy and real estate, whilst also positioning TLT as a leader in the sector regionally. It's an absolute pleasure to welcome Orla to the team."

Orla Hanna, Partner at TLT added: “TLT is clearly a firm that is on the rise, on both a regional and a national level. The firm’s commitment to investing in Belfast, alongside its unique opportunity to build and deliver large cross-border transactions across multiple jurisdictions are a highly attractive proposition, which very few other Northern Ireland law firms can fulfil. With multiple local partners joining TLT this summer, it is an extremely exciting time to join the firm in Belfast with lots of developments to look forward to ahead.”