The Team

Oonagh McClure
Regional Managing Partner, Northern Ireland

Oonagh is the regional managing partner at Thompsons NI. She is a senior asbestos, serious injury and medical negligence solicitor.

A solicitor with many years’ experience, she specialises in dealing with compensation claims for asbestos-related diseases which are often very complicated and require a high degree of skill and knowledge to resolve them.

 Oonagh was invited to attend before the Stormont Committee to give evidence regarding the impact of living with a diagnosis of pleural plaques prior to the introduction of The Damages (Asbestos related Conditions) (NI) Act 2011 which secured the right to pursue compensation for people diagnosed with pleural plaques. She understands the concerns of her clients who are often elderly and sometimes very ill.

Oonagh also deals with medical negligence cases including birth defect cases and serious spinal and head injury cases.

Oonagh uses her experience to ensure her clients are awarded the maximum amount of compensation they deserve in the shortest possible time.

Oonagh is a Fellow of the The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers. She is the Northern Ireland Board member of The Pan European Organisation of Personal Injury Lawyers and a member of the Belfast Solicitors Association, SIA (The Spinal Injuries Association) and AVMA (Action Against Medical Accidents).

          

Clare Shevlin
Personal Injury Solicitor

 Clare is a personal injury solicitor based in Thompsons NI office.

 Her experience spans personal injury claims including road traffic accidents and public liability, but she specialises in work place accidents. Clare works closely with trade unions and has trained both members and representatives in employment practices and standards.

She prides herself on empathising with clients who may have been through difficult situations and always seeks to make them comfortable in pursuing their claims. Clare always strives to provide them with the best possible support and to maximise their compensation.

Clare is also a member of the Belfast Solicitors Association.

Laura Henderson
Personal Injury Solicitor

Laura is a personal injury solicitor based in Thompsons NI office.

Laura joined Thompsons NI in 2016 and has experience in a wide variety of personal injury claims including road traffic accidents, criminal injuries and occupier’s liability, but specialises in work place accidents.

Laura is committed to excellence in client care and strives to recover the maximum compensation for her clients within the shortest possible time.

Laura is a member of the Belfast Solicitors Association.

Dariya Mariya Petryshyn
Personal Injury Paralegal

Dariya is a recent law school graduate paralegal and litigation assistant based in Thompsons’ Belfast office. She graduated from Queen’s University Belfast and joined Thompsons Solicitors NI in 2022, driven to apply her legal education and experiences to a practical setting.

Dariya manages various legal matters, including employment, criminal, wills & estates, and real estate, providing vital representation to Thompsons’ clients across Northern Ireland. She also plays an essential role in monitoring the Thompsons NI union advice lines.

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Dariya initially focused on employment law but has since broadened her portfolio. Now, she also handles wills & estates, home purchases and sales, and criminal law matters. She's committed to ensuring people who need representation get it.

Dariya also undertakes client intake for criminal and employment law union inquiries, displaying a keen attention to detail, a strong work ethic, and excellent communication and research skills.

Dariya is a qualified Law Clerk in Canada and looks forward to pursuing an LLM in the fall of 2023. She's committed to using her time at Thompsons to further her knowledge and deliver the best service and legal advice to those who need it most.

Dariya enjoys kayaking, swimming, reading, and watching classic movies when not immersed in law. She also has a passion for learning new languages and travelling. She is fluent in English, French, Ukrainian, and Russian and is currently learning British Sign Language, Polish, and Japanese. Her love for learning extends beyond her professional commitments, making her a dynamic and versatile team member.