Specialising in Negotiating Settlements with Banks for clients with Financial Liabilities
Helping clients resolve complex banking disputes, negotiate debt settlements and achieve practical financial solutions — with professionalism, confidentiality and decades of experience.
Every negotiation, one point of resolution
A specialist reputation, built over three decades
Banks Bentley is a specialist debt negotiation consultancy, built around four core disciplines: negotiation, mediation, judgment mortgages, and financial dispute resolution. Our clients include individuals, businesses, solicitors, auctioneers and other professionals who need an experienced advisor for difficult financial situations.
Our firm's approach was established in the mid-1990s, when our founder was working in the United States and pioneered discounted debt settlement as a distinct practice, later bringing it to Ireland — a niche sector that had never existed here before. That early work has grown into long-standing, direct relationships with Ireland's major banks and private equity firms, relationships we draw on for every client we represent today.
We work directly with clients, often as part of a wider professional team — including solicitors managing a difficult file, auctioneers navigating a sale under debt, and past clients who refer someone they trust to us for the same assistance.
Debt Negotiation
Structured settlement discussions with lenders and creditors.
Mediation
Resolving disputes without recourse to the courts.
Dispute Resolution
Clear, evidence-led paths to a practical outcome.
Judgment Mortgages
Negotiating discounted settlements of registered judgment mortgages that are preventing a property sale.
Practical solutions for complex financial positions
Debt Settlement Negotiation
Negotiating settlements with banks and creditors to reduce financial liabilities and reach practical, workable agreements.
Judgment Mortgage Settlements
Resolving judgment mortgages so that property sales and transactions can proceed to completion.
Negative Equity Property Solutions
Working with lenders to secure consent for property sales and negotiate meaningful write-downs on residual debt.
Loan Documentation & Forensic Investigation
Reviewing loan applications, guarantees and supporting documentation where their validity or completeness is in question.
Mediation
Helping parties in dispute reach efficient, structured resolution — always working alongside the legal profession — without the cost of court proceedings.
Credit Card Debt Negotiation
Negotiating with lenders and debt purchasers to reach realistic settlements on unsecured debt, including accounts sold to private funds.
Vehicle Finance & Leasing Disputes
Assisting clients in resolving finance and leasing obligations that have become unmanageable or contested.
Strategic Financial Leveraging
Helping clients gain valuable time with creditors while market or personal circumstances improve their position.
An independent voice at the negotiating table
Decades of Experience
A specialist practice built since the mid-1990s.
Independent Advice
No loans, insurance or brokerage — advice with no conflict of interest.
Confidential Consultations
Discretion is treated as a professional obligation, not a courtesy.
Practical Commercial Solutions
Recommendations grounded in what a lender will actually agree to.
Banking Industry Knowledge
Long-standing contacts across Ireland's main banks and private equity firms.
Negotiation Expertise
Thousands of mediations and settlements concluded on clients' behalf.
Trusted by Legal Professionals
A regular referral partner for solicitors and auctioneers.
Client-Focused Approach
We never take on a case where we cannot deliver genuine value.
A clear, considered path to resolution
Confidential Consultation
An initial, no-obligation conversation to understand your position and what's at stake.
Review of Position
A thorough review of your financial position, loan documentation and supporting correspondence.
Negotiation & Mediation
Direct negotiation or structured mediation with your lenders or creditors on your behalf.
Settlement & Support
A concluded, legally binding settlement, with ongoing support as agreed terms are implemented.
David Fitzpatrick
BComm, MBA, ACMA Founder · Banking Consultant · Commercial MediatorDavid Fitzpatrick, a former Ford Motor Company executive, founded Banks Bentley in the United States and later established it in Ireland — a niche discipline built around negotiating discounted settlements of financial liabilities.
He is an accredited mediator for his Irish practice through Friary Law, one of the leading mediation accreditation institutes. His approach is drawn as much from a career in commercial management as from his legal and financial qualifications: a grounding in how businesses and banks actually make decisions, applied to every case he takes on.
He works personally with every client, alongside their own solicitors and advisers, to reach settlements that are realistic, achievable and fair.
How we work with you
Every engagement is built on the same principles, regardless of the size or complexity of the case.
Confidentiality
Your position is discussed only with those you authorise.
Integrity
Straightforward advice, even when it isn't what a client hopes to hear.
Transparent Recommendations
We set out the options available and the reasoning behind each one.
Collaboration
We work as a team with you and your own advisers throughout.
No Forced Solutions
You make the final decision; we deliver the options and take instructions.
We do not charge significant upfront fees. A nominal administration payment sets up your case on our system; beyond that, our fees are agreed directly with clients, based on the work involved and on the settlement achieved. We only take on cases where we believe genuine value can be delivered — and we give particular care and attention to clients facing especially difficult or vulnerable circumstances.
Let's Find the Right Financial Solution Together
Arrange a confidential, no-obligation consultation to discuss your position and the options available to you.
Arrange a confidential consultation
Reach us directly and we will respond promptly and in confidence.