​The Irish legal market continues to boom, as does the insurgence of international law firms into the market; with recent announcements from Covington & Burling and Simmons and Simmons and Pinsent Masons, all launching in Dublin. The influx into the capital shows no signs of slowing down as those firms look to grow their offices.

As Brexit continues to dominate the headlines, it’s not surprising that many firms have taken the opportunity to establish a foothold in this market, focusing on some of their key practices. There’s already significant opportunities for those in the market to take advantage of these launches as they look to grow, but as the leading Irish firms are experiencing, it’s not always easy to find the talent you are looking for.

​

Inbound talent

2017 has certainly seen an increase in people moving to Ireland, and not just those that are looking to return home. We’ve increasingly seen Ireland become the destination of choice for people who are looking for an overseas move, yet concerned with the long term effects of Brexit on the United Kingdom. It is seen as somewhere you can gain excellent experience and really develop your career.

Firms are making the most of this influx in the transactional areas and remain keen to hire from the newly qualified level upwards to grow their practices.

​

2018 and beyond

All indicators for 2018 show no sign of a slow down on either work flow or recruitment. There will continue to be a high demand within Corporate, Funds, Banking, and Asset Finance. One of the key questions remains over whether we will see significant relocation of financial institutions to Dublin and in turn an increase in the demand for in-house lawyers – something which is going to even further reduce the number of lawyers looking within private practice.

If you would like to know more about recent developments in the market or have a confidential discussion about potential opportunities or hiring, please feel free to get in touch.