Eversheds ditches Irish merger plans, and will go it alone instead

Eversheds Sutherland has pulled the plug on its proposed merger with Irish heavyweight William Fry and will instead launch a brand-new Irish operation under its international arm. The firm will open offices in Dublin and Belfast this September, with up to 20 partners expected to be part of the launch team.

The merger talks between the firm's Irish arm and William Fry kicked off quietly late last year and had the potential to create one of the largest firms in Ireland by lawyer headcount. But in a joint statement released on Thursday (29 May), both sides confirmed that after "careful consideration", they’ve decided to go their separate ways and focus on their own strategic plans.

Instead of combining forces, Eversheds Sutherland will now start from scratch with a fully integrated Irish offering, branded as Eversheds Sutherland and plugged directly into its international business. Dublin will be led by partner Pamela O’Neill, and Belfast by Gareth Planck.

O’Neill’s appointment is noteworthy. She left Eversheds Sutherland Ireland in March, fuelling speculation she’d be part of a new chapter for the international firm in Ireland. That speculation, it turns out, was accurate.

International chief executive Keith Froud said: "This is a key, strategic investment underlining our long-term commitment to Ireland", and praised the "global ambitions" of the new team.

What about Eversheds Sutherland Ireland?

That’s still unclear. The existing Irish arm is a separate partnership that’s been part of the (legacy) Eversheds network since 2005 but has continued to operate under the Eversheds Sutherland brand.

Bigger picture

Ireland is seen as an increasingly strategic legal market, thanks to its role as the European base for global tech giants like Google, Meta and Microsoft. It's also benefitted from the post-Brexit boost to financial services work with many financial institutions expanding their operations in the country.