Eversheds Sutherland reboots Irish platform under international LLP

Eversheds Sutherland has relaunched its Irish business as a fully integrated part of its international LLP, bringing 26 partners and 170 staff in Dublin and Belfast under one combined practice.

The move follows the collapse of merger talks between its separate Irish arm and William Fry earlier this year, a deal that would have created one of Ireland's largest firms by lawyer headcount. Instead, Eversheds is doubling down on its existing Irish platform, with Dublin managing partner Pamela O’Neill returning to lead the new offering in the Republic of Ireland. The practice officially launches on 15 September.

Strategic market

Ireland has become an increasingly important European legal market, home to the European HQs of tech giants such as Google, Meta and Microsoft, while also attracting a wave of financial services work in the wake of Brexit from firms looking to retain access to EU markets from a common law jurisdiction.

Eversheds already advises eight of the 15 largest listed companies headquartered in Ireland.

What they said

Global co-CEO Keith Froud said: "With a full-service offering across the offices in Dublin and Belfast, we are one of the only leading global law firms with such capabilities in this important market."

European managing partner Alexander Niethammer pointed to the significance of Ireland for major international clients, particularly in financial services and technology, noting that "Ireland is currently the third largest software exporter in the world."

O’Neill said the team was "in growth mode", highlighting sector strengths in financial services, TMT and life sciences alongside practices in corporate, banking, litigation, real estate and tax.