Dublin Disruptors: throwing down the gauntlet

Managing partners tell Dominic Carman why Ireland is simply irresistible for international law firms and what they plan to do next

Ireland’s legal stampede shows no signs of slowing down. Of the 36 international law firms with a local office, more than half have opened since 2020 making Dublin one of their most favoured global destinations in recent years. In seeking to disrupt, most are focused on discrete practice areas such as funds, IP, insurance, and employment, while a minority aim to operate as full-service law firms – throwing down a gauntlet to the Big Six Irish independents. It will take the rest of the 2020s to see how successful the recent disruptors are in attracting and retaining big clients, and in standing out among a crowded and highly competitive field. But having spent a week in Dublin meeting the managing partners of 20+ law firms, one thing is clear: there is no shortage of ambition for them to become major disruptors.