Dublin’s new arrivals

Dominic Carman

Six years on from the Brexit vote, international law firms continue to land in Dublin, making Ireland the hottest EU jurisdiction for new offices. Dominic Carman finds out why

Ireland recently won the ‘best destination’ award, which was presented to Tourism

Ireland at the prestigious Travel Weekly Readers’ Choice Awards in New York. This achievement is far from unique: welcoming more than 11m overseas visitors annually, Ireland has won the award every year since 2014. International law firms seem to have followed a similar destination trend: since the Brexit vote in 2016, more than 20 firms have decided to open a permanent office in Dublin. The latest trio to do so – Addleshaw Goddard (AG), Bird & Bird and Ogier – will not be the last. It can’t be the weather, so why is Dublin the EU’s hottest place for law firms to set up and is there enough work to sustain their ambitions?