Prominent Law Firm Squire Patton Boggs Expands to Dublin with New Office

Squire Patton Boggs Establishes Dublin Office Focused on Cross-Border M&A
 

On Monday, Squire Patton Boggs, a prominent global law firm, established an office in Dublin, following the trend of numerous international law firms in the Irish capital. The Dublin office will concentrate on cross-border M&A, particularly on private equity and corporate advisory work, according to Dennis Agnew, the managing partner of the Dublin branch, in an email. The firm, which has 1,500 attorneys, began operations Monday from Upper Mount Street in the city's central business district. George Kennedy, a corporate partner, joined Agnew in Dublin from UK-firm Philip Lee.
 
Private Equity and Corporate Advisory Work at the Heart of Squire Patton Boggs' Dublin Office

According to Agnew, Kennedy possesses significant connections within the corporate finance and investor community in Ireland and will be instrumental in attracting Irish and cross-border M&A matters to Squire Patton Boggs. In November, the firm announced its intentions to open a Dublin office under the leadership of Agnew, who formerly headed up the Dublin M&A practice at Pinsent Masons. Over the years, the firm's international private equity clients have shown an increasing interest in acquiring Irish targets, and as a result, it has collaborated with an Irish law firm. The Dublin office will now handle this work. Agnew stated that it makes sense for the clients and networks to have a single firm providing strategic and connected advice. The firm intends to expand its Irish cross-border corporate practice and is actively seeking to recruit lawyers in Dublin, according to Jonathan Jones, the firm's EMEA managing partner.
 
Squire Patton Boggs Expanding Irish Cross-Border Corporate Practice with New Dublin Office and Lawyer Recruitment

Agnew highlighted that in recent years, the Irish economy has experienced an unprecedented influx of foreign direct investment, particularly from the US, which has boosted the country's economic growth. Over 10% of Ireland's workforce is employed by multinational corporations, extensive technology, and pharmaceutical companies enticed by the country's low corporate tax rate. Although Ireland's domestic economy weakened towards the end of last year, it still had the fastest growth rate in the Eurozone in 2022 and is anticipated to continue expanding this year. Despite Brexit impacting specific segments of the economy, Agnew believes that Ireland's diverse trade partners make it an attractive location for companies to establish themselves within the EU. According to Agnew, international law firms have established a robust legal market in Ireland to support their clients. In the first quarter of 2023, Ropes & Gray and K&L Gates established Dublin offices, while in 2022, Armstrong Teasdale, Bird & Bird, and Addleshaw Goddard made inroads into the Irish legal market. DLA Piper, which entered Dublin in 2019, is doubling its workforce of 100 lawyers to meet the increasing business demand. When asked about Kennedy's departure, a Philip Lee spokesperson did not respond immediately.