The news was met with "overwhelmingly positive" client response, says partner
Squire Patton Boggs has widened its international reach by setting up business in Ireland pursuant to plans announced last November 2022. The global law firm’s office opening was supported by the Irish government through IDA Ireland, an independent statutory agency that helps drive Ireland’s foreign direct investment strategy.
Squire Patton Boggs’ Dublin office will be led by managing partner and lead corporate lawyer Dennis Agnew (pictured, leftmost).
To celebrate its new office, the firm held a launch party at the National Gallery of Ireland attended by various senior executives from Irish and international companies and financial institutions. Attendees included IDA Ireland executive director Mary Buckley (pictured, second from left), and Minister for Enterprise, Trade, and Employment Simon Coveney TD (pictured, third from left).
Firm partners and senior leaders from Squire Patton Boggs offices across the globe likewise attended the event.
“This is a significant and welcome step in our firm’s expansion, which will be of great interest to our clients here in Australia,” said managing partner of SPB’s Perth office, Tony Chong. “We’re delighted to be adding an office in Ireland, one of the EU’s most dynamic, growing economies, where our clients who operate or want to invest will now have direct access to leading local transactional legal specialists.”
According to Agnew, opening an office in Ireland presented the firm with a unique opportunity to leverage its pan-European capabilities in its corporate, private equity, and funds practices. Agnew also said that news of the firm’s Dublin office had been met with “overwhelmingly positive” client response.
Coveney added that the opening of a Squire Patton Boggs office in Dublin would generate “up to 50 new jobs [in Ireland] over the coming years”.
“It is a very welcome announcement and sees additional growth in the legal service space,” Coveney said. “It is also a vote of confidence in Ireland and our workforce, that a leading legal firm such as Squire Patton Boggs has chosen to establish in here.”
Squire Patton Boggs’ Dublin office will offer highly specialised corporate and transactional legal services in M&A and private equity, including full ancillary legal support. The initial team to Ireland includes recently hired corporate and private equity partner George Kennedy, who will focus on assisting domestic and international companies on cross-border matters.
