International law firm Bird & Bird will open its first Irish office in Dublin this summer.
As Dublin plays host to the European headquarters or significant operations of some of the world’s most innovative companies and largest technology and life sciences companies, the opening is a natural next step for the firm.
Bird & Bird is focused on working with clients with innovation at the heart of their business. The firm’s lawyers are trusted advisors to clients on every continent of the globe. The Dublin office’s offering will be in line with the firm’s overarching vision of advising clients being changed by technology or the digital world and those leading that change. It will initially focus on the areas of privacy and data protection, technology, life sciences, intellectual property and corporate law.
Leading Irish specialists in these areas will be joining the firm in the summer to establish a strong Irish and international practice from the get-go. Working closely with existing Bird & Bird partners around the firm’s international network, this specialist set up will provide clients with a holistic offering – combining leading local Irish expertise with the global expertise of the international Bird & Bird team.
Partners Roger Bickerstaff (Technology & Communications) and Sally Shorthose (Life Sciences & Healthcare) will initially head the office, working closely with the new team on the ground to fully immerse them in the international Bird & Bird network and to support the projected rapid growth of the office. Partner Stuart Cairns, co-head of the international Projects & Procurement group, as well as Francine Cunningham, director of the Regulatory and Public Affairs practice in Brussels, will also spend significant periods of time in the new Dublin office, unlocking the international expertise of the firm for Irish clients.
David Kerr, CEO of Bird & Bird says: “Our clients are some of the most innovative businesses in the world, at the cutting edge of technology and the digital world. Our firm has always grown strategically and in line with our clients’ needs, so opening an office in Dublin – a vibrant market which is playing an increasingly significant international role across many industries – is a natural next step for us. We’re really excited to open our Dublin office in the summer.”
