DAVID WIDGER

ACTIVITY We’ve had a really strong year pretty much across the board. M&A and finance transactions in particular were exceptionally strong in 2021. That activity has carried over into this year, albeit at a more sustainable, normalised pace, with private equity being particularly active. Other areas that are very busy are data and big tech, infrastructure, regulatory investigations and commercial property.

PEOPLE The market for talent is very active at the moment. Retaining and attracting the very best people is always a real focus for us. One of the biggest draws for lawyers is working on significant mandates for major clients, and as one of the largest law firms in Ireland we can offer that. Having a diverse and inclusive workplace is also really important to attracting new talent, and this is a core aspect of our responsible business strategy.

PANDEMIC FALLOUT Activity driven by the pandemic has mainly centred around renegotiating contracts, finance agreements, property lease agreements and insurance claims disputes. The pandemic has caused consolidation in some markets, which has helped drive M&A activity.

M&A Consistent with the dominant activity drivers of 2021, we see M&A activity being driven by continued high levels of private equity activity and public company transactions. Sectors that we expect are likely to see a continued high level of activity are financial services, technology, pharma and renewable energy.

OUTLOOK I think the Irish economy and the markets we trade in will be more challenging for our clients than in 2021. However, these challenges also present opportunities. For example, the war in Ukraine has had a negative impact on the fossil fuel industry, but this will drive even quicker change to renewable energy. So we see another very active year ahead of us.

‘We have invested in a number of senior hires’

‘Challenges also present opportunities’