ALAN CONNELL

ACTIVITY Trading over the past year has been exceptionally strong. As a firm we have differentiated ourselves in our legal markets through our international capability (and all-island capabilities) and this continues to be a strong platform for developing our business. We have experienced recent accelerated growth in our corporate and commercial divisions, including employment, data protection, intellectual property, cyber security, litigation and investigations, tax and financial services.

We are particularly well-placed to service the needs of domestic and international financial services clients, because of our expanding specialist Financial Service practice offering and our global reach as a firm. We now have an entire division dedicated to ESG, with expert knowledge of sustainability regulations, rules and guidance being introduced around the world.

PANDEMIC FALLOUT We have been working very closely with our clients in terms of planning for the workplace of the future, ranging from a health and safety viewpoint to an employment and tax perspective. Another area we have been engaged in for many clients is in the context of existing crossborder supply chains, to ensure that they remain fit for purpose.

PEOPLE We have invested in a number of senior hires across our business, and we remain focused on our own talent retention. For example, we recently appointed five Senior Associates and four Associates to our lawyer group across our Dublin and Belfast offices.

M&A In 2021, our firm was in the top five by deal volume, and some of the largest deals were private equity-related. Valuations remain strong and there is also a consolidation in many sectors. Ireland remains the jurisdiction of choice for emerging international companies looking to break into European markets and beyond.

OUTLOOK Notwithstanding the escalating conflict in Ukraine and inflation trends, many of our global clients have reacted swiftly and decisively in terms of navigating the challenges ahead. As such, we are in a strong position with a positive outlook for the future.