Capitalising on what it calls a ‘Brexit bounce’ and thriving M&A activity, Philip Lee has moved to larger offices in the City of London at the Sir Richard Rogers-designed Leadenhall Building.

An enlarged team of lawyers will be led by partners Andrew Tzialli and Bernard McEvoy.

Venture capital specialist Tzialli is head of the firm’s cryptocurrency and blockchain group. He said: “In a post-Brexit world, the level of referrals to Ireland from the UK has been steadily growing. Having a substantial on-the-ground presence in London will increase the work that comes our way as we build new commercial relationships.”

He pointed to increased M&A activity, where the £29.4 billion invested in 2021 was twice that invested in 2020. UK-Ireland cross-border activity also increased by 25%.

“As in Ireland, the growth in cross-border deal activity was driven by the technology, media, telecoms, and professional, scientific and technical-activities sectors. The potential of new acquisitions and investment opportunities is clear,” he said.

UK legal services market

Bernard McEvoy specialises in high-level corporate advisory and transactional work. He said: “Part of what makes a bigger presence in London so appealing is the knowledge that the UK legal-services market has a value of about €50 billion per annum.

“With the quality of talent at our disposal, we’re confident that we can make inroads into this market, offering clients specialist advice and expertise of the highest international quality.”

A significant base in the City of London also provides career opportunities for Dublin lawyers, he added. 

This initiative in London comes during a busy year for Philip Lee, which announced in January that it is to hire 50 new lawyers in 2022, following its move in January to a new HQ – Connaught House on Dublin 4’s Burlington Road. This was the biggest commercial-property-lease signing of Q2, 2021.