DLA Piper is ramping up its Ireland presence as it announces a move to a larger office space in Dublin this autumn. 

The new 30,000 square foot office at 40 Molesworth Street is spread over six floors and will house the firm’s growing Irish headcount, which currently totals more than 75 lawyers and other staff. The lease will run until 2037 and offers significant room for further expansion of the firm’s Ireland business.

David Carthy, DLA Piper’s Ireland managing partner, said: “Since first opening our doors in Ireland in 2019, we have expanded our team across all of our seven practice groups… The expansion reaffirms DLA Piper’s commitment to Ireland as part of its global strategy.”

The building was renovated in 2017 to improve its sustainability and energy efficiency credentials. DLA Piper’s head of real estate Graham Quinn said there is growing appetite for office spaces with best-in-class tech and energy efficiency despite the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

DLA Piper laid claim to being the 'only truly global law firm' with a Dublin presence when it announced its launch in 2018 alongside the hire of corporate partner and life sciences specialist David Carthy from William Fry. Initially it focused on the financial services, technology and life sciences sectors. Its 'in-depth' sector expertise has since extended to real estate, the firm having hired partner Graham Quinn in 2019, also from William Fry, to set up the practice.

DLA Piper’s promised expansion follows a recent spate of Irish moves in the wake of post-Brexit restrictions on UK-based lawyers practising EU law from Ireland without having a physical presence in the country. Firms that have set up new Ireland bases include Hogan Lovells, Ashurst, Burges Salmon, Kennedys, DAC Beachcroft, Pinsent Masons, Simmons & Simmons and Fieldfisher.

Last month Taylor Wessing took the next step towards its Ireland office launch by hiring partner duo Adam Griffiths and Deidre MacCarthy to spearhead its new base. 

Meanwhile, Lewis Silkin, which also opened a Dublin office in 2018, this month announced plans to absorb Belfast-based employment specialists Jones Cassidy Brett, securing its second office on the island of Ireland.

Last month, Fried Frank signed a long-term lease renewal for its headquarters at One New York Plaza, in what was described as the largest office lease deal in Lower Manhattan since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is occupying the same footprint, with flexibility to reduce or expand the space as needed.