According to the Law Society, the number of UK solicitors admitted to practice in Ireland has jumped almost threefold from fewer than 50 in the first six months of 2015 to 186 in the first half of this year. The spike in interest hints towards a growing of UK law firms looking to insure their European practice against a possible British exit from the EU. ‘This is by far the largest number of transfers of solicitors from the UK in any given year, and we’re only halfway through the year,’ said Law Society of Ireland director general Ken Murphy.

Equivalent systems

According to Mr Murphy, Ireland is the logical choice for lawyers looking to retain their right to argue before the Court of Justice of the European Union in a potential post-Brexit landscape: ‘Of the EU member states, Ireland is the legal jurisdiction most equivalent to the UK. We are both English-speaking, both common law jurisdictions and our legal institutions are much the same,’ he said, adding that the majority of new UK applicants would seek to continue practicing either in London or Brussels rather than setting up shop in Ireland. The number of new admissions is expected to continue rising until after the referendum, with a Leave outcome likely to induce another spike in applications.

Sources: Law Society Gazette; Legal Business