Browne Jacobson has entered the Northern Irish market through a merger with 30-lawyer commercial Belfast firm Davidson McDonnell.
The merger brings strengths in areas including corporate M&A, commercial property, dispute resolution and finance to the 850-lawyer UK firm, which grew turnover 16% to £137m in the year to March 2025.
“Our plan to launch the Browne Jacobson brand in Northern Ireland through this combination is a statement of intent,” said managing partner Richard Medd. “We are a firm capable of operating at scale across the UK and Ireland, and Northern Ireland represents a market of genuine importance – both for the quality of its legal talent and the sophistication of its commercial activity.”
The tie-up follows Browne Jacobson opening its first international office in Dublin in 2022 and will see Davidson McDonnell operate under the Browne Jacobson brand, with the Belfast office forming a fully integrated part of the firm’s UK and Ireland offering. Davidson McDonnell’s five directors will become partners in Browne Jacobson.
Davidson McDonnell, founded in 2015, was identified by Experian’s Market IQ report in 2024 as one of the most active legal advisers in the region’s M&A sector. The firm’s clients run the gamut from domestic Northern Irish corporates and PLCs to institutional investors and entrepreneurs.
Its turnover to 31 March 2026 – a shortened 10-month financial year to align with Browne Jacobson – was £4.8m, according to the Belfast Telegraph.
Most of Davidson McDonnell’s lawyers are dual-qualified in England and Wales and Northern Ireland, which Browne Jacobson said positioned them to advise across jurisdictions.
The firm pointed to significant growth in cross-border transactions, foreign direct investment and major regeneration projects in the region, which it said created “substantial opportunities” for a firm of its size.
“With a strongly connected cross-border capability, this will enable Browne Jacobson to deliver seamless transactions and services across the UK and Ireland, and internationally into the EU and the US, ensuring clients benefit from joined-up expertise,” Browne Jacobson said.
Ross Davidson, co-founder and director of Davidson McDonnell, added: “For our clients, this transaction means access to a significantly broader platform: deeper sector expertise, greater geographic reach across the UK and Ireland and beyond – and the kind of investment in technology and innovation that allows us to operate at the forefront.”
The firms have exchanged contracts, with completion remaining subject to external approvals.
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