DLA Piper has announced the appointment of four new partners to its recently opened Dublin office into four key practice areas of finance and projects (F&P), intellectual property and technology (IPT), tax and real estate.

Ongoing expansion

The new partners will be joined by three legal directors, as part of the firm’s ongoing expansion in Ireland. Kate Curneen will join the F&P practice from Dillon Eustace, where she has been a partner since 2016. She specialises in real estate, leveraged, structured and asset finance. John Magee joins the IPT practice from William Fry, where he has been a partner since 2016, specialising in technology, data privacy, data breach and cybersecurity. Sean Murray specialises in tax and also joins the firm from Dillon Eustace, where he has been a partner since 2008. Sean advises on financial services tax matters. Graham Quinn joins to establish the real estate practice in Ireland from William Fry, where he has been a partner since 2016. He advises on all aspects of commercial property law. David Carthy, country managing partner for DLA Piper in Ireland, said “Multinationals and Irish companies doing business internationally demand a truly global law firm in Ireland and one with a truly global mind-set. Clients are enthusiastic about our innovative approach to legal services – that we work differently; with diversity, embracing radical change and being a trusted business adviser at the heart of our commitment to clients in the Irish legal market and beyond. I am delighted that DLA Piper is driving the evolution of the Irish legal market.” He promised “more strategic hires planned in the coming months.

Irish disruption

In addition, DLA Piper has hired three new legal directors: IPT lawyer Treena Dunlea-Peatross from Bird & Bird (London); corporate lawyer Caroline Kearns from Norton Rose Fulbright (London); and F&P lawyer Liam Mills from William Fry. These latest hires bring DLA Piper's Dublin office to eleven partners, across all core practice areas of the firm's business. Sandra Wallace, DLA Piper's joint managing director, UK and Europe, said “hese are exciting times in the Irish legal market and our latest hires confirm the momentum behind DLA Piper's plans to introduce a different type of legal advisor.” She added, “These new hires demonstrate our strong commitment to building a full-service presence in Ireland that disrupts the status quo and, for the first time providing innovative and ambitious companies located in Ireland with access to a truly global legal platform.”