In-house lawyers are "sweeping" the Irish legal profession, according to new analysis produced by the Law Society of Ireland. According to Ken Murphy, director general of the Law Society of Ireland, the number of in-house solicitors in Ireland 'is 'growing like Topsy' every year. As of the end of 2017, there were 1805 solicitors with a practising certificate in the in-house sector in the 26 counties. More than two-thirds (68 per cent) of in-house solicitors are women, which Mr Murphy said 'requires research and consideration,' with a possible link to work/life balance.

Dublin concentration

The vast majority of in-house solicitors (81 per cent) work in Dublin. For the first time, the Law Society has also published a break-down of Ireland's largest employers of in-house lawyers. The top three are all banks: Allied Irish Banks, Central Bank of Ireland and of Ireland. The Law Society itself ranks fourth and the National Asset Management Agency fifth. Global firms in the Top 20 include Accenture, Deloitte, Zurich, AXA, Citiand KPMG Legal Services. Commenting on the figures, Mr Murphy said if Allied Irish Bank was a law firm, it would rank as the ninth biggest firm in the State.