Kenny Solicitors specialises in property, commercial agreements and commercial litigation. Clients span high net worth individuals, local businesses, professionals and leading sports personalities. 

How would you describe Kenny Solicitors’ USP?

Kenny Solicitors strives to be more than just a standard law firm. As principal, I have been involved in a multitude of businesses ranging from extensive property developments in Ireland and the US to Dublin’s best known super bars and restaurants. 

It is one thing to understand the law and give objective advice as a lawyer, but it is quite another to feel its subjective consequences as a business owner. Our clients know that when we give advice it is not simply the administration of textbook concepts, but rather concrete solutions to real world business problems. Our advice extends beyond court judgements, and benefits from actual boardroom experience.

Where is the opportunity for niche law firms such as Kennys? 

Having worked and trained in one of the largest law firms in Ireland, I am intimately familiar with the difference a niche law firm can make. We operate as a specialist consultancy practice, applying a dedicated team to our clients’ specific needs.  We appear regularly in some of the largest cases to come before the courts and handle corporate transactions that belie our size. We compete not only in price but in our concentrated expertise in specific practice areas.

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As principal, what are the management issues that top your priority list?

My focus is always on staff wellbeing. Our work is inherently taxing and stressful and my aim is to create an environment where no matter how difficult the case we are working on is, people enjoy coming to the office and giving their best. I firmly believe in the adage “pick a job you enjoy and you will never work a day in your life”.

In the past year, what areas of the practice have you strengthened?

In the aftermath of the recession, private equity lending has gained an increased foothold in the financial market. Businesses are still struggling to adapt, and strained cash flows and half-funded ventures are a common feature, even at successful companies. 

We have put increased emphasis on strengthening our knowledge in the area of equity funds. This has allowed us to both act for lenders and introduce borrowing opportunities to our client base where main street banking has not been able to adequately accommodate their funding needs. 

The selling of business loans by banks to venture capitalists is now commonplace and has similarly increased the need for such funding. This is a unique area where knowledge of and expertise in the deals available with such funds is critical and extends far beyond the simple drafting of legal agreements. 

How challenging for your firm is retention and recruitment? 

Solicitor retention has not been a major issue for us. Similarly, salary inflation and tech investment has in no way reflected on our client billing. We have experienced a surge in new instructions which has permitted us to keep our individual client costings static while our profit margins have risen. Our turnover has doubled year on year over the past three years. With sustained organic growth and planned mergers this year, we aim to add to our current offering while keeping competitive pricing as a priority.