DAC Beachcroft is an international law firm that operates from 11 locations in the UK as well as offices in Ireland, Spain, France, the US, Singapore, Mexico, Colombia and Chile. The firm's focus is healthcare, injury risk and professional indemnity insurance, and related commercial litigation, employment and regulatory matters. Lisa Broderick was appointed managing partner of the Dublin office in July 2018. The firm says it currently has 46 fee earners in the Dublin office, and has seen strong growth in its data protection and cyber practices.

You assumed the managing partner role in July 2018. What are the firm management issues that top your priority list? 

The biggest priority for me right now is finding new office space. We have outgrown our current location and are planning the move to new offices in 2020. It coincides nicely with the celebration of the establishment of the office 10 years ago. We are really proud of what we have achieved over the past decade. The move will also provide a great platform for us as we grow to a full service firm, and expand our offering to include commercial/corporate and real estate

How would you describe DAC Beachcroft’s USP in the legal marketplace in Ireland? What are the firm’s main focus areas, and how is trading going?

We pride ourselves on delivering bespoke solutions and we are always focused on adding value for our clients. We are easy to engage with, and this is a reputation we are proud to maintain and reinforce, through our people and the way we operate.

The firm is particularly strong in the areas of commercial litigation, employment, regulatory and the full insurance offering of healthcare, injury risk and professional indemnity. The level of instructions we receive are a testament to the service we provide. In addition, being a truly international firm enables us to deliver against the evolving needs of our clients.

Our clients work across jurisdictions and we go where they need us. This year, we opened an office in Paris, and James Colville and I are also partners in that office, and recently became full members of the Paris Bar. Technology’s disregard for borders has resulted in an expectation that all services can be offered on an international basis. A fully integrated and international law firm like ours can provide this seamless service through efficient, joined-up thinking.

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

We continue to strengthen our defendant injury risk practice with an emphasis on counter-fraud, large loss and travel claims. We have been developing this expertise in partnership with our clients, to ensure that resources are being utilised in a way that makes sense for them. Our regulatory and public law team also continues to increase its presence in the Irish market.

One of the key attributes of our practice is the ability to act for regulators and for regulated professionals and sectors. In the last 12 months, we have been appointed to panels representing a number of key professional regulators. The area of professional regulation continues to grow and develop in Ireland, and we see many opportunities to deliver a different, strategic perspective to our clients in this area.

Finally, we have really seen growth in our data protection and cyber practices, leveraging DAC Beachcroft’s experience and relationships in this space across other jurisdictions.

How challenging for your firm is the solicitor retention and recruitment issue? 

We combine excellent legal skills and cutting-edge delivery expertise to design solutions that fit the needs of our clients, often involving clever uses of technology.

The battle for talent is undoubtedly tough but our history is one of organic, gradual and measured growth. We have been meticulous in ensuring that the fit is right when we hire: it is in everyone’s interest – the existing team’s and the new team member’s. We feel that we have a very positive, healthy and collaborative work environment and I think it is critical to retain this as we continue to grow. However, it is a challenge which we are always alive to.

We value our staff. I am proud to say that our two most recent partner appointments were internal promotions. We also have a ratio of women to men in management positions of about 2:1. Employee engagement is a top priority for the firm. Last year DAC Beachcroft undertook a staff engagement survey for all 2,500 staff globally. The results highlighted what we are doing well, but also areas where we could be doing more to ensure that we are providing our colleagues with the best support and growth environment possible.

We invest in learning and development and have training plans to address the needs of all staff at various stages of their careers. We feel that leadership and good management practices are critical in retaining staff. We also have a genuine commitment to flexible working arrangements which assists with staff retention.

While it should go without saying, when introducing technological innovations we always ask ourselves: does it save resources? And does it add value for our clients? By keeping these at the forefront of our minds, we can make appropriate investments that should not result in higher fees.

For example, DAC Beachcroft has adopted artificial intelligence software for contract review, particularly predictive software. Other technologies such as blockchain and smart contracts are being trialled. Insurtech continues to be an area of focus for our clients and we work closely with them to ensure we are meeting their needs and keeping track of the latest developments. We collaborate with an SFI research centre to host PhD interns and ensures that we are part of the tech ecosystem. We also partner with our clients to use analytics on the data we hold on them to draw insights for their benefit.

We have had ISO 9001 (quality management) since 2008 and ISO27001 (information security management) since 2013, something which perhaps we don’t shout about enough because we think it is something all professional advisors should have.

Our two most recent partner appointments were internal promotions. Employee engagement is a top priority for the firm. We invest in learning and development, and have training plans to address the needs of all staff at various stages of their careers. We feel that leadership and good management practices are critical in retaining staff. We also have a genuine commitment to flexible working arrangements, which assists with staff retention.

What client deal from 2018 would you single out?

It is difficult for me to single out one piece of work, particularly as we are trusted advisors to our clients. Much of the work that we are involved in is sensitive and can be high profile for our clients, so it would not be appropriate for me to elaborate on this work publicly. 

However, our ability to attract and retain new and existing clients is something I am very proud of. By way of example, over the past year we have been appointed to the panels of ComReg, the Irish Dental Association, the Veterinary Council of Ireland AXA Insurance and RSA. Our profile and presence in the Irish market continues to grow and strengthen and, ten years on, we have a lot to be proud of and a lot to look forward to.