Managing partners of some of Ireland’s top firms tell Ben Haugh about the biggest legal challenges that businesses should be aware of this year.

ACTIVITY

We have more than doubled our revenue and headcount in the last 12 months. We added top-tier disputes and investigations, patents and tax capabilities to our business and continued to grow our corporate M&A, banking and finance, real estate and technology offerings.

Rapid growth brings challenges, especially in terms of maintaining cohesion and culture. However, we have been strategic in our hiring to ensure that our business is sustainable and so that we can maintain a relatively flat hierarchy, which is key for innovative thinking.

INNOVATION

We’ve adopted a ‘buy and build’ strategy. By embracing and developing cutting-edge technology, we’re able to improve operational efficiency, streamline processes, and enhance responsiveness, ultimately meeting client needs more effectively.

Beyond adopting technology, we’ve focused on building a culture of innovation. For example, we developed Outpace, a tool that helps founders and management teams manage funding rounds, and have invested in Litium, a secure AI platform that allows us to integrate AI technologies while maintaining the highest standards of security and privacy.

OUTLOOK

Our clients are experiencing a wave of regulatory change, particularly those with businesses underpinned by a digital strategy.

Legislation such as the AI Act, the NIS2 (cybersecurity) Directive, the Digital Operational Resilience Act, the Data Act (regarding fair access and use), the Data Governance Act, the Digital Services Act, and the European Accessibility Act are reshaping the landscape.

As a firm with deep heritage in the technology and life sciences sectors, these changes are particularly relevant to us.