International law firm Bird & Bird has appointed two leading Irish data protection, IP and technology specialists at its newly established Dublin office.

Bird & Bird LLP has over 1,400 lawyers in 31 offices across Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia Pacific.

Sample recent work includers advising SAP on its cloud infrastructure deals with AWS, Google and Microsoft.

The firm has also advised the European Commission on major projects regarding regulation, innovation and digital transformation, and provided legal advice to OneWeb on the roll out of its 500 low earth orbiting satellites.

Deirdre Kilroy and Anna Morgan are the first two partners to join the firm’s new Dublin office on George’s Dock, which will officially open on June 13.

In Association with

Deirdre Kilroy joins from Matheson, where she was a partner in the Technology and Innovation team.

She has over 20 years’ experience in technology, data privacy and intellectual property law, particularly for clients in the data and technology, life sciences and pharmaceuticals sectors.

Anna Morgan joins from the Irish Data Protection Commission, where she was a Deputy Commissioner and the Head of Legal Affairs for the past five years. Before that, she worked in private practice for 10 years, specialising in data protection and commercial and regulatory litigation.

Morgan was the lead rapporteur for the EDPB’s Guidelines on Transparency under the GDPR and also led the DPC’s work on children’s data protection issues. 

In a statement, Bird & Bird said partner Stuart Cairns and Francine Cunningham, director of the Regulatory and Public Affairs practice in Brussels, will also be involved with he Dublin office.

CEO Christian Bartsch commented: “Our clients are at the cutting edge of technology and the digital world, Deirdre and Anna’s extensive expertise in data protection, IP and technology will be a key strength that will set Bird & Bird’s Irish office apart from the outset and shape our future in Ireland.

“Their skills will ensure that along with our renowned legal expertise, we will be in a better position to offer our clients in Ireland practical advice to navigate the complex landscape of privacy and data protection and the implications of IP and new technologies.”

Deirdre Kilroy noted that innovative businesses in Ireland are experiencing rapid growth.

“Our role at the firm will be key in supporting the wide-ranging needs of our clients in this digitally driven and ever-changing regulatory environment,” she added.

Photo: Deirdre Kilroy (left) and Anna Morgan