Cayman-based Maples & Calder says the deal will enable the firm to advise institutional clients on Irish law, as well as Cayman, British Virgin Island and Jersey legislation.
Senior partner Anthony Travers said: ‘We have followed the development of the Dublin market over a number of years and believe it provides an attractive base from which to play to our key strengths in the area of hedge funds, mutual funds, private equity and structured finance.
‘Combining the Cayman Islands’ traditional strength as an international finance centre with a European onshore base through which financial structures can access double tax treaty networks and which provides the European passport for cross-border marketing of debt and equity securities is compelling from the business perspective,’ he added.
The firm – which claims to be ‘the world’s leading offshore law firm’, now employs 140 lawyers in its offices in London, Hong Kong, Dubai, Cayman and BVI, Jersey and Dublin.
The firm says its Hong Kong office in particular has doubled in size in the past two years and in September opened a full-staffed transactional and execution office in Dubai.
