Mark Walsh

Speaking on his reappointment, Mr Walsh reflected on the ongoing challenges of Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the transformation of the legal industry over 2020.

“With the majority of the Irish workforce thrust into remote working in 2020, the pandemic has forced all businesses to adapt, particularly law firms that traditionally had a long-held value in office working,” he said.

With the daily commute and office meetings now replaced with online meetings and virtual coffees, he noted the changing landscape for law firms because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr Walsh said: “The focus for legal firms is how they can streamline their business IT capabilities in order to provide consistent service to their clients remotely. They need to be able to collaborate in real-time and stay up to date with their clients and colleagues.”

He added: “Businesses are positioning themselves to come out of the Covid-19 emergency and to face Brexit. This has required major adjustments in planning and strategy. We see clients becoming far more discerning about law firms and who they rely on for support.

“Law firms need to be versatile and flexible, and above all need to be able to respond quickly and reliably. Continued investment in technology is more important than it has ever been in the past for lawyers.

“This means that opportunities exist for a firm like Eugene F Collins that can offer the full suite of expert advice but at the same time is of a size that can react and respond quickly to client needs.”