Forde Campbell directors Mathew Forde, Rory Campbell and Katey Dixon will become partners in Lewis Silkin’s Northern Ireland practice, working alongside office head Ciara Futon and partner Adam Brett.

Lewis Silkin, which also has a base in Dublin, expanded into Northern Ireland last August after taking over Belfast-based Jones Cassidy Brett (JCB). It now has five partners and a wider team of 20 in Belfast.

Giles Crown, joint managing partner of Lewis Silkin, said: “We are delighted to be welcoming Forde Campbell to Lewis Silkin. Forde Campbell has established a well-earned reputation in the market as pre-eminent advisers to high-growth-potential enterprises in Northern Ireland, sharing the passion we have at Lewis Silkin for creative, innovative and brand-focused businesses.

“This is an exciting time for Lewis Silkin in Ireland, as the addition of the Forde Campbell team follows our launch in Northern Ireland last year with our specialist employment practice, and establishes a market-leading intellectual property, commercial and technology practice, building on our centres of expertise in Dublin, the UK and beyond.

“We warmly welcome Mathew, Rory, Katey and the team and look forward to a successful future together and with our clients.”

Mr Forde said: “Northern Ireland is on the rise as a real centre of innovation, with a thriving start-up community and significant investor interest, and as the business landscape continues to evolve legal needs are becoming more complex, and often international in nature. Joining forces with Lewis Silkin is an exciting next step for us as we continue to help our clients thrive in this dynamic environment.”

Síobhra Rush, partner and head of Lewis Silkin Dublin, added: “We are delighted to expand our island of Ireland presence even further in 2022 by joining forces with Forde Campbell and its expert legal team across commercial, technology, intellectual property and media law.

“In the past two years the scale and calibre of our teams both in Dublin and Belfast have continued to grow – with our combined employee base having increased just over threefold since 2020.

“The level of expertise and solutions we can now offer clients aligns with the current demands of the corporate landscape. For them, data, tech and cyber security issues, IP challenges and employment law concerns in particular are evolving rapidly and presenting them with many barriers to overcome.”