The newly-appointed head of Dublin-based firm Matheson’s corporate and commercial department has said Ireland remains the best small country in the world to do business.

Robert O’Shea said the firm had seen a surge of business across every department in spite of the uncertainty created by Brexit.

The firm’s corporate and commercial department represented client deals in excess of €32.6 billion in 2016, and secured a 64 per cent increase in M&A deal value totalling over €32.6 billion.

He said: “I am excited by our potential to grow in the next three to five years. We expect to see a lot of growth in mergers and acquisitions and I look forward to seeing the firm grow further in that area.”

“The last two years have been very busy for us, notably representing Irish and US companies. Our story here is a mirror image of what is still making Ireland tick. Our decision to open a new office in San Francisco is about being close to where the opportunities are emerging.

“In the mid-nineties, we opened in California, at a time when Microsoft and Google were looking at Ireland not only from a tax perspective, but also from a talent perspective. We are now seeing other opportunity for business emerging from the US.”

He added: “The Brexit environment is a symptom of the role which uncertainty plays in business.

“In Ireland now, as we’ve learned over the last 30 to 40 years, if we can offer some certainty, we will continue to be the best small country in the world in which to do business. After Brexit, people will still come to Europe to do business, and we’ll soon be the only ones who are English-speaking and with the same Common Law system as the US.

“The firm has made a number of recent investments to ensure that we continue to advise on the most significant corporate transactions involving Irish and international companies.”