KRW Law announces plans for expansion in Dublin and London

Belfast-based KRW Law has announced significant expansion plans that include the appointment of two new partners and the acquisition of additional office space to service its growth in Dublin and London.

Claire McKeegan, 30, becomes the firm’s first woman partner, and Darragh Mackin, 26, becomes one of the youngest ever people to be made partner of a law firm in Northern Ireland.

Meanwhile, the firm has acquired a new 2,000 sq ft office in Belfast’s Queen Street to cater for 13 members of staff there.

Kevin Winters, senior managing partner, said the firm saw opportunities to grow in spite of Brexit and legal aid cuts. It plans an expanded cross-border presence, feeling “an obligation to address what we see as a human rights deficit in the Republic … evidenced recently in a series of High Court and Supreme Court challenges”.

Traditionally seen as a criminal law defence firm, KRW has grown to embrace a varied spectrum of work embracing human rights in the widest sense, including what it calls “financial institution collusion”.

The firm has achieved recognition in the field of reputation management and libel under the leadership of recently-appointed senior associate Marie Hans. The firm also recently recruited senior associate Stephen McNamara to develop the firm’s criminal practice.

Commenting on her promotion, Ms McKeegan said: “I’m very proud to be the first female partner since the foundation of the firm 17 years ago and am really looking forward to making a key contribution to its growth plans within and outside the jurisdiction.”

Mr Mackin added: “We are in dynamic and challenging times. With issues such as Brexit, dealing with the legacy of the past, national security courts and homelessness, it is hardly surprising that many are forced to uphold their basic rights through the use of litigation.

“The nature of human rights law has evolved and I would like to think that, we as a firm, have reflected such change with our own internal progression to best prepare us for the Court battles ahead.”

Mr Winters added: “Seventeen years ago, myself and my colleagues founded the firm Kevin R Winters & Co with two sub-offices in Armagh and Downpatrick. Today we are on the cusp of expanding our presence in Dublin and London. We expect the next 17 years to be both as challenging and eventful as the last.”