Murphy's law
December 31, 2009Having been at the vanguard of the Dublin legal profession since the late 1960s, O'Donnell Sweeney was already one of the top firms in Dublin long before a formal association with global legal conglomerate Eversheds. The respective firms had operated off a loose alliance before the allegiance was formalised in the early part of this century and since then, the existing strong Irish client base served by O'Donnell Sweeney has been bolstered by a growing list of multinational clients attracted by the world-renowned Eversheds brand.
Managing Partner Alan Murphy, who spent his formative years on the homestead near Emyvale, says: "Obviously, things have been difficult for everyone over the past year or so but overall the link between O'Donnell Sweeney and Eversheds has worked out well for all concerned. The two companies were best friends in a way, in that we often referred work to each other. O'Donnell Sweeney was already one of the larger firms in the Dublin market before linking up with Eversheds, and that move has given us a larger presence globally."
Eversheds operates in 40 jurisdictions around the globe, including the Middle East, the Far East, and the whole of Europe. They're also one of the largest firms in the UK with offices in Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds Cardiff and London. Established in 1967 by founding partner Rory O'Donnell - who remains with the company - O'Donnell Sweeney became one of the largest firms in the Irish sector and the link with Eversheds has taken the company to a new position of prominence on a global scale.
Adding to a significant range of clients throughout Ireland, Eversheds O'Donnell Sweeney now conduct business with some of the world's most celebrated brands. These include global leaders such as Coca-Cola, Sony, Intel, O2, ebay, Tyco and Paddy Power, while Verizon - an American telecommunications conglomerate which reported revenue approaching $100bn in 2008 - has also sought out the expertise of Eversheds O'Donnell Sweeney.
Based in the Earlsfort Centre on Earlsfort Terrace, in the heart of the capital's business district, Eversheds O'Donnell Sweeney employs more than 160 staff, including 75 lawyers. Given those numbers, then, the company prides itself as a one-stop-shop for all a potential client's legal requirements. The company's comprehensive website lists 17 areas of expertise, from banking and financial services to employment law, taxation to dispute resolution and litigation, pensions to intellectual property. "We see ourselves as a full-service law firm," says Murphy. "We have a large corporate sector, we look after litigation, property, pensions, employment, tax, banking. Unfortunately for a lot of Irish businesses, there has also been an increase in the number of insolvency cases this year."
Appointed as Managing Partner in January 2009, when he was chosen by his fellow partners to succeed Francis Hackett in the position, Murphy is the man responsible for leading Eversheds O'Donnell Sweeney into a future that remains uncertain for everyone. The market for every business remains constrained due to the ongoing economic problems in the country at large, and it's no different for the legal profession. Nevertheless, he is upbeat about Evershed O'Donnell Sweeney's prospects of flourishing in the long-term. "There is no doubt that 2009 has been difficult for every business in Ireland, but you just have to keep calm and carry on, put the head down and keep on servicing clients' needs to do the job as effectively as you can.
"The immediate future will continue to be tough and it's difficult to know whether we've reached the bottom of the market yet. But there are still some opportunities available, so we'll be trying to avail of those and continue to show value for our clients."
With regard to the country's overall problems, Murphy sees the introduction of the National Asset Management Agency as a key component in Ireland's long-term recovery. "Hopefully the major problems have been dealt with now and we'll see things start to move again," he says. "No solution is going to satisfy 100 per cent of the people but like they say, Nama is the only show in town. It's the only proposition that has really been fully developed."
Having left Monaghan in his late teens, Murphy may now be described as a Farney County expat, but he still makes it home on a regular basis. "Emyvale is a very strong, tight-knit community. My parents are still there so I get back whenever I can."
Alan takes a strong interest in all sports, including GAA, soccer and rugby, but juggling a busy work life with a young family - he and wife Marie have two children aged 6 and 2 - he hasn't been able to make it to as many games as he might have liked.
"It would be great to see Monaghan make the breakthrough this year. They've gone close a few times over the last couple of years and were unfortunate to come up against Kerry once or twice. It's been a long time since they won the Ulster Championship so you never know, that might happen in 2010. I think the ladies teams have been doing very well so maybe the lads might be able to emulate them at some stage."
For more information on the range of services offered by Eversheds O'Donnell Sweeney, visit www.eversheds.ie. Tweet
