Home grown Belfast law firms see rapid growth in two years under Lewis Silkin brand

A law firm which grew out of two established Belfast legal specialists within the last two years says it has already more than doubled its workforce in that time.

UK-based Lewis Silkin first joined forces with employment law specialists Jones Cassidy Brett in 2021 before acquiring tech-focused Forde Campbell the following year. Within the last 24 months the Belfast office has generated 30 new jobs bringing the total Northern Ireland-based team to 48. The firm says it aims to double this again in the next three to five years.

Head of Belfast office and partner Ciara Fulton says that bringing both Jones Cassidy Brett and Forde Campbell into Lewis Silkin, which operates across Ireland and the UK, as well as in Hong Kong, has enhanced the Belfast operation’s reach.

Ms Fulton explained: “Most law firms which come to Northern Ireland tend to import their operations and business, whereas Lewis Silkin’s Belfast operation is entirely indigenous. At the same time, we have stayed true to Lewis Silkin’s core specialisms – ideas, people and possibilities.

“This means we have an advantage in terms of our local knowledge and specialisms – which include employment, immigration, intellectual property, tech and data.”

The Belfast office now also includes a business immigration team of seven led by London-based partner, Stephen O’Flaherty while Paul Gillen is now partner specializing in employment.

On the tech and IP side, the team is experiencing rapid growth.

Rory Campbell who co-created Forde Campbell in the mid-2000s with Mathew Forde, says the rapid expansion of digitisation across all sectors has opened up demand for specialist legal advice. Both are now partners in the company.

“Our firm developed in parallel with tech start-ups,” continued Mr Campbell. “We would involve ourselves at the core of their activity particularly during investment rounds and thanks to this we have built a strong reputation in this field.

“We are also increasingly focusing on data privacy and security which is becoming an increasingly important area in all types of organisations, and have established a new data team in Belfast led by legal director, Mary Traynor.”

Ms Fulton added: “Practices in the world of work are transforming very fast and law firms such as Lewis Silkin know that we must constantly keep learning and adapting in order to provide our clients with the legal protection they need.”