Herbert Smith is to receive additional public funding of more than £500,000 for the expansion of its newly-launched Belfast base.

The firm, which has already been offered £208,000 by Invest Northern Ireland to support the launch of the 'nearshoring' venture, is set to recruit 12 further fee earners in the coming months, with at least 49 more jobs expected to be created over the next five years.

As a result, Invest NI has increased the amount of financial support it is offering to £734,000, with the regional development agency estimating that the new jobs will generate more than £3m a year in salaries and benefits for the local economy by 2016.

The office – which went live on 1 April this year and focuses on document review in litigation, arbitration and regulatory investigations – currently has 26 full-time employees, including 19 fee earners, with recruitment for 12 new roles currently underway.

On top of the £734,000, £369,750 of further funding has also been offered to the firm if it creates a further 51 Belfast jobs over the next five years – a proposal which the firm has said it will keep under consideration.

The director of the firm's Belfast base, solicitor Libby Jackson, said: "Our Belfast office is already very busy, which has led to a need to expand our capability, with a further 12 fee earners coming on board in the next few months.

"Our focus is on disputes work and we expect to grow substantially over the next five years to support the needs of our global disputes practice. We are grateful to Invest NI, whose support has been, and continues to be, much appreciated."

Allen & Overy, which announced in February that it is launching a business and legal support centre in Belfast, has also received financial backing from Invest NI for its local launch.

The magic circle firm has received £2.5m in return for the creation of 300 new jobs, a move which has provoked criticism from the Ulster Unionist Party, which has argued that the money should benefit people already living in Northern Ireland.

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