Eversheds Sutherland is set to ramp up its presence in Ireland, with plans to double in size in Belfast and expand in Dublin.

Ireland managing partner Alan Murphy told Legal Week that the firm hopes to expand significantly in both cities by 2020.

Legacy UK firm Eversheds opened in Belfast in 2015 but initially ran the base as a satellite office staffed by lawyers from Dublin and London. Twelve months ago, it brought in a permanent team of six from local firms, with headcount now standing at 15, including three partners.

Murphy said he hopes to double this tally by 2020, focusing on litigation, real estate, employment and banking.

The Dublin office – which currently houses about 275 people – is set to expand but less significantly.

Murphy said: "Clients across Great Britain told us they wanted coverage across both Irelands. We are getting a lot of work from clients and colleagues in the UK as well as quite a significant amount of referrals from our Dublin office, in addition to continuing to build up local business.

"Our brand in Dublin grows year on year, and from a client perspective our combination with [US firm] Sutherland was really interesting. We've seen a particular benefit to our tax practice." he added.

According to Murphy, the Dublin office's revenue is on track to be up 10% this year on 2017-18, in part boosted by its corporate offering, which has seen revenue climb by 40% since 2015.

The firm recently added asset management regulation capability to the office with the hire of partner Deborah Hutton from Citibank Europe, where she was EMEA legal head for depository and global funds services.

Murphy said that following the Brexit vote, more emphasis is being placed on that work in Dublin as more financial service bodies look to set up in Ireland, with this work also benefiting the firm's offices in London, Luxembourg, the US and Hong Kong.