Kennedys has merged with its Dublin associate office O'Hare O'Connor Walshe, as the firm also gears up to develop closer ties with its Chilean associate firm.

The Irish merger went live today (1 June), with the office now trading under the name Kennedys Ireland.

Kennedys is also set to strengthen ties with its Chilean associate office Acuna & Cia, with details as yet unclear due to restrictive local Bar rules.

Kennedys has had a relationship with its Dublin associate for the last 10 years. The outfit currently has seven partners. Kennedys has had a presence in Belfast since 1997.

Kennedys Ireland senior partner James Staines said "We have a good relationship with Kennedys and a number of their clients, and over the last six months we had started talking about how we could grow the relationship and start making better use of those opportunities in the Irish market.

"It gives us the chance to upgrade our systems so that they can be on the same platform as Kennedys, and give a more efficient and detailed service to clients."

Kennedys senior partner Nick Thomas said: "The decision to take our successful relationship forward by establishing Kennedys Ireland at this time was driven by very clear client demands for a stronger, market-transforming presence in Dublin."

The news follows the firm's merger with its Portuguese alliance partner Almeida & Athayde in March this year.