DAC Beachcroft, which welcomed 2019 with its first French site, will soon be launching another office after acquiring the insurance business of Northern Irish firm McKinty and Wright.
The swoop, financial terms of which were not disclosed, is expected to complete in July 2019 and will see DAC Beachcroft establish its presence in Belfast. As part of the deal, up to 17 fee earners will come onboard the international law firm, which said the number includes six partners.
Opening in the new location means DAC Beachcroft will now be able to provide seamless coverage across all four jurisdictions in the UK and Ireland. The Belfast operations will add to the firm’s offices in London – at Walbrook and Minster Court – Birmingham, Bristol, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Newport, and Winchester.
“We go where our clients need us,” stated DAC Beachcroft managing partner David Pollitt. “Having a presence in Northern Ireland is important to many of our insurance clients in particular, and this is a strategic move in response to increasing demand for us to be able to serve our clients across all jurisdictions in the UK.
“Our ‘best friends’ relationship with McKinty and Wright has served us and our clients well and this is a further step in cementing DAC Beachcroft’s name and position in the Belfast market. We see considerable opportunities for insurance, as well as other parts of our business, and have ambitious plans to grow our presence and capabilities quickly in this new office so that we can better serve our clients.”
McKinty and Wright, which has been in the relationship since 2016, specialises in professional indemnity, motor, as well as public and employers’ liability claims. Partner Sean McGahan, who co-leads the Belfast team, said they are “very pleased to be joining forces with a firm of DAC Beachcroft’s calibre and global standing.”
He added: “Over the last three years we have become trusted partners and have built an effective relationship that has enabled us both to serve all of our clients better. To be able to offer our clients the breadth of know-how across such a vast network is a huge advantage and one that sets us apart from the competition.”
Outside the UK and Ireland, and in addition to the one in France, DAC Beachcroft also has offices in Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, and the US. The firm is a founding member of alliance LegalignGlobal.
Commenting on the transaction in Northern Ireland, DAC Beachcroft’s Claims Solutions Group chief executive Craig Dickson noted: “We know McKinty and Wright very well. They are a highly regarded practice and have a proven cultural fit with DAC Beachcroft, as well as an enviable track record of success when it comes to working with insurer and corporate clients.”
