The Legal Cheek View
Eversheds Sutherland’s Irish story began in 1967 when Rory O’Donnell founded Dublin firm O’Donnell Sweeney. Fast forward to 2005, and an alliance with UK-based Eversheds brought an international dimension. Today, the firm has a truly vast footprint. Eversheds counts over 3,000 lawyers across 70+ offices in 30+ countries. This includes bases and outposts from London to New York, Paris to Hong Kong, Mauritius to Maputo, and Dublin to Abu Dhabi. There are two offices on the island: the Dublin HQ at Earlsfort Terrace, and a Belfast office, enabling all-Ireland coverage. You’re never working in isolation – colleagues and clients in dozens of jurisdictions are a short call away (time zones permitting!), plus circa 100 solicitors in Dublin. Until recently, the firm’s Irish arm had been in discussions over a possible tie-up with Ireland’s William Fry, but the two sides were unable to reach a deal.
Eversheds’ Dublin arm is particularly renowned for its tax expertise – advising on Irish holding company structures, cross-border mergers and complex restructurings. Notably, Dublin’s managing partner Alan Connell also leads the tax team. Beyond tax, Eversheds’ Irish practice spans corporate M&A, banking & finance, dispute resolution, real estate, employment, pensions, funds, tech (TMT), aviation finance and more. The breadth is such that trainees can sample everything from EU competition law to renewable energy projects. The client list is equally broad and impressive – think American Express, Intel, Boots, Sony and McCain. Recent high-profile work includes advising Intel on a joint venture for a colossal €18 billion semiconductor facility and guiding Dukes Education as they acquired the Institute of Education. Eversheds trainees in Dublin find themselves at the coalface in cutting-edge work across Ireland’s key industries.
One Earlsfort Centre, a six-storey office development (built in the 1980s with a brick façade) is Eversheds Sutherland’s Dublin base. Out front, visitors are greeted by Rowan Gillespie’s statue, The Kiss in a quiet stone seating circle – making it more like an art gallery than a corporate office! The building shares the impressive full-height glass atrium lobby with a government department, flooding the reception with light. Visitors are greeted with a striking outdoor sculpture at the entrance making it more like an art gallery than a corporate office! It’s a far cry from stuffy old legal chambers – this is a fresh, professional space. What really gives the office its charm is the location. One Earlsfort Centre sits on a landmark corner in Dublin 2, rubbing shoulders with some of the city’s finest. Step outside and you have the National Concert Hall opposite and the lovely Iveagh Gardens nearby – a hidden green oasis, perfect for a quick breather. St Stephen’s Green is two minutes’ walk, offering another spot for a stroll or alfresco lunch when the sun appears.
The area blends the historic and the modern: grand Georgian streets and squares (Merrion Square, Fitzwilliam Square) are nearby, as are shiny new office blocks. Eversheds finds itself in good company too – neighbours include Arthur Cox right across the way, the Irish Medical Council HQ, Big Four accountants like EY and Deloitte, and financial players like Barclays. This little pocket of Dublin is a who’s-who of professional Ireland. Yet it retains a relaxed and refined atmosphere, with a certain buzz from nearby university campuses. Expect kitchenettes stocked with tea, coffee and the occasional free fruit and biscuits to fuel late-night work when you can’t fit in a sarnie down the road.
Eversheds Sutherland Dublin typically takes on circa 20 trainees each year, Legal Cheek understands, the joint-fifth largest in Dublin. Competition for those spots is fierce but the reward is a comprehensive training contract with international seasoning. When it comes to pay, Eversheds keeps exact figures under wraps, but Legal Cheek understands that first-year trainee salaries start in the mid-€40,000s, just below some other leading firms in Dublin. This comfortably covers cost of living (and those after-work drinks) for the two-year training period. On qualification, newly qualified (NQ) solicitors see a significant jump. While not publicly disclosed, NQ base salaries are believed to be in the region of €70-75,000 – a figure that is very competitive. Trainees also enjoy full sponsorship of their professional courses (all Law Society PPC fees paid), plus you continue to earn your salary for the two years while at Blackhall Place for study periods.
The Dublin traineeship programme follows the standard four-seat rotation over two years, with trainees working in the firm’s key areas plus others like public law and dispute resolution. One of the perks of being a trainee at a firm with Eversheds’ footprint is the wealth of secondment opportunities. The firm actively encourages gaining experience outside your home office. Trainees have had the chance to spend time in offices like London, Paris, Madrid, and Milan for two-week secondments. The net result is that by the time you qualify, you could have a contact book spanning not just Dublin’s business community but connections across the globe. Once you’re settled in, any late night meals or travel are covered by the firm.
Working at Earlsfort Terrace means immersing yourself in the rich local culture of Dublin 2. If you’re into fitness classes, there’s a FlyeFit in walking distance. Coffee culture is alive and well, while popular lunch spots include sandwich delis on Baggot Street, healthy salad bars on Camden Street, and burrito and sushi joints around the area. Fancy something more upscale? Have a suave lunch at the National Concert Hall. For after-work drinks, you’ve got a spectrum: literary O’Donoghue’s on Merrion Row for an authentic pint and live music, or the stylish 37 Dawson Street bar – and who can forget student classic Dicey’s? If you venture a bit further, the buzzy pubs of Rathmines and the trendy restaurants of Ranelagh are just a short hop away. The area also has a dash of high culture: aside from the Concert Hall, you have galleries like the National Gallery and Museum a short stroll away, and theatres (the Gaiety, the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre slightly further away) for after work shows.
Commuting is a breeze thanks to its city-centre location and excellent transport links. The Luas green line tram is roughly a 5-minute walk, connecting you to the southside suburbs and the northside via St Stephen’s Green. For train commuters, the DART is about a 10-minute walk. Cyclists are well catered for: not only is there secure bike parking in the building, but there’s also a Dublin Bikes station literally around the corner for those who use the city’s bike-share to zip around. Because the office is so central, walking is a viable commute for many – rookies may stroll in with comfy shoes and then swap for heels or brogues at their desk.
Charity and community work is also big at Eversheds — the CSR committee runs wellness programmes, volunteer days and environmental initiatives year-round. Trainees often spearhead these events, bringing a lot of youthful energy to the mix. Expect sports committees too, and when it comes to the classic law firm bonding ritual — the big night out — Eversheds won’t disappoint. Sustainability and tech are two more areas the firm is pushing on. The Dublin office has gone pretty green: lots of recycling points, elimination of single-use plastics (everybody got a metal water bottle), and even some nifty motion-sensor LED lighting to save energy. They’re also trialling a paper-lite approach with new software — a nod to modern ways of working. And speaking of modern, the firm has even appointed a global head of AI to keep it at the forefront of legal tech.
To get to Eversheds, you’ll need to be a team player with good commercial acumen and a solid academic record with at least a 2.i. After that, Dublin and beyond can be your oyster.