Byrne Wallace Shields LLP Recognised Across 23 Practice Areas in The Legal 500 2026

Byrne Wallace Shields LLP has once again been recognised as one of Ireland's leading law firms, providing expert and innovative advice across a broad range of practice areas, following independent research undertaken by leading international legal directory, The Legal 500.

The annual directory provides rankings on the leading law firms and lawyers across 80 countries in the EMEA region. The rankings are based on extensive research, including detailed qualitative assessment of work conducted by law firms over the past 12 months, the experience and depth of their teams, and, most importantly, direct client feedback.

Byrne Wallace Shields LLP has achieved recognition across 23 practice areas in the Legal 500 Ireland 2026 edition — Banking and Finance, Capital Markets, Commercial Corporate and M&A, Construction, Data Privacy and Data Protection, Dispute Resolution, Employment, Energy and Natural Resources, EU and Competition, Fintech, Healthcare and Life Sciences, Information Technology, Insolvency and Corporate Restructuring, Insurance, Intellectual Property, Investment Funds, Pensions and Employee Benefits, Planning and Environment, Projects and PPP, Public Sector, Real Estate, Tax, and White-Collar Crime. 

This reflects the full breadth of the firm's expertise across corporate, commercial, financial, regulatory, disputes, and public sector work.

According to the research, Byrne Wallace Shields LLP was commended for consistently delivering excellent legal advice and first-class client service across all of its practice areas. A selection of the feedback received from clients who were interviewed included:

• 'The team stand out because they don't just give you the legal answer, they help you find a way forward that works in practice. They know the sector really well and have a good grasp of the commercial and regulatory pressures, so their advice always feels grounded in the reality of running a business.'
• 'What distinguishes the team is their willingness to engage meaningfully with our organisational structures, governance arrangements, and operational constraints — they are partners in problem-solving rather than distanced external advisers.'
• 'The team offers legal rigour and delivers with responsive, solution-focused advice.'
• 'They offer timely, practical, and commercially safe solutions. Their people are their greatest asset.'
• 'A wealth of experience and deep knowledge of the Irish market. Sufficient depth across the team with good case management, personal service, and excellent communication.'
• 'Strong technical capabilities, commercial and reactive — overall communication from all senior partners was excellent. We found the firm to be efficient, courteous, business-like, and pleasant at all levels.'
• 'The team's core strength lies in their deep understanding of the legal landscape, coupled with a passion for delivering value to clients. There have been numerous occasions where they have saved us far more than what they cost.'
  

Lawyers in the firm were individually recognised across all key practice areas. Colin Sainsbury (Healthcare and Life Sciences), Marco Hickey (EU and Competition) and Michael Kennedy (Employment) received Hall of Fame status — an honour awarded to those deemed to be operating at the very top of their practice area, based on workload, peer feedback and length of experience. A further 17 lawyers were recognised as Leading Partners, four as Next Generation Partners, and one as a Leading Associate, spanning practice areas including Real Estate, Commercial Corporate and M&A, White-Collar Crime, Projects and PPP, Data Privacy and Data Protection, Banking and Finance, Construction, Employment, Public Sector, Information Technology, Pensions and Employee Benefits, and Insolvency and Corporate Restructuring.