With multiple new arrivals in 2025, including head of insurance James Colville, Mary Smith and Liam Harnett, DWF is growing its presence in Ireland, particularly across casualty issues, claims, cyber work and financial lines.

A&L Goodbody LLP provides leading, comprehensive services to large domestic and international insurers. Acting on large insurance transactions and operations, James Grennan leads the non-contentious insurance and reinsurance group, which has specialist expertise in establishment and entry into market, M&A, reorganisations, migrations, conversions and restructurings, as well as providing regulatory advice. Laura Mulleady and Sinéad Lynch are highly recommended for advisory and transactional work. The insurance disputes offering, which is led by Sarah Murphy and Dario Dagostino, has a wealth of experience acting in complex and significant contentious regulatory issues, coverage disputes, fraud claims and subrogated claims, notably related to professional indemnity and aviation insurance.

Arthur Cox is home to a well-experienced insurance team, which is equipped to handle complex and large transactions, regulatory mandates and disputes for insurers, reinsurers, intermediaries, private equity investors and industry associations. It has a strong track record handling policy interpretation and coverage mandates, indemnity issues, regulatory investigations and liability defence claims, notably related to financial lines, professional indemnity, product liability and cyber liability insurance. Team head Stephen D’Ardis specialises in non-contentious mandates, with extensive experience in M&A transactions. For contentious matters, Joanelle O’Cleirigh, Michael Twomey and Richard Willis are key contacts.

Covering the full array of contentious and non-contentious insurance mandates, Mason Hayes & Curran Professional Services Ltd is particularly well reputed for its insurance litigation practice, which has a wealth of experience handling disputes across the retail, technology and data breach, construction and healthcare sectors. Well-regarded for personal injury and property damage claims and coverage disputes, Rachel Kavanagh leads the contentious offering. Deirdre Munnelly is a key contact for the defence of public and employer liability, motor and product liability claims, while Rowena Fitzgerald is a key contact for domestic and international insurance undertakings and advising insurance distributors on their obligations. With expertise in asset sales, investigations and corporate governance, Liam Flynn spearheads the non-contentious and regulatory practice, which has a notable specialism in fintech mandates.

Matheson LLP‘s sizeable insurance group has a longstanding reputation for its strength in corporate insurance and insurance litigation. Darren Maher leads on the corporate insurance side, which has notable experience advising on large-scale M&A, portfolio transfers and group reorganisations, as well as technical and strategic corporate governance and regulatory matters. The team is increasingly sought out for advice on reinsurance issues, sanctions, ESG work and DORA implementation, and is highly active in advising intermediaries. April McClements, Julie Murphy-O’Connor and Karen Reynolds jointly lead on insurance disputes. A core strength of the contentious practice is complex coverage disputes, with experience in significant aircraft cases. Gráinne Callanan, Aisling Kavanagh and Elaine Long are other key contacts.

McCann FitzGerald LLP maintains its strong and broad regulatory, transactional and contentious insurance offering. Darragh Murphy leads the regulatory and corporate team, which advises domestic and international clients on regulatory compliance, corporate governance and product distribution, as well as portfolio transfers and other corporate transactions including M&A. The contentious team, led by Brian Quigley, covers business interruption, professional indemnity and public liability mandates, with noted experience in complex and high-profile coverage disputes and claims in the oil and energy sector. The team also has a niche specialism in insurance administration. Helen Kilroy is a go-to for professional negligence disputes, as is Catherine Derrig. Patrick Longworth made partner in 2025, and Stephen Fuller and Clare Gillett are also recommended.

Addleshaw Goddard‘s insurance team is a key adviser to domestic and international clients on a wide variety of mandates, ranging from asset reconstructions and acquisitions, corporate governance and regulatory audits, to professional negligence proceedings and insured contentious claims and policy disputes. The team is increasingly sought out for advice on new consumer requirements, the individual accountancy framework, outsourcings and digital operational resilience issues. Garrett Miller leads the group, with notable specialisms in the establishment and authorisation of insurers, new product development and contracts and policy wording. Paul Dempsey is a strong choice for contentious mandates.

Byrne Wallace Shields LLP has an extensive and well-regarded insurance practice, particularly for contentious mandates, with established experience acting in large disputes before the Irish courts; it is a go-to for claims related to professional indemnity, construction, D&O, as well as healthcare, and employer and public liability claims. The team also advises insurers and brokers in obtaining regulatory approvals from the Central Bank of Ireland, and assists on policy wording and drafting mandates. Ian Lavelle and Shane Neville are key insurance disputes lawyers and lead the team, together with Jon Legorburu.

Drawing on the firm’s wider international presence, DAC Beachcroft Dublin‘s insurance group handles a wide range of complex contentious and advisory mandates across core insurance disciplines. Louise O’Reilly leads on professional and commercial risk, and has expertise defending professional negligence claims and providing insurance coverage advice. John Sheehy and David Kennedy are at the helm of the casualty, motor and property offering, specialising in personal injury defence. Head of the healthcare team Niamh McKeever is a strong choice for medical malpractice claims, while Rowena McCormack leads the data, privacy and cyber limb of the offering and advises on cyber breach responses. Elaine Davis has expertise in regulatory law issues.

Dillon Eustace offers a multi-faceted service, advising established and emerging domestic and international insurers across a range of contentious and non-contentious mandates. Outside the team’s particular expertise in aviation and maritime insurance, the group is also highly capable in personal injury, product liability, D&O and professional indemnity claims. On the regulatory side, it advises on distribution structuring, Central Bank investigations, M&A and portfolio transfers, as well as solvency II and corporate governance work. Paul Breen leads the personal injury and dispute resolution offering, while Keith Waine is head of financial regulation. Peter Bredin, John O'Riordan and Rachel Halligan are other key team members.

Hayes Solicitors LLP‘s large team is highly regarded for its clinical negligence defence work, regularly representing clients in catastrophic injury claims, including high-value, complex and sensitive brain injury, spinal injury and cerebral palsy claims. Mary Hough exemplifies this expertise and leads the healthcare team, which also consists of the exceptionally capable Louise O’Rourke, Robbie Slattery and Stephen McGuinness. Joe O’Malley leads the litigation and dispute resolution practice and is also active in high-value claims. The group’s representation of the State Claims Agency and Medical Protection Society is highlighted.

The insurance litigation team at Holmes O’Malley Sexton LLP covers a wide range of mandates, from motor, employer and public liability, and property damage claims, to personal injury, professional negligence, and subrogation claim defence. Managing partner Harry Fehily and Donal Creaton lead the practice alongside Robert Kennedy, who has noted expertise assessing liability and quantum issues in catastrophic injury claims. Michael Murphy, Anna Owens and Wayne Finn are also key members of the group.

Advising leading insurer, reinsurer and insured clients, Kennedys stands out for its expertise in professional liability, financial institutions, D&O and public and employers liability. The team is increasingly evidencing its expertise in construction and property insurance mandates, and in areas such as business interruption, political risks, financial lines and personal injury. Andrew McGahey leads the team, David Strahan focuses on life insurance and investment disputes, and Joanne O’Sullivan specialises in healthcare law, while Noel Devins stands out for handling construction-related professional indemnity cases. Other key team members include Catherine Lyons and recently promoted partner Mark Dunne.

Highly rated for its professional indemnity expertise, RDJ LLP regularly defends insured solicitors, architects and other professionals, though the team also has a depth of experience in employer and public liability and aviation-related mandates. Led by Brendan O’Connell, Uilliam Ó Lorcáin and Ricky Kelly, the group is a key contact for insurers in the Irish and London market. Other prominent practitioners in the group include Richard Martin, Jamie Olden and Marianne Lonergan.

William Fry LLP‘s insurance practice is capable of advising domestic and international clients on a wide range of corporate and regulatory matters, as well as in disputes. Transactional and regulatory specialist Eoin Caulfield leads the team, while Paul Convery is noted for his insurance claims and coverage disputes experience. With a wealth of experience, John Larkin continues to add value to the practice, as does the actuarial consultant, who assists with transactional and compliance mandates. Niall Campbell and Catherine Carrigy are also strong choices.

Beauchamps LLP is geared to support on professional indemnity, personal injury and product liability claims across a variety of professions and sectors, though particularly in the construction industry. The team is increasingly representing public sector clients in coverage disputes. Ciara Murphy spearheads the offering, and is a leading adviser in negligence actions on coverage, liability and quantum issues.

Carson McDowell has maintained a notable reputation in clinical negligence defence, and is a key adviser to healthcare providers, indemnifiers and doctors, fielding a considerable workload for the Medical Protection Society in particular. Key practitioners in the group work across both Belfast and Dublin, including Roger McMillan and head of clinical claims Jacqueline McAleese. Praised by clients, Sinéad Keavey offers a wealth of experience defending clinical negligence mandates. Cathal O’Neill, who leads on personal injury mandates, also works across jurisdictions and is well-positioned to advise on industrial disease claims.

Clyde & Co leverages its international standing to enhance its insurance and reinsurance offering in Ireland, and the team is well-positioned to handle small and large claims. With specialisms in marine and non-marine insurance, team head Garrett Moore is well-equipped to assist with a range of coverage and defence mandates. Máire Ní Aodha and Rory Higgins are also key practitioners.

The team at Comyn Kelleher Tobin LLP is adept at handling the full range of contentious insurance mandates, with expertise spanning catastrophic claims, professional liability, public and employer liability, product and property liability and motor claims. Team head Eamon Harrington specialises in professional and medical negligence issues, as does Patrice O’Keeffe. For coverage disputes and employer and public liability defence, Daniel McLoughlin is a key contact.

DLA Piper Ireland LLP is a go-to adviser for domestic and international insurers, reinsurers and intermediaries across a broad spectrum of matters, with particular strength in acting for insurance carrier consolidators on M&A. The team is noted for its expertise in acting for W&I insurers on M&A. Well-versed in cross-border disputes, the group is also involved in high-profile insurance litigation. Naoise Harnett, who has extensive experience in corporate reinsurance and regulatory work, leads the corporate insurance team. Jennifer McCarthy, who joined in 2025, is another key practitioner, while Caoimhe Clarkin leads the litigation and regulatory practice, bringing strength to insurance coverage mandates.

Fieldfisher is well-equipped to handle catastrophic personal injury claims and property damage claims, and to advise on policy coverage and liability under the Road Traffic Act. The team advises insurers and self-ensured entities across a diverse range of sectors including the aviation, retail and not-for-profit spaces. Killian O’Reilly leads the team, and has substantial experience in insurance litigation, with notable specialisms handling casualty and professional negligence claims.