KPMG Ireland has announced the appointment of John Given as the new head of its legal services practice.
The firm has also announced plans to expand its legal services business, establishing a stand-alone legal services practice to support its existing client base and improve its offering in “high-growth areas” such as general data protection regulation (GDPR), technology and internet protocol (IP).
Mr Given, who joins the professional services giant from law firm Philip Lee where he was senior partner, will replace current legal services head Francis Hackett upon his retirement at the end of October.
Under Mr Hackett’s leadership, KPMG Ireland’s legal services division experienced “strong growth”, the firm said in a statement. Comprising a team of more than 40 lawyers and associates, “the expanding business envisages that number growing to more than 100 over the next three years”, KPMG said.
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Commenting on the announcement, KPMG Ireland managing partner Seamus Hand thanked Mr Hackett for his leadership over the past eight years.
“Francis has established a great team that serves as a strong foundation from which to set out on the next phase of our legal services journey,” Mr Hand said.
“I am also delighted that John Given has agreed to join us and lead the next stage of that journey. John has been one of Ireland’s leading corporate lawyers for over two decades and we are excited that he has agreed to join us to lead the next phase of our legal evolution.”
