So far, 400 applications for the right to practise in the Irish courts have been accepted with a further 168 applications pending.

One firm alone, the Magic Circle’s Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer an international partnership with 2,500 lawyers worldwide, has applied to have 104 lawyers registered in Dublin to allow them to continues to appear before EU courts.

The president of the Law Society, Simon Murphy (pictured) and director general Ken Murphy, met with Freshfields earlier this summer.

Simon Murphy explained to The Irish Times: “They explained that the solicitors transferring to the roll in Ireland were members of the firm’s anti-trust, competition and trade law team, based in their London and Brussels offices.

“They have decided to take out qualification in an additional jurisdiction as a precautionary measure in advance of Britain’s exit from the EU, in case this might be necessary in the future to protect their status in dealing with EU institutions and their clients’ right to legal privilege in the course of EU investigations.”

Earlier this week our sister publication Irish Legal News reported that international law firm Kennedy’s is to expand its Dublin operations.

The process by which foreign qualified lawyers may apply to go on the Roll of Solicitors in Ireland is outlined on the Law Society of Ireland’s website.