Foreign Direct Investment

There is no doubt, foreign direct investment (FDI) has played a crucial role in the success of the Irish economy. 

Indeed, according to the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, FDI is responsible for approximately 20% of employment and has led to the setting up of over 1,200 overseas company operations in Ireland.

Forbes has ranked Ireland as one of the best places in the world to do business; including for multinationals and multinationals of the future – assisted by a highly favourable corporate tax rate of 12.5%.

By setting up your business here, you will be following in the footsteps of many others who have thrived, including big-tech and pharma companies EMC, Intel, Twitter, Pfizer, Citi, Huawei, Takeda, Fujitsu, Novartis and Trend Micro.

Ireland is investing heavily in becoming a world leader in the ‘internet of things’, big data, healthcare innovation, connected and autonomous vehicles, and cybersecurity.  With the current backdrop of Brexit, it is expected that FDI is likely to increase, as many businesses seek to set up in Ireland, rather than the UK, in the interests of continued access to EU markets.

Our Foreign Direct Investment services

If you are an overseas company considering setting up a business entity in Ireland or seeking to expand your existing operations, Lavelle Partners, based in our capital city of Dublin, are best placed to assist you.  Due to our network of trusted business partners, we can quickly put you in contact with specialists in the area of real estate, banking, venture capital, joint ventures, logistics, recruitment, and any of your other business needs.  And when it comes to your family needs, we can put you in contact with estate agents, personal investment advisors, and schools.

We offer a range of legal services to assist with FDI, including, but not limited to:

• New company incorporations
• Cross border share restructures
• Corporate governance advice
• Drafting employment contracts, shareholders’ agreements and investment agreements
• Grants and funding
• Intellectual property
• Liaising with the Irish Industrial Development Authority (IDA Ireland)
• Obtaining visas and residency permits
• Opening an Irish bank account
• Purchasing or leasing of Irish commercial real estate
• Regulatory advice
• Sourcing non-executive directors
• Taxation – including corporation tax, credits, exemptions, and tax relief (e.g. knowledge development box)

With over 30 years of providing legal services to individuals, businesses, and organisations across Ireland, we are well placed to partner with you to achieve your commercial ambitions.  We have considerable experience in every industry sector, and we know every region of Ireland like the back of our hands. 

Why Choose Lavelle Partners?

• Our corporate and commercial law team, headed by Gríana O’Kelly and including Michael Lavelle, and Marc Fitzgibbon have a wealth of practical knowledge and experience in relation to Foreign Direct Investment in Ireland.  We are business people at heart and will work tirelessly to ensure your business interests are represented and goals achieved.
• With a corporation tax rate of 12.5%, Ireland is a key destination for businesses seeking a domicile with access to the EU and a stable political framework.  Our corporate and commercial lawyers have successfully advised numerous organisations, ranging from multi-nationals to tech start-ups on launching in the Irish market.
• We are personally invested in our clients’ success.  As such, we help you tackle problems and capitalise on opportunities swiftly.  If a conventional solution does not achieve your objectives, we will challenge it, disrupting conventional ways of thinking to create a result that works for you.
• When it comes to making decisions, our experience and knowledge give us the confidence to make decisions quickly, a crucial factor in Foreign Direct Investment.

What our clients say

‘Great breadth of expertise. If a particular partner doesn’t have the expertise then effective handover to the appropriate partner who does. Very much a can-do attitude.’

The Legal 500, 2022

‘Lavelle Partners bring a very partner led and hands on approach to transactions which is why I like using them.’

The Legal 500, 2022

‘Direct and prompt access to the “right” person in the practice was a major feature of the process, particularly as we did not have any internal experience of the process. Lavelle Partners provided us with the advice and comfort we needed to complete the same.’

The Legal 500, 2022

‘Griana O’Kelly has great listening skills, really makes sure she understands the brief before launching into the work … also very open to client input at the drafting stage so that legals reflect the nuances of the commercial arrangements agreed.’

The Legal 500, 2022

‘Griana O’Kelly is very good to deal with and she is very efficient in getting transactions closed.’

The Legal 500, 2022

‘The process was lead by Griana O’Kelly who led her team at all times. It was also very comforting to see that Griana had full oversight of the complete process and her five colleagues who complemented each other in delivering a comprehensive and complete conclusion to the process.’

The Legal 500, 2022

For further information on how we can help you with Foreign Direct Investment in Ireland and the EU, please contact Lavelle Partners in confidence on (01) 644 5800.