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2025 was another milestone year for transactions involving professional services firms in Ireland. Alongside a busy transactional environment, there is an evolving regulatory landscape.
Trends
The Irish professional services sector, like in many other markets, continues to see activity in the following areas:
- external investment from private capital and private equity;
- strategic mergers of existing firms to achieve scale or for succession planning;
- consolidations and rollups of local member firms into global networks; and
- changes in firm structures to respond to changing business needs or target verticals.
Regulation
Nationally and internationally, there is continuing interest from regulators in the activities of professional service firms, both on a day-to-day basis and in response to restructuring and transactions. Regulation at firm-level in Ireland is overseen by the two recognised accountancy bodies (RABs), the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland (CAI) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA). The RABs are overseen by the Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority (IAASA) in Ireland and the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) in the UK.
The core of Irish professional services regulation relates to auditors and audit firms, in particular control of audit businesses and eligibility for appointment as an auditor. The overriding considerations for regulators are to safeguard the independence and quality of audits. Regulators have noted the recent developments in the industry and stressed the importance of compliance and engagement with the relevant regulators at the appropriate time and in the appropriate manner.
What's next?
Ireland is now well established as a sophisticated market for transactions involving professional services and we expect that the trends within the industry will continue into 2026. It is an exciting time in the market with an increasing number of innovative deals. We expect a continued flow of high-profile transactions in the market in the coming year. Firms and investors should continue to be aware of the significance of regulation for professional services firms. Engaging early with regulatory matters, particularly in respect of audit firms, is essential.
Our professional services group
Arthur Cox's market leading professional services group advises a wide range of Irish and international professional services firms, private capital investors and accountancy bodies on M&A, structuring transactions, partnership law, regulatory and compliance issues and disputes.
Recent major transactions and instructions include advising:
- Grant Thornton Advisors LLC and New Mountain Capital on the acquisition of Grant Thornton Ireland's advisory and tax businesses;
- Goldman Sachs Alternatives on the acquisition of AAB from August Equity;
- EisnerAmper Ireland on its investment from MML Growth Capital Partners Ireland Limited;
- Moore Ireland on the sale of a majority stake to Waterland Private Equity;
- CPA Ireland on its merger with Chartered Accountants Ireland; and
- leading Irish professional services firms on partnership law matters and regulatory compliance.
This article contains a general summary of developments and is not a complete or definitive statement of the law. Specific legal advice should be obtained where appropriate.
