Philip Lee

What Philip Lee does

Philip Lee LLP is a Dublin-headquartered Irish commercial law firm founded in 1993 by Philip Lee, evolving from a specialist regulatory practice (international trade, competition, procurement) into a full-service commercial firm. The firm operates 50 partners and 150+ total staff across four offices in Dublin (Connaught House, One Burlington Road), Cork, London (the Leadenhall Building), and New York (Philip Lee (US) LLP at 447 Broadway), and is the sole Irish member of the Multilaw international network spanning 100+ countries and 10,000+ lawyers. Service lines span corporate and commercial advisory, M&A, real estate, construction, healthcare and life sciences, technology and digital, intellectual property, data and privacy, dispute resolution, ESG, and a flagship Climate Projects practice that has been awarded Best Law Firm in Voluntary Carbon Markets by Environmental Finance for three consecutive years (2023–2025).

The firm's underlying technology stack consists of a legal practice management system integrated with a tailored Knowledge Management (KM) system that connects practice areas to a Know-How database, a Library Management system, and 30+ online information resources; the firm has not disclosed proprietary AI/ML capabilities and appears to operate at an AI-assisted level through search and retrieval automation rather than AI-native service delivery. Internally, a close-knit five-person finance team processes payroll for 150+ staff, and dedicated HR, training, and Knowledge Management functions (HR Director Nicola McKenna, Training and KM Executive Nicholas Makin) support ongoing organisational scaling.

The business model is a traditional professional services partnership: revenue is generated on a quote-based, matter-priced basis from corporate and institutional clients across enterprise segments including technology (UiPath, HRLocker, Newswhip, NomuPay), testing and inspection (Bureau Veritas), climate and carbon markets (Rainforest Builder, Varaha, Key Carbon), energy (European Green Transition, FirstGroup), and healthcare real estate (Evergreen Care). Go-to-market is partner-led business development supported by thought-leadership content, industry event sponsorship (Carbon Unbound, MIPIM, Aviation Carbon Conference, ICLA), and cross-border delivery through the Multilaw network. The firm was ranked No.1 Legal Adviser in Ireland in the Experian Q1 2026 Rankings, and leadership comprises Managing Partner Jonathan Kelly, Chairperson Alice Whittaker, founding Partner and Executive Chairman Philip Lee, and senior partner Alan Connell, with no external private equity or parent ownership indicated.

Name

Philip Lee

Legal name

Philip Lee LLP

Website

https://www.philiplee.ie/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Philip Lee LLP is an Irish commercial law firm founded in 1993 with 50 partners and offices in Dublin, Cork, London, and New York, advising corporate clients across climate projects, corporate/M&A, technology, healthcare, construction, and ESG. It is the sole Irish member of the Multilaw network and ranked No.1 Legal Adviser by Experian Q1 2026.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Legal Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) & Securities Law (BPAHAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

M&A Advisory (Buy-side/Sell-side) (BPAHADAC)

Keywords

• Commercial legal services
• Corporate law advisory
• Climate projects law
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Dispute resolution law

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Advisory Services: Traditional law firm revenue from providing legal advisory services to corporate clients. Services span corporate transactions, M&A, litigation, real estate, construction, energy, healthcare, technology, and specialized climate projects and ESG advisory.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Philip Lee LLP is an Irish commercial law firm delivering full-service corporate and commercial legal advice to corporate clients across multiple sectors. Core offerings include corporate and commercial advisory, M&A, climate projects and carbon markets, real estate, construction, technology and digital, healthcare and life sciences, intellectual property, data protection, ESG advisory, and dispute resolution and litigation. The firm serves clients through offices in Dublin, Cork, London, and New York, supplemented by the Multilaw international network.

Product overview

Philip Lee LLP is a leading Irish commercial law firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of legal services rather than a software product. The firm operates as a single unified practice providing corporate and commercial legal services across multiple specialized practice areas. The core offerings include Climate Projects (carbon markets, climate finance), Real Estate, Technology and Digital Services, Healthcare and Life Sciences, Intellectual Property, Data and Privacy, ESG Advisory, Dispute Resolution, and Construction/Projects. The Climate Projects practice represents a distinctive focus area, advising on voluntary and compliance carbon markets, project financing, and carbon credit transactions. The firm serves clients across sectors including construction, energy, healthcare, housing, media, and technology, with offices in Dublin, Cork, London, and New York.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate and Commercial Legal Services
• Climate Projects Practice
• Real Estate and Property Services
• Technology and Digital Services
• Healthcare, Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences
• Intellectual Property
• Data and Privacy
• Beyond ESG Advisory
• Dispute Resolution and Litigation
• Construction and Projects

Quantifiable outcome

• No.1 Legal Adviser ranking in Experian Q1 2026
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MultilawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhilip Lee LLP is the sole Irish member of Multilaw, a consortium network of over 10,000 lawyers in 100 countries worldwide. This membership provides the firm with international reach and the ability to serve clients with cross-border legal needs through established relationships with leading law firms globally.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Matheson LLP: Major Irish law firm with strong cross-border, corporate, and financial services focus; competes head-to-head on international mandates and structured transactions out of Dublin.
• William Fry LLP: Major Irish commercial law firm with directly comparable corporate, M&A, technology, and financial services practices targeting similar Irish and international clients.
• Arthur Cox LLP: One of Ireland's largest full-service commercial law firms with deep corporate, M&A, real estate, and finance practices competing directly for the same Irish enterprise clients as Philip Lee.
• A&L Goodbody LLP: Top-tier Irish law firm with comparable corporate, M&A, financial services, and cross-border transactional practices; one of the leading direct competitors for the same mid-market and large-cap Irish mandates.
• Mason Hayes & Curran LLP: Full-service Irish law firm with comparable practice areas in corporate, real estate, construction, and technology; competes for many of the same mid-market Irish clients.
• Ronan Daly Jermyn LLP: Cork-headquartered Irish law firm with directly overlapping regional presence, sharing Philip Lee's Cork office catchment and competing for the same Munster-based clients.
• McCann FitzGerald LLP: One of Ireland's premier full-service law firms with overlapping practice areas in M&A, corporate, real estate, construction, and technology - a close competitor for the same Irish enterprise client base.

Broad incumbents

• Clifford Chance LLP: Global Magic Circle firm with strong energy, infrastructure, and finance practices; competes for cross-border mandates that Philip Lee may handle co-operatively but often loses to on the largest deals.
• Linklaters LLP: Global Magic Circle firm; competes for high-value cross-border M&A, finance, and energy mandates where Irish clients seek international counsel, often in conjunction with or against Irish firms like Philip Lee.
• Norton Rose Fulbright: Global law firm with a particularly strong energy, infrastructure, and climate practice, comparable to Philip Lee's Climate Projects practice; competes for international energy transition mandates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/philipleelaw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Philip Lee