EY Law is setting up a legal services arm in Belfast after recruiting Axiom director Aaron Stewart to lead the team.
Stewart will be responsible for working with the accountant’s clients across the UK and has been tasked with building and running a team in the Northern Irish capital.
He has been at Axiom since 2014, having joined from PwC’s Belfast officewhere he oversaw the delivery of legal services throughout the UK.
EY’s launch in Belfast follows its recent expansion overseas in Argentina and Chile, as well as the hire of a Norton Rose Fulbright partner to lead its offering in Canada.
The accountant was the third of the big four to enter the regulated legal market in the UK after being granted an ABS licence by the Solicitors Regulation Authority in 2014.
It came after the hire of Addleshaw Goddard partner Philip Goodstone, who was recruited to launch its legal capability in the UK.
Last year, EY revealed it was looking to double the number of lawyers in its legal services arm from around 30 to 60 within a year. It also pledged to double its Asian legal capacity after entering the market in 2014.