The managing partner of Mason Hayes & Curran Declan Moylan broke the mould in Dublin when he revealed his firm’s turnover. What may no longer be groundbreaking stuff in the UK is revolutionary in the Irish legal market, although in truth Moylan’s decision to go public will have made him few friends in a market known for its tight-lipped approach to money.

Clients, however, may see it differently. Most international businesses are used to the post-Enron rigours of corporate governance and transparency, and it was in this spirit that Moylan became the first managing partner in Dublin to go on record as to his firm’s level of earnings.

His article in0 The Irish Times not only sparked an entertaining and very public exchange on the issue in the paper, it also highlighted the growth that Moylan’s firm is continuing to enjoy under his tenure. Incidentally, it was also the catalyst for The Lawyer’s investigation into the revenues of all the leading Irish firms (3 October 2005).