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Irish Roots, Global Opportunities: How to successfully scale your business overseas
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We hear from three of Ireland’s most successful entrepreneurs on how the support of Eversheds Sutherland allowed them to break borders and scale their business overseas…
Ireland may be a small nation, but we continue to punch way above our weight and outperform on an international level. Much more than merely a gateway to Europe, Ireland is producing some of the world’s most exciting entrepreneurs. But to successfully scale abroad the right support is crucial.
That’s why we attended Eversheds Sutherland’s standout event: Irish Roots, Global Opportunities – a theme that perfectly captures the spirit and ambition of the renowned law firm. Although based here in Ireland (with offices in both Dublin and Belfast) Eversheds Sutherland is a truly global, full-service law firm with 70 offices in more than 30 countries all over the world.
“We all know that Ireland stands as the European gateway of choice for many international companies seeking to establish a presence in Europe,” begins Marie O’Riordan, Partner, Real Estate, Eversheds Sutherland. “Despite our small size, Ireland continues to make a significant impact on the global business stage. This is a really exciting time for Irish companies, as we see so many growing their brand and expanding beyond our borders to bring their offering to new markets.
“We at are very privileged to continue to support many brilliant Irish-founded companies, such as the Thérapie Clinic group and 4thArq, as they expand into new territories, and not just in Europe, but further afield, in the larger markets of North America and Asia.”
Katie McGlade, President International, Thérapie Clinic and Philip McGlade, CEO, Thérapie Clinic
Originally founded by Philip and Katie’s father Paul McGlade in 2000, the Thérapie Clinic Group is currently the sixth-largest aesthetics clinic group in the world, and the largest single customer for Botox, globally. The group, which includes Thérapie Beauty, Thérapie Fertility and Optilase, boasts 120 outlets across Ireland, the UK and the USA, with their second US clinic just opened in November 2024 in Manhattan. They employ over 1,500 people with 300 doctors in the organisation.
“Currently we have 28 sites in London, and 50 across the UK,” opens Philip McGlade. “Thérapie is the biggest aesthetic chain in the UK, as an Irish store we are particularly proud of that. Our plan, over the next three years, is to have 65 clinics in the UK.
“Ever since I got involved in Thérapie, I wanted to internationalise the business. Ireland’s a great country, but with a population of only five million people, there’s only so far you can go. 65 million people live in the UK, and it’s only an hour’s flight away, so it was an obvious plan for us to take the Thérapie brand to the UK. And now we’re expanding in The States, with 300 million people, we are very excited.”
“America is like 30 countries in one country,” adds Katie McGalde. “We knew we wanted to penetrate the New York/ Manhattan market first, which we’re doing – with our second Manhattan store just open. Then we plan to move around the east coast with Boston next. We’ll focus on the East Coast initially, and then work our way inwards.”
“Mary Kiely from Eversheds Sutherland handles everything for Thérapie,” continues Philip. “Mary was instrumental in the negotiations when we raised 30 million (of bank debt) two years ago, she managed all the legals for us. We have over 100 commercial leases, which we simply couldn’t take on without the professional support and advice from Mary and Eversheds Sutherland. It’s such a relief to us; when we know these aspects of the business are in the right hands, we can focus on what we do best.”
“We also would not be where we are today without our people,” adds Katie McGlade. “There are two types of people in our business – our customers, and the people who work with us who live and breathe the values and the culture that we believe in. The Thérapie Clinic group simply would not exist without them; we are so grateful and proud of our team.”
Global support service
“Our global footprint as a top 10 global law firm means we can support our clients seamlessly on their cross-border legal and tax requirements,” states Mary Kiely, Partner, Corporate, Eversheds Sutherland Ireland. “We provide local expertise and global coordination. Our clients have one point of contact on all legal matters globally which ensures consistent, tailored and quality advice wherever they operate.
“We are ‘a one-stop shop’ for our clients as they seek to expand their businesses from Ireland. We work with our clients to navigate the complexities of different regulatory, political and operational landscapes, ensuring compliance with local laws and international standards.”
With a growing global footprint encompassing over 70 offices in more than 30 countries, Eversheds Sutherland is the standout law firm of choice for companies with an international focus.
Rosie Connolly, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, 4thARQ
What started life as a lockdown side project for Rosie Connolly Quinn and her husband Paul Quinn has evolved, today, into one of Ireland’s most successful leisurewear businesses – with an ever-expanding UK market. In their very first year, during lockdown, they recorded a profit of €425,000 and have gone on to grow exponentially. Recording turnover figures of €14m in 2022 and a forecast of €24m for 2023. That’s what you call scaling a business.
“Currently, about 72% of our business is in the Irish market,” explains Rosie. “While the rest is overseas, mainly the UK. My audience on social media would have always been about 25% UK, so I think the success of the 4thArq brand naturally follows that audience. It takes a lot to successfully launch in the UK. You’re starting out fresh and people don’t know you or the brand; you really need to prove yourself. It’s a big investment both financially and from a commitment perspective.
“We have been able to target our product to appeal to the UK audience. I think they are a lot more confident in the UK, more daring and fashion-forward, so we see our bolder colour pieces and tighter, more daring fits really popular with our UK customers.
“Having the support of Eversheds Sutherland has been fundamental to our growth overseas. We started with such a small business, and it scaled so fast, we made a lot of mistakes along the way. As you do. I signed contracts for things in the influencer space that I didn’t read, and I learnt quickly how damaging that can be.
“My goal with the business now is to always partner with people who know what they’re doing. If you are not an expert in the field, you need to engage with somebody who is. When it comes to GDPR, and corporate law, having Eversheds Sutherland’s expert guidance has been crucial. It just removes the headache. They do what they do best and then I don’t need to worry about it. Capturing things before they become a problem is key, and that’s what they do for us.”
Growth strategies
“We support clients by offering practical and commercially-driven solutions to support their future growth,” explains Maria O’Brien, Partner, Corporate, Eversheds Sutherland. “For clients who are seeking to grow outside of Ireland, we leverage our global network in order to give clients the information they need to fully assess any legal, regulatory, financial or other risks and considerations associated with the entry into new markets. With a growing global footprint encompassing over 70 offices in more than 30 countries, we are the standout law firm of choice for companies with an international focus and financial institutions looking to do business in and from Ireland, across Europe and beyond.”
Tailor-made solutions
“We support businesses across all sectors and at every stage of development, from start-ups to listed companies,” continues Maria O’Brien. “I would advise every business to partner with advisors it can trust; who understand their business and can provide tailor-made solutions that support their commercial objectives.
“For businesses seeking to expand internationally, it is important they work with legal partners that are aligned to the target markets they are looking to serve, ensuring they have the appropriate expertise and resources available locally – something we at Eversheds Sutherland can offer as a point of differentiation.”
Photography and video by MDA Productions
If you have an interest in finding out more about a firm whose people live its values, are purposeful, purpose-led, and support their communities discover more at Eversheds Sutherland’s website.
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