City firm Herbert Smith has announced it is to open an office in Belfast next year.

The new branch will focus on reviewing and analysing the large volumes of documents found in major contentious work, notably in litigation, arbitration and regulatory investigations.

It is believed to be the first leading international law firm to establish a UK-based operation to conduct this type of work.

The office, which will open by the end of April 2011, will be led by Libby Jackson, a solicitor currently based at the firm’s London office.

Overall management responsibility will rest with Sonya Leydecker, head of the firm’s global disputes practice, and Jenny Stainsby, a partner in the London office who comes from Northern Ireland.

The firm will initially recruit and train around 20 fee-earners – a mix of solicitors and legal assistants.

Herbert Smith said the new office will have a significantly lower cost base compared to London, and enable it to benefit from the high-quality pool of legal talent in Northern Ireland.

An additional attraction was the financial and practical support provided by Northern Ireland's regional economic development agency, Invest Northern Ireland, it said.

Leydecker said: ‘I am very excited by this innovation. It will enable us to offer clients a very attractive combination of quality, efficiency and value for money.’

‘Clients are increasingly looking to their lawyers for more imaginative approaches to the management of disputes. In particular, complex projects such as disclosure are important but can increasingly be systematised and managed in new ways.’

Senior partner Jonathan Scott said: ‘Our move is strongly aligned with clients' interests and clearly sets us apart from the paths other firms have taken.

‘This gives us a first-mover advantage and we are confident we can take full advantage of it.'