US law firm Ogletree Deakins to create 78 new jobs in Belfast

US law firm Ogletree Deakins is creating 78 jobs by opening a support centre in Belfast.

The US employment and immigration law firm has 53 offices throughout the US, Europe, Canada and Mexico.

It is the company's first investment in Northern Ireland and the team will provide administrative and paralegal support.

The roles are to be created over the next three years, with an average salary of £22,891.

The positions are aimed at graduates and those with one to three years of paralegal experience.

Managing shareholder Matthew Keen said: "Northern Ireland's strong pipeline of quality graduates and strong staff retention rates were keys to our decision to locate here.

"It gives us the confidence that we will have access to outstanding staff members to allow us to continue to expand, scale and be successful long-term."

Economy Minister Gordon Lyons said: "With a pool of 600 new law and legal studies graduates a year, I am sure the firm will find the talent it needs; in fact it has already filled 25 of the positions available."

Invest NI has offered £312,000 of support towards the new jobs which it says will generate annual salaries of £1.78m for the NI economy.

Invest NI CEO Kevin Holland said: "The project will increase the knowledge and talent pool in the local Legal Processes Outsourcing ecosystem and strengthen our reputation as a region with high skills in a growing cluster."