Reed Smith has opened up an office in Brussels with the arrival of five partners, one counsel and two associates from five international law firms. All five partners are joining the firm’s global corporate group.

The office, initially based on Rue Belliard, will move to a permanent location later in first quarter of the year. Reed Smith has been in continental Europe for 15 years, having opened its first office in Paris in 2005 and its latest (before Brussels) in Frankfurt in 2015. The firm now has five offices across the region and 30 throughout the world.

The firm says the new capabilities in Brussels, combined with the firm’s US and Chinese antitrust, regulatory and trade practices, will also bolster Reed Smith’s global reach to serve clients in the context of cross-border M&A deals, corporate compliance programs, risk mitigation, litigation, government investigations, commercial and contract negotiations.

The new partners focus their practices on competition/antitrust, regulatory and trade work across a range of industries that align with the firm’s five core sectors: energy and natural resources, entertainment and media, financial services, life sciences and health care, and transportation.

Joining from Norton Rose Fulbright are Christian Filippitsch, as a partner, and Max Seuster, as counsel. Geert Goeteyn joins from Shearman & Sterling. Yves Melin joins from Steptoe & Johnson, along with two associates. Isabelle Rahman joins from Sheppard Mullin, and Wim Vandenberghe is arriving from Deloitte Legal.

Rahman said: “Collectively, my new partners and I have many years of experience working in Brussels advising multinational companies on their EU competition and regulatory matters.”

Tamara Box, Reed Smith’s EME managing partner, added: “Their collective reputations and experience in advising clients on EU issues speak for themselves, and their sector experience aligns perfectly  with our key industries focus.”

Sandy Thomas, Reed Smith’s global managing partner, said: “Establishing an office in Brussels expands the global reach of our esteemed regulatory and competition practices and further strengthens our capacity to advise clients on highly regulated transactions across the world.”

Reed Smith’s European headcount (including the UK) now comprises 175 partners, over 400 other lawyers and 375 business support staff. Delphine Currie, co-chair of Reed Smith’s Global Corporate Group, is leading the integration effort in Brussels.