Shoosmiths opens Brussels office

UK legal firm Shoosmiths has opened an office in Brussels to meet client demand for European Union competition, regulatory and trade law advice. 

Kiran Desai, dual qualified in Belgium and in England & Wales, will lead the office. He was previously the EU competition law leader at EY Law and prior to that the managing partner of the Brussels office of Mayer Brown. He will work alongside Shoosmiths’ head of competition law, Simon Barnes.

The Brussels office is Shoosmiths’ first outside the UK and meets two strategic objectives for the firm: an enhanced ability to service clients’ combined UK and EU competition, regulatory and trade law needs; and access to relevant and quality talent, particularly in the fields of international trade, competition, EU regulation, and privacy and data.

Simon Boss, Shoosmiths’ CEO, commented: “The opening of a Brussels office meets our commitment to being able to advise clients, both national and international, on all aspects of law relevant to the UK. The EU is the UK’s largest trading partner and the influence of EU law on international jurisprudence and legal policy is significant.”