All systems go in Europe

Over in Central and Eastern Europe, Austrian giant Wolf Theiss has, in the words of managing partner Erik Steger, filled in a “white spot” on its map by taking Beiten Burkhardt’s entire Warsaw team to launch in Poland (see story).

The move is a brave one by Wolf Theiss, as it has previously opened all its international offices by hiring one or two partners instead of taking over another firm wholesale. It is also giving it a foothold in one of Europe’s key economies - Poland is experiencing continual strong activity. Look out for more on Austria’s relationship with the surrounding region in Monday’s special reports.

Elsewhere, US firm Jones Day is launching in the Netherlands (see story), one of the Continent’s most mature legal markets. The office is currently staffed by partners relocating from Brussels, but hires are understood to be on their way.

Jones Day has ensured it has Dutch expertise on board with the appointment of Boekel de Nerée’s London managing partner Ferdinand Mason, who is staying in London but will continue to practise Dutch law.

London, of course, remains a focal point for European firms, as demonstrated by Germany’s Luther, which threw a glitzy bash last week at the Institute of Directors to celebrate its launch in the City.

We’ll be celebrating European excellence at the European Awards and Conference in just three weeks’ time. For a sneak peak of what the judges thought about this year’s entrants, have a look at our video.

Don’t miss out on your place at the event.

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