Bird & Bird bolsters Hague presence with fourth hire

Bird & Bird has boosted its office in The Hague with a raid on Houthoff Buruma for energy head Michelle de Rijke.

De Rijke is the fourth senior hire for Bird & Bird's office in The Hague this year. She specialises in the regulatory aspects of the production and sale of energy resources.

De Rijke said: "The Hague houses all relevant regulators, national courts, the parliament and ministries and is therefore an ideal place to further grow the energy practice together with the existing group."

Bird & Bird has targeted The Hague as a growth region.

In March the firm hired Feyo Sickinghe from IT outsourcing company Logica CMG and the month before that the office grew with the hire of corporate partner Harm van Berkum from Simmons & Simmons' Rotterdam office.

Bird & Bird also brought in IP litigator Marc van Wijngaarden and two associates from Dutch patent specialist Arnold & Siedsma in January.