Herbies set to move in with allies

Herbert Smith's Brussels office is set to relocate to shared office space with alliance partners Stibbe and Gleiss Lutz.

The lease was signed last week and the new arrangement is expected to see the three firms move to the new office space by January 2007.

This is the latest move that Herbert Smith has made as it seeks to strengthen its links with its friends at Dutch firm Stibbe and German firm Gleiss Lutz.

Craig Pouncey, managing partner of Herbert Smith in Brussels, commented: "This is an important move for us, reflecting as it does the growing co-operation between the three firms in Brussels.

"Following the modernisation of EU competition law in particular, this represents a great opportunity for us to further share our know-how and expertise for the benefit of our lawyers and clients.

"The move is an exciting development for the three of us, coming as it does when Brussels is gaining increasing importance as the centre for European competition and regulatory issues."Managing partner: Frédéric Lerner
Turnover: e5m (£3.5m)
Total number of partners: Six
Total number of lawyers: 17
Main practice areas: Corporate, finance
Key clients: 3i, Sofinnova, CEC, various investment houses
Number of offices: Two
Locations: Lyon, Paris