Salans launches in Brussels with team from Mayer Brown

Competition partner Edward Borovikov will lead the team, which will focus on antitrust, regulatory and government affairs advice with a strong focus on the EU, Russia and China.

Along with Borkovikov, the firm has also recruited Rudi Leleu as director of international trade and two of counsels: Bogdan Evtimov and Charles De Jager. Three associates will also move to the new office.

The same team of seven joined Mayer Brown en masse from Hammonds in December 2006.

Salans global managing partner Dariusz Oleszczuk said he hoped to add “one or two more partners” to the office this year, with the firm ultimately aiming for a partner headcount of four or five.

Oleszczuk added: “We’ve been looking into opening there for several years and been looking at several teams in that time.

“The team we’ve found is particularly attractive because of the perfect synergy it brings with our operations in China, Russia and CIS. For clients in new member states, they consider it very important to be on the ground in Brussels.”

The office - the 22nd for the Anglo-French firm in its 17 jurisdictions - will open on 1 March.

Borovikov’s departure leaves Mayer Brown with six partners in its Brussels office, which is headed by competition partner Kiran Desai.