All the latest partner hires and other appointments within Continental European firms and offices.

Belgium

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton has launched an EU competition and regulatory practice in Brussels. The firm has hired competition lawyer Jacques Derenne from Hogan Lovells, where he headed the Brussels competition practice. He will be joined by Robert Klotz, who is moving from Mayer Brown where he was a partner; counsel Chris Guirado, formerly in-house counsel at Fusion Energy in Spain; and counsel Yaniss Aiche, previously head of business development in Europe at Hogan Lovells.

Belgian firm Janson Baugniet has hired white collar crime specialist François Koning as a partner. Koning was previously a lawyer at Eubelius.

France

A team of former Baker & McKenzie lawyers have joined forces to create tax boutique Arkwood in Paris. The firm is dedicated to advising private clients on tax issues. The team includes Stéphanie Auféril, previously chair of Bakers’ wealth management European steering committee; Bakers partner Marine Dupas; and lawyers Michaël Khayat and Julien Riahi.

Squire Patton Boggs has appointed Karim Maalioun as a partner in its global corporate practice. Maalioun was previously general counsel EMEA at power developer and operator ContourGlobal. He will be based in the Paris office, but spend significant time in London.

AyacheSalama has appointed Caroline André-Hesse as a partner to set up its employment law department. André-Hesse joins the firm from Altana. She brings counsel Justine Coret and associate Jeanne Cordoliani with her to AyacheSalama.

Heenan Paris has hired Christophe Dugué as a partner in its international arbitration team in Paris. Dugué was most recently the founding partner of boutique Dugué & Kirtley and previously worked at Mayer Brown.

Germany

US employment giant Littler Mendelson has acquired German employment boutique Vangard as its first foothold in Europe. The deal sees Littler Global, Littler Mendelson’s international arm, take on Vangard’s four German-based offices in Hamburg, Berlin, Düsseldorf and Munich. Vangard’s 21 lawyers have experience advising start-ups and international corporates on employment law matters.

Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe has announced that Thomas Schmid will join the firm as partner and head of its German M&A and private equity group in Munich. Schmid will join Orrick from Weil Gotshal & Manges.

A trio of lawyers who worked together at Hengeler Mueller have teamed up to launch a corporate boutique in Munich. Ego Humrich Wyen has been launched by Alexander Ego, Henrik Humrich and Jan-Henning Wyen. Humrich and Wyen were most recently senior associates at Hengeler, while Ego left the firm last year to join P+P Pöllath as counsel.

Italy

Dentons has opened its first office in Italy with the hire of 21 lawyers. The Milan office will open with seven partners including former DLA Piper managing partner for Europe and Africa Federico Sutti. Of the seven partners three have left directly from DLA Piper, two have been made up and two have joined from boutique employment firm The Employment Law Plant (hELP). Out of the 21 lawyers moving to the new Milan office eight have moved directly from DLA while the remainder have arrived from hELP.

DLA Piper has added a team of nine to its Italian restructuring and litigation teams. The team is led by restructuring partner Francesco de Gennaro. Ashurst counsel Luca Magrini and Alessandro Lanzi are both joining DLA as partners and the group includes two senior associates, three associates and a trainee.

McDermott Will & Emery has hired Marco Cerritelli as a partner in its Rome energy advisory practice group. He was previously head of the project and asset finance practice at Italian firm CBA.

Gianni Origoni Grippo Cappelli & Partners has hired Giuseppe Loffreda as a partner in Rome. Loffreda joins the firm from Legance, where he was head of the shipping, aviation and transport practice.

Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe has hired Annalisa Dentoni-Litta as a finance partner in Rome. Dentoni-Litti joins the firm from Allen & Overy, where she was a senior counsel, alongside senior associate Nicolò Del Dottore.