Osborne Clarke to Open Brussels Base for European Expansion

Osborne Clarke looks set to open its own office in Brussels as the national law firm pushes ahead with European expansion plans despite entering early-stage merger talks with Field Fisher Waterhouse.

The top 50 U.K. firm is planning to set up its own base in the Belgian capital in early 2013 after loosening ties with former local alliance partner De Wolf & Partners earlier this year when it revealed plans to merge with several members of its former alliance.

Its Spanish and Italian partners -- Osborne Clarke Spain and SLA Studio Legale Associato -- have joined Osborne Clarke, while it has cut off ties with other alliance members: Dutch firm Ploum Lodder Princen and French outfit Stehlin & Associes.

Osborne Clarke had already announced plans to launch its own office in Paris, but had not previously suggested it would also open in Belgium.

In addition to its European expansion plans, the Bristol-headquartered firm is also continuing its hiring spree in the U.K. by planning to make around 10 partner hires during the current financial year.

Most of these are expected to be in Osborne Clarke's London office, with litigation, corporate and commercial all earmarked for growth. This follows on from the 10 partners hired last year.

Osborne Clarke chief executive Simon Beswick commented: "In addition to our U.K. hires, we will look to make a number of appointments in our German and Italian offices while our two new offices in Spain (Madrid and Barcelona) will be going through an integration program involving 20 lawyers."

Legal Week revealed earlier this month that Osborne Clarke and Field Fisher had begun preliminary merger talks.

Field Fisher and Osborne Clarke in Talks Over Potential �200 Million Merger

Field Fisher Waterhouse and Osborne Clarke are in early-stage talks about a potential combination that could create a merged firm with revenues of nearly £200 million, Legal Week can reveal.

News of the discussions comes weeks after Field Fisher's merger talks with LG were called off in June.

If the union goes ahead, the tie-up would create a U.K. top 20 firm with combined revenues of around £195 million, based on the two outfits' 2011-12 results.

The firms also posted similar profits per equity partner figures last year, with Osborne Clarke coming in at £406,000, while Field Fisher partners took home an average of £410,000 following a drop of nearly 20 percent.

Separately, it has emerged that Field Fisher managing partner Matthew Lohn has been signed off sick from the firm since the talks with LG ended, with technology and outsourcing head Michael Chissick filling in on an interim basis.

Lohn was elected as managing partner in October following a contested vote that also saw Chissick put himself forward.

It is understood that Mark Abell, the chairman of the firm's European franchising network and a senior partner within the firm, is also playing a leading role in the Osborne Clarke talks.

In a statement, Field Fisher said: "It is well known that merger is on Field Fisher Waterhouse's agenda as potentially one way of achieving our ambitious growth plans and strategic objectives. This means that like many in the mid-market we have been speaking to a number of firms to explore the benefits that such a merger would bring.

"We will not be commenting on individual talks unless they reach an appropriate stage."

Separately, Field Fisher chief operating officer Charlie Keeling, who was appointed to the role in November, is leaving the firm to join Clyde & Co. You must be signed in to comment on an article