A flurry of City firms are opening offices in Europe and bolstering existing teams on the continent, following the UK’s departure from the European Union.

Pinsent Masons, Addleshaw Goddard and Simpson Thacher all announced plans this week to expand in mainland Europe. Pinsent Masons is to open an office in Amsterdam – its first outpost in the Netherlands – which will focus on cyber, data, technology and life sciences.

Meanwhile, Addleshaw Goddard has opened its first office in France, doubling the size of its operations in continental Europe. Some 18 lawyers from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner will join four real estate lawyers from K&L Gates to offer a full corporate, commercial, real estate and disputes practice. The firm opened its first office in mainland Europe in Hamburg in June 2019.

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, a firm headquartered in the US, plans to open an office in Brussels this summer to focus on European regulatory and legal issues. The firm said its new Brussels office will complement its presence in London. 

Other City firms are expanding their existing European teams, with Simmons & Simmons hiring a new real estate partner for its Frankfurt office. Clyde & Co is also focused on the German market, recruiting Georg Scherpf as a counsel and head of international arbitration in Hamburg.