Field Fisher Waterhouse has boosted its Brussels arm with the hire of a pensions team from Loyens & Loeff.

The firm has hired a four-lawyer team from the Benelux leader to join the office, which opened in April this year. The team, which will provide the firm with its first pensions capability in the region, is led by Corinne Merla, who has joined as a partner.

Merla was an associate at Loyens and her team will work with Field Fisher's London pensions group, which has clients including Arriva and the Government Actuary's Department.

Field Fisher London pensions partner David Gallagher said: "There is growing evidence that the pensions market in Belgium is expanding as the Belgian authorities seek to make their country the home of pan-European schemes."