Bird & Bird has taken McDermott Will & Emery's Brussels head Jose Rivas, less than two years after the competition partner joined the US firm from Hammonds.

The Spanish-qualified partner has joined Bird & Bird along with Danish-qualified EU law and competition partner Morten Nissen, with Rivas set to head Bird & Bird's Brussels competition group.

Rivas was also co-head of McDermott's European competition group, along with London-based Scott McGregian.

The McDermott duo joined Bird & Bird in Brussels at the beginning of the month (1 August), along with one associate, bringing the total partner count in the office's competition group to three.

Rivas commented: "We feel particularly attracted by the European platform that Bird & Bird has. The firm's interface between IP and competition will allow us to expand our existing client base."

It iss understood that McDermott has yet to name a new head for the Brussels office.

Rivas resigned from Hammonds in September 2006, along with Brussels chief Konstantinos Adamantopoulos and European law partner Edward Borovikov, with the trio unhappy about the introduction of new partnership measures which came into effect in August 2006.

The change meant Hammonds' partners were only permitted to hand in their notice on 31 March or 30 September in any calendar year.

Adamantopoulos later changed his mind and stayed with Hammonds, while Rivas joined McDermott and and Borovikov joined Mayer Brown.

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