Hunton & Williams has recruited former Hogan Lovells counsel Wim Nauwelaerts in a boost for the US firm's Brussels office.

Nauwelaerts, who specialises in data privacy issues for healthcare and life sciences clients, will join Hunton's global privacy and information management practice in Brussels as a counsel on 1 August.

He has 15 years' experience in international privacy, data protection, and information security law.

Hunton Brussels managing partner Michael Rosenthal said: "Wim is the perfect fit for our office's strategic growth plans.

"Given his experience in competition and with the healthcare sector, he will be a valuable asset not only to our successful privacy group but also as a privacy advisor to our competition practice – where privacy issues play an increasingly important role – as well as to our regulatory practice in Brussels."

Hunton's Brussels office was set up in 1989 and specialises in cross-border transactions and regulation.

The US outfit recently acted on the largest rights issue on the Alternative Investment Market since 2007, advising longstanding client Faroe Petroleum on its planned £70m rights issue, the proceeds of which will go towards the drilling of up to eight new wells over the next eight years.