Field Fisher Waterhouse has expanded its Brussels arm with the hire of an employment team from local practice Laga.

Partner Stefan Nerinckx joined Field Fisher on 1 February to co-head the UK law firm's Belgian employment and benefits practice alongside current head Olivier Rijckaert. He has brought with him senior associate Liesbet Vandenplas and paralegal Nathalie Blauwblomme from Laga.

Nerinckx specialises in advising both national and international clients on employment, social security and business migration matters. He is the second partner in Field Fisher's Brussels employment practice, with the hires taking the total number of fee earners in the 13-partner office to 34.

Field Fisher Brussels managing partner, Eric Cusas, said: "We are mirroring our Brussels set-up on our London practice in terms of the base core areas of corporate, intellectual property, regulatory and IT, but we are also looking to build the practices surrounding that to ensure†the strongest possible presence on the Belgian market in all areas.

"We've been looking to grow our employment practice for some time now and Stefan and his team take us to the size that we have been aiming for. We will now be looking to grow our corporate practice in the office in the coming months."