SJ Berwin has launched an office in Luxembourg with the addition of two new partners, including former Allen & Overy (A&O) lawyer Alexandrine Armstrong-Cerfontaine.

The base, which opened today (2 January) will focus on corporate, finance, private equity, funds and tax, and will be led by Armstrong-Cerfontaine, who set up her own Luxembourg firm Armstrong Cerfontaine Avocats in 2009 after leaving A&O.

She focuses on advising private equity sponsors on investments, corporate finance, syndicated financings and fund formation, and is joined at the new base by an associate and a trainee from her former firm.

Also joining the new office is tax specialist Geoffrey Scardoni, formerly of Benelux firm Loyens & Loeff's local arm. Scardoni, who joins SJ Berwin as a partner, was a senior associate at Loyens, specialising in international tax law.

The new Luxembourg team also includes senior associate Martin Brockhausen, who is relocating from SJ Berwin's Munich office, and consultant Jean-Noel Lequeue. The firm is planning to add more lawyers to the office in coming months.

SJ Berwin senior partner Stephen Kon said: "Opening an office in Luxembourg is consistent with our international expansion to date. Luxembourg is already an important jurisdiction for many of our clients, with most pan-European funds and continental European domestic funds having some part of their structure there. This growing importance of Luxembourg meant it was an obvious choice."

SJ Berwin's international network of offices also includes Berlin, Brussels, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Paris and Shanghai.

Other firms to have launched in Luxembourg in recent years include the UK's Speechly Bircham, offshore outfit Ogier and Benelux firm Stibbe, while Ashurst last year added a Luxembourg desk to its City corporate practice.