Benelux firm Loyens & Loeff has raided a local rival for a six-person dispute resolution team.

The Brussells team, which is joining from Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick, includes arbitration and litigation partner Hakim Boularbah (pictured), one counsel and four associates. The team will help the firm work more in other European countries, including France, Luxembourg and Switzerland.

Hendrik van Druten, head of Loyens & Loeff's litigation and risk management department, said the team are "leading (young) lawyers in the field", who are known on "the international scene".

The firm has also promoted four associates to partner level. Robrecht Coppens joins the corporate and M&A team in Belgium, while in the Netherlands office, Antoinette van der Hauw  joins the corporate and M&A team, Guido Koop joins the competition and regulation team, and Michiel Schul joins the tax practice.

The number of promotions is slightly less than the past couple of years, with the firm promoting five in 2018 and eight in 2017. The firm now has a total of 107 partners.