Squire Patton Boggs appoints new partners to lead Brussels office and Competition - Antitrust Practice

Squire Patton Boggs has announced leadership changes in its Brussels office and to its global Competition - Antitrust Practice.  As of May 1, 2022, Corporate partner Bart Vanderstraete becomes managing partner of the firm’s Brussels Office and Competition - Antitrust partner Diarmuid Ryan (London and Brussels) becomes group leader of that Practice. Both partners succeed partner Brian Hartnett who previously combined the two roles. 
 
Squire Patton Boggs CEO Mark. J. Ruehlmann said, “I would like to thank Brian for leading the Brussels office with such commitment and enterprise for many years and also for his long-standing and dedicated leadership of the Competition - Antitrust Practice. Needless to say Brian will continue to play an important role in both the practice and office. I would also like to thank Bart and Diarmuid for taking on their respective new leadership roles - they have the experience, knowledge and dynamism to build on past success and propel our business forward in these key areas.”
 
Mr. Vanderstraete leads the Corporate team in Belgium. His practice covers a broad range of Belgian and international corporate work, including M&A, private equity and general commercial matters, with particular expertise in the global chemicals and materials sector.  Mr. Vanderstraete also has extensive experience in the area of Belgian data protection law.
 
Mr. Ryan specializes in all aspects of UK, EU, and global competition, merger control and state aid law, specializing in handling proceedings before competition authorities such as the European Commission and UK Competition and Markets Authority, as well as handling competition law-focused litigation before the UK courts. He also serves as a member of the firm’s Advancing Women Taskforce.