Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan’s Brussels office has experienced a significant reduction in its legal staff, with lawyer numbers decreasing by 53% since 2019. This decline is attributed to several key departures and strategic shifts within the firm.
In early 2025, the office’s managing partner, Trevor Soames, departed to join the antitrust boutique Geradin Partners. Soames, a seasoned competition law specialist, had been with Quinn Emanuel for eight years and previously led the Brussels office. His move reunited him with Damien Geradin, the founder of Geradin Partners, with whom he had collaborated at the now-defunct firm Howrey. Soames’s departure was closely followed by that of Stephen Mavroghenis, another competition partner, who left to establish a Brussels office for Goodwin Procter. Mavroghenis had a longstanding professional relationship with Soames, having worked together at multiple firms over the years. ([globallegalpost.com](https://www.globallegalpost.com/news/quinn-emanuels-brussels-managing-partner-departs-for-geradin-partners-1109621233?utm_source=openai))
These exits have raised questions about the firm’s strategic direction in Brussels. Some observers suggest that the departures reflect a broader trend of partners seeking opportunities at specialized boutiques or other international firms. Others point to internal dynamics and the competitive nature of the Brussels legal market as contributing factors.
In response to these changes, Quinn Emanuel appointed Miguel Rato, a competition law expert with experience at both Shearman & Sterling and Howrey, as the new managing partner of the Brussels office. Rato’s appointment indicates the firm’s commitment to maintaining a presence in the European competition law arena. ([globallegalpost.com](https://www.globallegalpost.com/news/quinn-emanuels-brussels-managing-partner-departs-for-geradin-partners-1109621233?utm_source=openai))
Quinn Emanuel’s Brussels office, established in 2014, was intended to bolster the firm’s European competition practice. The recent departures and subsequent staff reductions suggest a period of transition as the firm reassesses its position and strategy within the competitive Brussels legal landscape. ([quinnemanuel.com](https://www.quinnemanuel.com/the-firm/news-events/announcement-march-2014-quinn-emanuel-opens-office-in-brussels/?utm_source=openai))