White & Case has expanded its eastern European network after launching a new office in Bucharest.
The U.S. giant opened the new branch Thursday. It will initially focus on areas including real estate and corporate and will be led by former Linklaters corporate partner Todd Shollenbarger, who joined White & Case at the end of last year after a spell with a private equity house.
The outpost opened with around 10 lawyers, including two partners, but White & Case plans to increase that number to around 15 by the end of the year.
Commenting on the launch, Shollenbarger said: "I'll move the team to establish a strong corporate practice. We want to be a top Romanian firm once we establish a presence."
White & Case Czech executive partner Jan Matejcek, who helped coordinate the launch, added: "Moving into Bucharest is a natural extension of the large amount of work we've been doing for Romanian clients in recent years. The market has enormous potential and is also a gateway to southern Europe."
White & Case was among the first international firms to establish a major presence in central and eastern Europe, having launched offices in Warsaw and Budapest in 1990.
Budapest chief Rob Irving, Bratislava head Michal Dlouhý and Witold Danilowicz in Warsaw also played roles in orchestrating the launch.
