Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom has pulled off a major coup by hiring leading Brussels-based competition partner James Venit from rival US firm Wilmer Cutler & Pickering.

Venit is widely considered to be one of the top practitioners in Brussels and is acting for AOL on its £250bn merger with Time Warner. He also acted for AT&T on its global joint venture with BT, called Concert.