Squire Sanders & Dempsey’s Milan practice has split off to become an affiliated office as the US firm pledges to expand in Europe following the loss of its Madrid branch to DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary.

The seven-lawyer arm, which Squire Sanders inherited in 2000 after taking over six offices of Graham & James, has become the affiliated branch Bernascone & Soci, mirroring a move in 2003 when the firm’s Kiev office became the affiliated practice The Silecky Firm.