London — A&O Shearman has appointed Tom Schoors as the firm’s first EU chair, effective May 1, 2026. Tom, who has been managing partner in Belgium since May 2021, will continue in that role alongside his new responsibilities.
The role reflects the scale and ambition of the firm’s European practice. A key focus will be ensuring clients—particularly those based in the U.S., the U.K., the Middle East, and Asia Pacific—benefit fully from the firm’s expertise across its 16 European offices.
Tom will work closely with teams across Europe to deepen client relationships and further strengthen the firm’s position at the center of the cross-border flows between Europe and the rest of the world. The role builds on the work of Patrick Mischo and Ignacio Ruiz-Cámara, who have served as regional coordinators and reinforced collaboration across the region.
“Our clients operating in Europe are navigating an increasingly interconnected EU landscape,” said Hervé Ekué, global managing partner of A&O Shearman. “We have one of the strongest European practices of any global law firm and Tom’s leadership will ensure that strength benefits our clients globally.”
“We have a market-leading integrated offering and exceptional teams across Europe,” said Tom Schoors. “My focus will be on ensuring our European clients have seamless access to the full breadth of our global expertise, and that clients outside Europe can fully benefit from what we offer here. That means joining up efforts across the region and supporting our teams in delivering coordinated, cross-border solutions.”
A&O Shearman is the transformational law firm created to achieve unparalleled outcomes for our clients’ most complex, multijurisdictional matters across an ever-changing world and regulatory landscape. A firm of nearly 4,000 lawyers, including circa 750 partners, working across almost 50 offices in 28 countries, A&O Shearman has the experience, diversity of skills and backgrounds, and global understanding to stay at the forefront of the changes across every sector, market, and jurisdiction around the world.
A&O Shearman is an international legal practice comprising Allen Overy Shearman Sterling LLP and its affiliated undertakings.
For more information, please contact Alice Godfrind at alice.godfrind@aoshearman.com
A&O Shearman Appoints First EU Chair