The merger announced in November between the Moscow offices of the three CMS firms that have operated in Russia, will create one of the most experienced and largest international law firms in Russia with over 130 lawyers, including 22 partners.
The firms, CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre, CMS Cameron McKenna and CMS Hasche Sigle will merge their Moscow operations together and operate under the name CMS, as of 1 January 2009. The CMS structure and operations in other cities and jurisdictions will remain unchanged.
John Hammond, Managing Partner of CMS Hasche Sigle in Moscow, has been appointed Chairman of CMS in Russia. He commented on this announcement, "Our combined strength and experience, gained over 15 years of CMS firms operating in Russia, means that we will be able to offer clients one of the largest international legal practices in Moscow alongside our detailed knowledge of the local market. This merger brings together lawyers qualified in Russian, French, German and English law. The Russian legal market is highly competitive and continues to grow strongly. Our expert industry sector teams offer clients a fully-integrated service in Russia."
David Cranfield, Managing Partner of CMS Cameron McKenna in Moscow, and Jean-François Marquaire, Managing Partner of CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre in Moscow, will become joint Managing Directors of CMS in Russia.
The practice group leaders for CMS in Russia, will be Grant Williams (Banking and Finance), Leonid Zubarev (Commercial and Litigation), Irene Engel (Corporate), Steven Shone (Real Estate) and Stanislav Tourbanov (Tax).
John Hammond said, "This was a logical next step for us to take in Moscow. All three firms had been co-located already and collaborating on a wide number of major projects and client matters. Through this merger we can streamline things further. We will be able to offer a wider range of services and expertise to clients and put in place more efficient internal structures and processes. Meeting client requirements and providing them with an appropriate, tailored service is our priority and our goal is to continue to grow the office."
Cornelius Brandi, Chairman of CMS, said, "CMS is committed to developing market-leading practices in each of the jurisdictions where we operate. CMS is firmly establishing itself as a top legal and tax services provider in Europe. We are already one of the five largest providers by jurisdictions covered, number of lawyers and turnover. Greater alignment and integration within CMS is a very important process for us, and has delivered real benefits for clients. Our long experience in the Russian market makes it an ideal jurisdiction to innovate with our presence there to bring further benefits to our clients."
CMS in Moscow will move into new offices on Gogolevsky Boulevard from 1 January 2009. Lawyers from CMS Cameron McKenna have started to move into the new office, followed by lawyers from the other two firms in January.
More information is to find on www.cmslegal.ru
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