Clifford Chance has announced the imminent closure of its Russian office and the launch of a new practice made up mostly of the magic circle firm’s Moscow team, although a ‘small number’ are likely to be made redundant.

The firm, which had a presence in the country since 1991, joined the exodus of legal practices from Russia last month, saying it had decided to ‘progress our steps for an orderly wind down of our operations in Moscow’ following the invasion of Ukraine.

Clifford Chance today said it has ‘finalised plans for most of the existing Moscow team to start working for a new independent law firm’ which has been established by Vika Bortkevicha, currently managing partner of its Moscow office. The new firm will be called Bortkevicha & Partners. Clifford Chance says it expects it to be operational from 1 May.

‘Subject to receiving client agreements, we expect to be transferring Russian work to this newly created independent law firm during May, after which period the operations of our existing Moscow office will cease with effect from 31 May,’ a Clifford Chance spokesperson said.

They added: ‘We have also been exploring a number of opportunities to relocate team members from the Moscow team to Clifford Chance offices across Europe. We expect to be able to relocate a small number of the existing Moscow office team via these arrangements in the coming weeks.

‘These future arrangements mean that we do not expect that all members of the existing Moscow team will leave Clifford Chance and move to the new firm or have the opportunity to relocate.

‘Unfortunately, we therefore anticipate that a small number of the existing Moscow team will be made redundant as a result of these changes. We are working closely with those who are impacted to ensure that we can offer them all the support they need.’

Clifford Chance’s announcement follows a similar move by international firm Eversheds Sutherland, which this week said its former lawyers in the country will move to Birch Legal, a newly-created firm that will become its ‘preferred relationship firm in Russia’.

Eversheds later insisted it has ‘ceased operating in Russia’ and said the new firm is not part of Eversheds ‘and nor do we have any financial interest in Birch Legal’. ‘Should clients choose to instruct any of our relationship firms, including Birch Legal, we do not benefit financially,’ Eversheds said.

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