Eversheds Sutherland has ‘completed the transition of its operations in Russia’, the international firm said today, with its lawyers and business services professionals in the country all moving to a newly-created firm.

The firm, which had offices in Moscow and St Petersburg, said in March that it ‘will not continue to operate in Russia given its government’s invasion of Ukraine’ and that its priority was ‘to support our 50 colleagues in Russia and to work together to ensure an orderly transition’.

Eversheds announced that its team in Russia is today launching a new firm called Birch Legal, which will become its ‘preferred relationship firm in Russia, servicing the needs of our international clients’.

Birch Legal will be led by partner Mikhail Timonov who will be supported by fellow partner Yury Pugach following the death last month of Victoria Goldman, who was in charge of Eversheds’ Russian offices.

‘We wish the circumstances leading to the creation of Birch Legal were different, nonetheless we wish our friends and former colleagues in Russia well for their new endeavour,’ Eversheds said in a statement.

Eversheds was one of several international firms to leave Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, with Baker McKenzie similarly announcing last month that its operations in Moscow and St Petersburg will ‘become an independent law firm’.

Dentons also said it would ‘separate from its offices in Moscow and St Petersburg’, which will operate as an independent firm, while DLA Piper said it will transfer its Russian business to its team in the country.

 

This article is now closed for comment.