Transition of Russian operations’ completed by Eversheds

Eversheds Sutherland has ‘completed the transition of its operations in Russia’, the international firm announce this week, as its business services professionals and lawyers in the country are moving to newly generated firms.

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

Eversheds declared this week that its team in Russia introduced 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 managed by partner Mikhail Timonov who will be backed by his associated Yury Pugach, preceding the death of Victoria Goldman last month, who was in control 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 announced in a statement.

Eversheds was among  a number of international firms to exit Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, with Baker McKenzie also announcing last month that its operations in Moscow and St Petersburg will ‘become an independent law firm’.

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