LG seals Russia launch with triple partner hire

London finance partner Richard Elphick is responsible for LG's Russian practice but will remain in London, with the firm hiring three local lawyers as partners to staff the new office.

Ilya Dukhovich, who previously headed up local Russian firm Aurora, will act as local managing partner. He has been joined by partners Alexander Bondarenko - also from Aurora - and Vladimir Stolyarenko, a Russian lawyer and banker who is also a non-executive chairman at Euro Finance Mosnar Bank.

In addition Mikhail Mavropoulos Stoliarenko, who joined LG a year ago as a consultant in London, will split his time between London and Moscow, where he is a partner in the local limited liability partnership.

The office will cover areas including energy and natural resources, banking and financial services, real estate, telecoms, wealth management and protection, and public sector and government relations.

Elphick said: "We have an opportunity to expand this Russian practice, despite the global downturn. We are very pleased to be working with our excellent Russian team and a number of exciting new opportunities to work with substantial Russian organisations have already been created."

LG managing partner Hugh Maule said: "Our geographical focus areas include India, Dubai and the Gulf, Russia and the Far East, which are important to all of our practice groups. Having opened in Dubai last year, this new step in Russia now takes us further along the road on our strategic aims."

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