Allen & Overy appoints projects partner as new Moscow head

Allen & Overy is changing the leadership of its Moscow office as it continues to build on the recovery of projects work in the region.

Projects partner Peter Timchur is taking over from Calvin Walker, who has headed the Moscow office since September 1998, before becoming managing partner of the region when Chris Roberts returned to London in October last year.

Walker is due to return to London in the spring and will spend the preceding months handing over to Timchur.

A spokesperson at A&O says: "One of the growth areas there is projects in oil and gas, which is expanding into all sorts of different areas. We are beginning to see an increase in the number of requests for proposals. While it is not a massive increase, it is a 10, 15, 20 per cent improvement on what we have seen during the past two years.

"There is a confidence in our clients, the banks and corporates are investing again. Also, there were a number of projects that were left high and dry before the crisis but people are taking an interest in the region again."

Timchur has experience in the oil and gas sectors and was recently seconded to Qatar-based Law Offices of Gebran Majdalany.

An A&O spokesperson says: "[Timchur's relocation] is a continuation in the scheme of things, in that we had Calvin go out there and get things rolling and this is a continuation of the good work."

The recovery of projects work is highlighted by the Blue Stream project. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton is acting for Russian energy company Gazprom, which plans to build a pipeline under the Black Sea to Turkey.

Norton Rose is acting for the export credit agencies involved. Clifford Chance Pünder is representing the joint arrangers.