Baker & McKenzie boosts Moscow with PwC raid

Baker & McKenzie has bolstered its Moscow practice after a raid on the legal arm of accountancy giant PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for a 22-strong team, including three partners.

The raid brings the number of partners in Bakers’ Russian practice to 26 across its offices in Moscow and St Petersburg.

The three partners are real estate lawyers Konstantine Kouzine and Maxim Kuznechenkov and corporate partner Igor Makarov.

The trio bring with them 19 fee earners from PWC’s Moscow office.

Carole Patterson, managing partner of Bakers Moscow office said: “Adding Konstantine Kouzine, Maxim Kuznechenkov and other real estate lawyers is a great win for Baker & McKenzie. It makes our real estate practice one of the largest in Russia at a time when real estate expertise is in urgent demand."

Kouzine’s focus is on international real estate law, while Kuznechenkov primarily advises on Russian real estate law.

Makarov rejoins the firm after leaving it for PWC in 2003. His focus is primarily on corporate transactions in Russia.

This latest round of hires shows Bakers ramping up its European and global real estate practice following the hire of partners Bob Bekker and Jan Willem to the Amsterdam office from CMS Derks Star Busman in March.

Justin Salkeld joined the firm’s London practice as partner in April from K&L Gates.