Duo sets up Russian-focused JV in City

Jailed Russian oil baron Mikhail Khodorkovsky's lawyer, Genrikh Padva, has launched a joint venture in London.

The Moscow-based commercial and criminal litigator has set up the joint venture with London-based Katerina Haslam-Jones (née Sorokina), a former Norton Rose associate, who has advised Russian clients as a sole practitioner since 2002.

Padva Haslam Jones & Partners will provide full-service for EU businesses investing in Russia and Russian businesses and high net-worth individuals investing in the EU.

The London operation will have three partners, namely Padva, Haslam-Jones, and Dmitry Yampolskiy, an advocate who specialises in commercial and criminal litigation and banking. There will also be one associate, one of-counsel and one legal counsel in London, plus 24 Moscow-based advocates.

Haslam-Jones said: "We're not aiming to have thousands of clients, but to service a small number of clients for the long term."