Ukrainian firm Magister & Partners and Russian litigation boutique Legas Legal Solutions are to unify operations from 1 November.

Magister and Legas formed an exclusive alliance in July (The Lawyer, 17 July), advanced their merger following discussions and now hope to expand into other CIS countries.

The merged firm will be known as Magister & Partners in Russia and Ukraine, with offices in Moscow and Kiev.

Magister managing partner Oleg Riabokon continues as firmwide managing partner, while Legas managing partner Dmitry Dyakin is managing partner of the Moscow office.

The merger gives Magister established dispute resolution and real estate practices in Moscow to go with its banking and finance, corporate M&A and IP practices in Kiev. It will have 10 partners, 85 lawyers and projected annual revenue topping $18m (£9.63m).