Winston & Strawn is launching an office in Moscow and shaking up its Paris arm as the Chicago firm moves to ramp up its emerging European network.

The Moscow office is to be launched during the summer with the transfer of New York-based corporate partner Nikolai Krylov to head the branch. The Moscow practice will also work closely with London managing partner Thomas Benz and Chicago litigator Gordon Dobie, who both have an established Russian client base.

It will be the top 50 US firm's fourth European arm after Paris, Geneva and London. Winston launched its City arm in 2003 after hiring Morgan Lewis & Bockius securities partner Benz and UK-qualified corporate partner Zoe Ashcroft.

Meanwhile, Patrick Murray, the head of the firm's 40-lawyer Paris office, has stepped down after 10 years in the role, handing the reins to French environment law specialist Vincent Sol.

Sol joined the firm in 1995 and previously worked as an avocat to the French Civil and Administrative Supreme Courts and as in-house counsel to Electricite de France.

The 11-partner office was launched in 1995 and focuses on corporate, litigation and arbitration and environmental law.

Sol told Legal Week: "Patrick has managed the Paris office since it launched in 1995 and has built it into a real success.

However, it was always felt that at some point the management would be handed to a French lawyer."

The firm has also re-launched its labour and employment practice, which it lost after partners Dominique Mendy and Thierry Meillat moved to Hogan & Hartson in March, with the recruitment of a four-lawyer team from Paris firm Kahn & Associes, headed by Sebastien Ducamp.

Ducamp joins as a partner.

Other Paris recruits in recent years include EY Law M&A partner Vincent Trevisani and Deloitte litigator Gilles Bigot.