Clifford Chance (CC) has appointed a new managing partner for its Kiev office, with finance partner Jared Grubb to replace Nick Fletcher in the role.

Grubb, who joined CC from the Moscow office of CMS Cameron McKenna in 2007, focuses on bank lending, financing and debt restructuring in Russia, Ukraine and other CIS countries. He relocated from Moscow to Kiev in May.

Grubb's appointment is a further indication of how CC has changed its strategy in the Ukraine since launching in October 2008. At that time the office was expected to target banking and real estate work; however, it was decided earlier this year that it would refocus on debt restructuring.

Fletcher is to move to Warsaw at the end of this month where he will retain leadership of the Kiev corporate practice. He will not resume the Warsaw office head role he held for 14 years until he left to launch the Kiev office. Grzegorz Namiotkiewicz will remain in charge of Warsaw.

Fletcher commented: "The Warsaw market is more buoyant for corporate and private equity work, on which I focus. Although it may seem like the worst time to have launched in Kiev, in some respects it was good timing as we did not over-hire and had the opportunity to tweak the practice to focus more on debt restructuring."

Following Fletcher's relocation, Grubb will be the only partner in CC's 17-lawyer Kiev office.

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