SJ Berwin is set to lose its co-head of arbitration David Goldberg, who is to join White & Case in the next month.

Goldberg will be based in London but also spend significant time in the US law firm's Moscow office. The litigator headed SJ Berwin's London-based Russia desk and had previously looked at launching a Moscow office for the top 20 City law firm. However, the firm shelved the plans as the global financial downturn severely affected the local market.

Goldberg, a founder and secretary general of the Anglo-Russian Law Association and a recommended arbitrator at the International Arbitration Court at the Chamber of Commerce of the Russian Federation, will be part of White & Case's international arbitration group, which is headed by Paul Friedland globally and by Phillip Capper in London.

White & Case has a significant flow of CIS and Russia-related disputes coming through its Moscow, Stockholm and London offices, but had not previously had a Russian-speaking dedicated arbitration partner in either office. White & Case has four dedicated arbitration partners in London.

Friedland said: "We were keen to build our London arbitration practice. David's Russian-language practice is a major strength, but he is also a leading individual in his field aside that practice with client relationships globally. For us, this is not just a niche hire.