Baker & McKenzie has appointed new management for its Ukraine office as its current managing partner retires from the firm.

James Hitch is set to retire from Bakers at the end of 2010 after nine years as managing partner of the Kiev office.

He is set to be replaced by Serhiy Chorny, head of banking, finance and capital markets, and Serhiy Piontkovsky, who heads the energy, chemicals, mining and infrastructure and the real estate and construction practices. The pair have been appointed as co-managing partners of the office with effect from 1 January 2011.

Bakers has also relocated City corporate and M&A partner James Richards to Kiev. Richards has been based in the firm's London office since 1994 and was made up to partner in 2001. He has been working with Bakers' Moscow arm since the start of 2010.

Commonwealth of independent states (CIS) managing partner Carol Patterson said: "It has been a great pleasure for me to work with James Hitch both in the global and in the CIS offices of Baker & McKenzie for 20 years.

"The promotion of Serhiy Chorny and Serhiy Piontkovsky to co-manage the Kiev office is a key development of our practice in Ukraine, as is the addition of our English law qualified M&A partner James Richards."

Bakers opened its Kiev office in 1992, with the practice now housing 57 fee earners.