Allen & Overy (A&O) has appointed a new Moscow managing partner to replace current postholder Tony Humphrey, who is due to retire at the end of next month.

The magic circle firm has named Moscow corporate head Edwin Tham to lead the office, with effect from 1 May.

The decision comes after the firm initially appointed Brussels banking partner Peter Bienenstock to the role in October last year. Bienenstock, a fluent Russian speaker who joined A&O as a partner when it combined with Brussels-based firm Loeff Claeys Verbeke in 2001, has decided to remain in Belgium for personal reasons.

Tham, who has been based in Moscow since joining A&O in 1997, has been a partner at the firm since 2001 and has headed the local corporate practice since 2004. Corporate partner Anton Konnov will replace him as head of the corporate practice.

Tham commented: "I was very honoured to be asked. I'm a bit of an old hand in the Russian market so I think that played a big part in their decision to appoint me as managing partner.

"Russia is a key part of the global business and the Moscow office is central to that."

Humphrey, who was one of the founding partners of A&O's project finance practice, has headed the Moscow office since 2007, having been a partner at the firm since 1981.

A&O's Moscow office opened in 1993 and now has 72 lawyers, including nine partners. It is part of the firm's wider Russia practice group, which has around 150 lawyers in total.