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Ukraine war: Battle-ready Supreme Court judge urges City law firms to quit Moscow

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Ivan Mishchenko swaps robes for rifle

Supreme Court judge Ivan Mishchenko (via Twitter)

One of Ukraine’s most senior judges has urged City law firms to shutter their Moscow offices immediately.

Striking images of Supreme Court judge Ivan Mishchenko went viral on Twitter this week after it emerged he had swapped his robes for a rifle and joined the civil military defence corps in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv.

The 40-year-old former commercial litigator has now called on law firms in London to close down their operations in Moscow and never take on Russian clients again.

“This bloody money will bring them neither joy, nor happiness,” Mishchenko told the Times (£) via email. “Lawyers are all about money but there is always something more than that. Dignity, for example.”

The married father of three says he’s aware of other judges who have joined special defence units in response to the invasion.

Mishchenko was head of litigation at a leading Ukrainian law firm before joining the country’s top bench in 2016, according to his LinkedIn. He studied international relations and affairs at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

A number of top firms with outposts in Russia have already taken action in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

Both Linklaters and Norton Rose Fulbright have announced their Moscow offices will close, while Kennedys took the decision last summer to “wind down” its Moscow hub, and does not intend to renew the lease once it expires next year. Meanwhile, other City firms are reviewing or ending their Russian related work.

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6 Comments

Observer

Judge Dread incarnate

(5)(1)

An observer

Respect.

(18)(3)

Scouser of Counsel

Totally.

I would hope I would have the guts to do the same if push came to shove here.

🇬🇧 🇺🇦

(11)(1)

Johny

Typical socialists. Can’t even read this stuff anymore.

(3)(18)

trish

what do you mean?

(1)(0)

Uncle Bob

There are a good few chambers touting for business…. their gobby Essex clerks touting and spouting for any dodgy client their berobed and bewigged masters can get their festering non manicured dirty fingers into… Don’t worry, we’ve taken screen shots and we will post them up when you crawl out from your hiding places when the contracts to rebuild Ukraine’s academic, clinical and legal infrastructures are up for grabs…
No business for those with no dignity….wait, watch and wonder….

(0)(0)

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