MOSCOW -- (Marketwire) -- 02/07/13 -- King & Spalding has recruited leading Russian law expert Ilia Rachkov to establish an international disputes practice in Moscow as the firm continues to strengthen its global dispute resolution offering.

Since 1996, Rachkov's practice focuses on commercial litigation and arbitration with additional experience in competition and M&A advice. He has developed particular expertise in representing international and Russian clients in the pharmaceuticals, media, automotive, and regulated markets.

Rachkov is an accomplished litigation lawyer. He recently acted as an expert witness on Russian law in the high-profile Berezovsky-Abramovich litigation in London and has also represented clients including UniCredit Bank, Pfleiderer, Dyckerhoff and SL Leasing. Other matters include representing Scanklin Invest in a dispute with a German company regarding a supply contract and counsel to Alcoa's Russian business arm over the alleged dominant market position of its production plants in several markets.

Rachkov previously worked at the Moscow office of German firm Noerr, before entering solo practice last year. He also teaches international economic law at the law faculty of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations and is ranked in Chambers, Legal 500, and Who's Who Legal.

"Ilia is a lawyer of the highest standing and his disputes expertise will add further depth to our growing Russian practice," commented Sergey Komolov, managing partner of K&S' Moscow office. "As we continue to expand our practice in Russia, we see an increasing client need for dispute resolution services, both within Russia and abroad. Many of our Russian clients look towards the United Kingdom for their dispute resolution needs and this hire will provide us with an invaluable axis between our Moscow and London offices and further strengthen our client offering in Russia."

Rachkov has additional experience in corporate and M&A work. Notable deals include representing Volkswagen on its Russian joint venture with the EBRD, Google on its recent takeover of Motorola Mobility, Daimler in its joint ventures with KAMAZ and China's Fuyao Glass Group on a greenfield investment agreement with Kaluga Oblast.

K&S' Moscow office already boasts strong corporate, energy, real estate, TMT and environmental expertise. Rachkov joined the firm this week to become the sixth partner in K&S' Moscow office, which launched in mid-2011.

"Global dispute resolution is one of the firm's premier international practices and the launch of a Russian practice is part of our strategy to expand our global offering," added Reggie Smith, leader of global disputes at K&S. "Over the past several years, the firm has significantly expanded its litigation and arbitration capabilities in London, Paris, Frankfurt, the Middle East, and Singapore to reflect the increasingly global nature of international commercial disputes. Ilia's experience in the important Russian and CIS markets is a further step in our strategy to provide clients with unrivalled cross-border dispute resolution capabilities."

About King & Spalding
Celebrating more than 125 years of service, King & Spalding is an international law firm that represents a broad array of clients, including half of the Fortune Global 100, with 800 lawyers in 17 offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The firm has handled matters in over 160 countries on six continents and is consistently recognized for the results it obtains, uncompromising commitment to quality and dedication to understanding the business and culture of its clients. More information is available at www.kslaw.com.