Baker McKenzie, CMS and Dentons close Kyiv offices as Russia declares war on Ukraine       

Global law firms Baker McKenzie, CMS and Dentons have closed their Kyiv offices as a result of Russian’s invasion of Ukraine in the early hours of this morning (24 February).

In a statement, Baker McKenzie said: “In light of the military action underway in Ukraine, we have closed our office in Kyiv until the situation stabilises. We are closely monitoring developments at all times and are doing everything possible to support our people during these challenging circumstances.

“Their safety and wellbeing is our number one priority and our thoughts are with them and everyone affected at this extremely difficult time. To the extent feasible, our partners are working with clients affected to determine the options for continuing to provide legal assistance elsewhere, and we are providing further support through our network of offices across Europe.”

CMS announced: "We have made the decision to close our Kyiv office until further notice". The firm said it had “a dedicated team that have been working to assist colleagues in Kyiv for some time, particularly as issues started to emerge, and we continue to explore arrangements in what is a fast moving situation". It said these arrangements had included “providing relocation options within the EU”.

Dentons also announced it had closed its Kyiv office with immediate effect: “Our primary concern remains the safety of our people in both Ukraine and Russia. We are in regular contact with our team in Kyiv and are providing our colleagues with any assistance they need, including relocation assistance in the neighbouring countries”.

Law Society of England and Wales president I. Stephanie Boyce commented: “We are gravely concerned by the news from Ukraine. A clear principle of international law is that a state is prohibited from the use or threat of force against another state. We hope for a swift end to hostilities and our thoughts are with all those affected.

“We are supporting and will continue to support our members in the region.”