CMS retreat from former Soviet states strengthens Denton's base in Asia

CMS Cameron McKenna has pulled out of Kazakhstan after signing its Almaty and Tashkent offices over to Denton Wilde Sapte - making Dentons the largest international law firm in Central Asia.

The latest move means Cameron McKenna has now closed down its entire Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) practice group after a strategic review.

The 10 lawyers from the two offices, and Cameron McKenna's CIS practice group head in London, Elena Kirillova, are to join Dentons on 1 November, once they have complied with regulatory requirements.

Although Dentons already has an office in Tashkent, the lawyers will have to re-register before they move.

A Cameron McKenna spokesman said the firm started a review when the rouble crumbled in 1997.

The firm denied that the sale had anything to do with sexual harassment allegations - the subject of an employment tribunal - and question over whether some of its lawyers were qualified to practise in the former Soviet states.

He said: 'That's the thing everyone's going to look to and we have had a difficult time in relation to that.

But we didn't approach Dentons, they approached Elena.'

David Moroney, managing partner of Denton International, said both firms had reviewed their CIS operations, but while Cameron McKenna decided to bail out, Dentons had come to the opposite decision and would expand instead.

'Our strategy at the moment is to look at the offices we have and the regions in which we are working and to consolidate these.

I don't believe there's any point in having foreign offices if you don't have critical mass,' said Mr Moroney.

'We will concentrate our business development in the areas where we are, the CIS just happened to be the first.'Mr Moroney said the firm would review Asia, the Middle East and Africa as part of its emerging markets strategy.

In Europe, it is working towards closer integration with law firm network Denton International.

Cameron McKenna will keep its Moscow office, which will be realigned to work more closely with Cameron McKenna's Central European practice.

The spokesman said: 'All international expansion requires investment, but we are shifting that focus to CMS, and divesting ourselves of the commitment.'

Anne Mizzi