The likely new president of Georgia is a former associate at a New York law firm who was recruited to return to the troubled east European state while working at the practice.

Mikhail Saakashvili went to the US in 1992 to do postgraduate work after completing his law degree in Kiev, Ukraine.

Scott Horton - the head of emerging markets at Patterson

Belknap Webb & Tyler, who recruited Mr Saakashvili in 1994 - told the Gazette: 'We have had very few LLM students join us direct as associates.

He was clearly the outstanding

candidate of the 20 or 30 people we interviewed for a job that year.

He has great ability matched with energy and a sharp intellect.'

Mr Saakashvili was recruited to return to Georgia while working at Pattersons following visits to New York by former Georgian president Eduard Shevardnadze and his aide Zurab Zhvania.

Mr Horton - who arranged meetings between Mr Shevardnadze and Mr Saakashvili - said: 'I would have preferred that he continue to work here as a partner, but when a visiting foreign president asks to meet associates, you don't say no.'

Mr Saakashvili returned to Georgia in 1995, winning a parliamentary seat for Mr Shevardnadze's Union of Citizens of Georgia party.

He became minister of justice in 2000, but resigned in 2001, claiming it would be immoral to remain in Mr Shevardnadze's government, which was toppled late last year in the so-called 'rose' revolution.