International law firm Herbert Smith Freehills has announced the appointment of market leading finance lawyer Dmitry Gubarev to join as a partner, based in Moscow. Dmitry will join from Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe in Moscow where he is a partner and head of the Russian Banking & Finance practice. Dmitry is bilingual in English and Russian.

He has broad international and regional experience on all types of finance transactions, including syndicated loans, real estate and infrastructure financings, pre-export financings and structured products. He also has significant experience in securitisation transactions and debt restructuring in the Russian market, and is a frequent lecturer on issues of banking law.

Dmitry is recognised as a leading Finance lawyer in the Russian Market. In, 2016, he was named Best Lawyers in Russia (2016) for Banking and Finance, Capital Markets, Project Finance & Development Practice and structured Finance and was recognised in Chambers Global and Europe for Banking & Finance in Russia.

Dmitry is lauded by industry commentators as “one of innovators in the syndicated loans market” and as an “excellent all-round banking and finance” lawyer.

His key credentials include acting for Sberbank of Russia and Bank VTB as providers of the loan to EuroSibEnergo Group that financed RUB70 billion acquisition of 40.29 percent of Irkutskenergo (a company that operates several hydroelectric power plants, thermal plants and electric networks) from Inter RAO Group, the 14 bank syndicate lead arranged by Sberbank of Russia and ZAO Raiffeisenbank on the RUB86.5 billion loan to Russian pipe maker Joint Stock Company Chelyabinsk Tube-Rolling Plant (ChelPipe) and the syndicate arranged by Nordea Bank in connection with US$200 million unsecured loan to UralChem Group. He recently acted for Sberbank of Russia on RUB 31.5 billion sale of distressed debt of a major Russian metals and mining conglomerate to Gazprombank.

Dmitry will work closely with Alexei Roudiak, the firm’s Managing Partner of the Moscow office, and with Artjom Buligin and Olga Davy dava, banking and finance partners based in the Moscow office, to further strengthen the firm’s highly regarded Moscow Finance practice.

Alexei Roudiak commented: “We are delighted to welcome Dmitry to Herbert Smith Freehills. This hire builds on our success in the Russian market and the notable expertise Dmitry brings will significantly strengthen and expand the Banking & Finance capability and brand in Moscow and internationally. He has a brilliant track record of success handling some of the most complex transactions in the Russian market.”

Jason Ricketts, Global Head of Finance, Real Estate and Projects, added: “Dmitry is an important addition to the firm’s Russia offering and will further strengthen our existing Banking & Finance capabilities and deepen the range of services we can offer clients in Russia and across our network. Dmitry brings outstanding expertise and skills that will be valuable to both our clients and our firm and I’m delighted to welcome him to the Finance team.”

Commenting on his move to Herbert Smith Freehills, Dmitry said: “I am thrilled to join the incredible team at Herbert Smith Freehills. The firm has an outstanding international network which will enable me to offer clients first-class advice on the most complex transactions.”

The appointment follows on from the recent hire of Disputes lawyer Brian Spiro in London and the firm’s promotions of 21 lawyers to partnership last month, covering 8 offices between UK, EMEA and Asia-Pacific, demonstrating the firm’s commitment to investing in its global network of offices and creating a diverse partnership.