At the annual Forbes magazine conference for the legal community, BigFishLaw participants held a session titled “The King’s Musketeers vs. the Cardinal’s Guards: Bright Individualists or Teamwork—Who Will Win in Competitive Struggle?”

The discussion was moderated by Alexey Andronov, Chief Legal Advisor of the “MEGAPOLIS” Group, and Elena Krupskaya, Director of Legal Affairs at X5 Retail Group.

Kirill Krasnov, General Director of BFL/Benefit Litigation, shared experiences of uniting independent law firms using BigFishLaw as an example. He discussed the advantages of such unification and the challenges faced over the year.

Dmitry Markanov, Managing Partner of BFL/PATENTUS, spoke about the challenges the market faced in 2023–2024. The departure of international law firms changed the landscape. Today, these firms are not just rebranding but are undergoing complete transformation and localization.

The market will continue to transform, with upcoming divisions and mergers, and transitions of lawyers and experts. Therefore, new Russian law firms may become more numerous in the near future.

Vladimir Kitsing, Managing Partner of BFL/“Kitsing and Partners” Law Bureau, addressed issues related to the talent shortage and shared recommendations on retaining valuable employees. We have all faced headhunting. Money isn’t always decisive. What’s essential is shared values, interesting projects, and growth opportunities.

Yuri Donnikov, Director of Legal and Compliance at HeadHunter, discussed the state of the legal labor market. Currently, it’s a “candidate’s market,” requiring employers to exert more effort in recruitment.

Denis Cherkasov, Attorney and Partner at BFL/Arbitrage.ru, touched on the crucial topic of selecting legal consultants.

According to MK Smartiee’s research, decisive factors include expertise in narrow specializations, experience with relevant projects, and service costs. Specialization remains a competitive advantage.

Additionally, 77% noted that the consultant’s personality is still important. Therefore, we remember that we are not only lawyers but also individuals with our own hobbies, interests, and passions.