The demand for legal services is growing every year, especially for businesses. Various surveys and studies, as well as ratings analyzing the performance of industry players attest to this fact. We discussed market trends with recognized experts - Darya Ermolina, managing partner at Ermolina & Partners, and Vitaly Morozko, partner at Ermolina & Partners.
Darya Ermolina has more than 20 years of experience representing businesses in litigation, including in information technology and healthcare. She previously worked at a top international law firm Baker McKeznie. Vitaly Morozko headed Apple's legal departments in the EMEIA region (Europe, Middle East, India, and Africa) for more than 16 years. He joined Ermolina & Partners in January 2026. Both partners are convinced that effective legal counsel lies in being fully committed to the client interests and being able to anticipate regulatory risks long before the business thinks about them.
In addition to your expertise as an in-house lawyer, you also have experience working at an international law firm. In your opinion, what is the main difference between in-house and legal consulting?
Vitaly Morozko: Each of these formats has its own advantages and drawbacks. In consulting, lawyers are more immersed in a specialization and, at the same time, have access to a very wide range of projects for clients from different industries. Typically, consultants take on the most ambitious and complex projects: those for which there is no single or obvious approach within the company, or those for which the in-house team does not have sufficient resources to handle due to their scale. Working in-house rarely allows a lawyer to choose an area of law or specialization, but rather, due to their deep immersion in the business processes of a single client, requires lawyers to be able to see the big picture, take the interests of all stakeholders within the company into account, and perform their work while considering all the nuances and needs of the company in different countries around the world. Perhaps an analogy with medicine would be appropriate here: an in-house lawyer, like a general practitioner, is a “first-line” doctor, a generalist who identifies and solves most of the problems that arise. If the task requires deep specialization in a particular industry, then it is usually handled by consultants.
In recent years, the legal market has undergone a major transformation due to changes in the economy and legislation. What do you think businesses now expect from legal advisors?
Vitaly Morozko: First and foremost, as always, effective and high-quality solutions to unusual and complex issues, which often require specialized professionals with significant experience in a particular field. But today, that is no longer enough. Clients also expect consultants to be proactive and able to stay several steps ahead of the curve, not just one. This involves continuously monitoring hidden regulatory and operational risks, upcoming changes in legislation, and current trends in judicial practice that may directly affect business processes, as well as providing the client with a timely heads-up about all of this.
Darya Ermolina: In other words, businesses need a broader legal perspective and risk analysis that goes beyond the scope of a single project. In an ideal world, consultants anticipate regulatory risks long before businesses even think about them.
You mentioned monitoring changes in legislation. In this regard, do you agree that a legal consultant should also perform GR work, rather than simply being an expert in law?
Vitaly Morozko: Of course, a lawyer is expected to take on some GR work. But this does not mean that a lawyer's main role should be to lobby for the business during its interactions with government agencies. A legal consultant is required to analyze and monitor regulatory trends and legislative initiatives; this is simply a necessity in the current environment.
Darya Ermolina: The main goal of a legal counsel performing such GR work is to predict risk and propose a strategic solution to minimize it long before it can materialize. Foreseeing negative consequences even before a bill is passed and proposing steps to mitigate those negative consequences when the consultant first hears about possible changes can allow the client to avoid significant financial losses.
What values do you think a legal consultant should be guided by when providing services to gain the client's trust?
Darya Ermolina: To gain the client's trust, it is important for a consultant to combine professional competence with a sincere desire to help the client solve a particular issue in their professional life. Being focused on the client's interests and the issues facing them, as well as having a vested interest in resolving them, enables a consultant to provide advice that is not abstract or “full of hot air,” but rather offers a solution that truly matches the client and is tailored to the specific needs of their business.
Vitaly Morozko: I agree with Darya that when selecting consultants, the most important thing is to have lawyers who are wholly committed to providing services while being guided by the needs and interests of the client. Client trust in a legal team is built up over years and is shaped by the lawyers’ impeccable professional reputation.
It is crucial for a business that a consultant be a real partner, deeply immersed in the client's business processes and offering solutions that best meet the goals of the business. A consultant is also expected to have in-depth expertise in the subject matter, which is demonstrated not only by theoretical knowledge, but also in their willingness to apply it effectively in a specific situation and explain their vision to the client in plain language. Being candid is also important, as it is important for the business that a consultant speak openly about risks, avoid making impossible promises, and always maintain transparency in communication with the client.
As discussed earlier, consultants’ reputation on the market is also important to businesses, as their reputation serves as a guarantee of reliability built on successful cases, professional recommendations, and compliance with ethical standards. And, of course, consultants are expected to be as efficient as possible, which is expressed in striking the optimal balance:consultants offer economically sound solutions and avoid taking excessive action that could lead to additional superfluous costs.
What is best for a business - to work with one team of consultants or to receive diverse professional assessments and recommendations?
Vitaly Morozko: Usually, large companies have a panel of consultants for various tasks. However, typically, one strong full-cycle team of consultants is sufficient to handle most cases that involve external lawyers. At the same time, in practice, businesses regularly encounter unique situations that do not have clear legislative regulation or unambiguous legal solutions. In such cases, it makes sense to bring in additional experts to get a second opinion to find the most successful strategy. The purpose of receiving a second opinion is not to replace the previously engaged team, but to explore all options as thoroughly as possible to develop an effective and comprehensive solution. Of course, it is important for a business to work with trusted teams of consultants with whom the company has been cooperating for a long time. Typically, over years of close interaction, such lawyers not only demonstrate their expertise repeatedly, but also immerse themselves in the client's business processes and are therefore aware of all the key nuances of the client's business.
Have there been cases in your corporate practice where legal teams unexpectedly failed or, conversely, significantly exceeded expectations?
Vitaly Morozko: Large businesses usually work with trusted legal teams whose reputation serves as a guarantee of quality. Human error is unavoidable, though. However, in my experience, the teams of consultants that businesses trust year after year not only do not disappoint, but also exceed expectations, achieving results that were initially considered nearly unattainable. The desire to exceed expectations and achieve maximum results for the client can contribute significant value that influences the choice of a team of consultants.
The standards of work for legal consultants that you mentioned above were assumed on international law firm teams. Based on your observations, has it been possible to implement the same approach in new Russian law firms?
Vitaly Morozko: Some international law firm teams that I know have managed not only to maintain their commitment to previous quality standards, but also to adapt their service delivery models to new market realities. They have adapted their expertise and client interactions to continue to support both Russian and international clients effectively. The legal market, undergoing a period of transformation, is inevitably adapting to changing client needs. It is in this context that teams that were previously employed by international law firms are becoming particularly valuable. They apply best international practices, considering the specifics of the market and current geopolitical realities, providing services already as a Russian firm while applying international standards.
What do businesses pay attention to when selecting consultants in the absence of international players?
Vitaly Morozko: The main criterion is the same as in the entire service sector: cost-effectiveness. At the same time, it is important to note that the departure of international firms from the Russian market has not lowered the expectations of clients who are accustomed to high standards of legal assistance. Moreover, clients now expect the same quality of services, but at an optimized and predictable cost. Businesses also consider previous experience working with consultants: the quality of documents, their problem-solving approaches, and the team's ability to conduct balanced risk analysis, where the client's ultimate business interests and the best result are prioritized when developing any recommendation. Such an assessment transforms a legal consultant from a simple executor into an effective partner.
My sincere wish for the entire market is to invest, first and foremost, in developing their employees, because a strong brand is not just a name on a sign, but a community of professionals who deliver the highest quality of services through their results and impeccable work.
Darya, you previously headed the IP/IT practice at a large law firm. Why did you decide to establish your own law firm?
Darya Ermolina: As Vitaly duly noted, the market naturally evolves in response to business demands. That is why I decided, together with my colleagues in the industry, to open our own practice, which would be distinguished by its approach to providing services that meet these demands. We combine an optimized budget with impeccable quality, which is embedded in the DNA of our team members who have worked at leading international law firms, including Baker McKenzie, DLA Piper, and Gowling WLG. This experience enables us to deeply understand the needs of each client, both international companies, which are still numerous on the Russian market, and Russian clients. Our top priorities are being wholly committed to our clients and continuous professional development, as well as ensuring everything we do is of the highest quality. This is directly related to our key task—to stay ahead of the curve, to think several steps ahead to minimize risks, even hypothetical ones, for our clients. That is why our team consists of people who are not only top-level professionals, but also share these values and principles.
Vitaly, what influenced your decision to join Ermolina & Partners?
Vitaly Morozko: The strong expertise of the specialists with whom I have worked for a long time as an in-house lawyer, their impeccable reputation, and their commitment to the same values that are important to me. Plus, the desire to apply this joint expertise by combining the advantages of an inside view of the business and the insightfulness of external consulting. I think that this is currently optimal for the legal market and will be useful for Ermolina & Partners' clients.
What advice would you give to lawyers who are choosing between a career in consulting and in-house?
Vitaly Morozko: My main piece of advice is to listen to yourself and choose the area where you like the work and atmosphere more. These are two different career paths, each valuable and interesting in their own ways. Consulting is a good fit for those who want to become experts in a particular area of law, as it offers a high concentration of complex projects from different industries. A career in-house is an excellent choice for those who want to immerse themselves in business processes, strategic planning, and building comprehensive legal support from within. At the same time, I am confident that having the opportunity to be “on both sides of the fence” will be a particularly valuable life experience — with such a broad outlook, you can tackle any task.
Darya, how do you see Ermolina & Partners developing on the Russian market?
Darya Ermolina: Our development strategy has two main facets. Firstly, we are strengthening our leading positions in our key areas: IP law, IT law, personal data processing, and AI. We intend to strengthen our industry presence by leveraging our broad client base from various sectors of the economy. Secondly, we are actively expanding our expertise in other areas, increasing the scope of our services by developing practices in financial, tax, and corporate law. This is a natural step for the company's growth, which will enable us to meet a wide range of client requests.
Are you looking at foreign markets?
Darya Ermolina: Yes, in addition to strengthening our position in Russia, we plan to expand our expertise in foreign jurisdictions. This is also a logical step towards providing comprehensive services to our clients on the international market. We are currently considering several foreign jurisdictions where there is already demand for our expertise, including the UAE and CIS countries. This area of development is a continuation of our work with international companies in response to their need for comprehensive consulting. Within the CIS market, we are currently handling the IP prosecution, coordinating litigation, and have a developed network of agents who assist us in advising our clients on regulatory issues in these countries. And this is only the beginning of our international journey. Overall, I think it would not be an exaggeration to say that Ermolina & Partners now has everything it needs for our clients to solve all their complex issues together with us.