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Lawyers to welcome key Russian representative (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

bear

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'russian representative' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both people as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe you can see an association between them that I can't see?

'lawyers to welcome key' is the wordplay.
'lawyers' becomes 'bar' (the bar can mean the legal profession).
'to welcome' means one lot of letters goes inside another (in sense of 'inviting in').
'key' becomes 'e' (a musical key).
'bar' going around 'e' is 'BEAR'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for bear that I've seen before include "a churlish individual" , "Exhibit" , "Abide; support" , "Support, large mammal" , "Endure - mammal" .)

I've seen this clue in The Sunday Times and The Times.
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