Akin Gump today announced that Matthew Hardwick and Daniel Giemajner have joined the firm as project finance and development partners in its London office. Their practices focus on global energy, infrastructure and natural resources projects spanning a range of sectors, including core and non-core infrastructure, renewable power, mining, gigafactories, battery and energy storage, electric vehicles, carbon capture and storage and clean hydrogen. The pair most recently practiced in the London office of Norton Rose Fulbright.
Mr. Hardwick advises clients on the design, construction and operation of high-value and complex projects in the energy and infrastructure sectors, and the full range of commercial contracts underpinning them. His work spans Europe as well as emerging markets, including Africa and South America.
Mr. Giemajner brings comprehensive experience in debt and bond financings, advising clients on project finance, acquisition finance, pre-export and trade finance, prepayments, royalties and streaming. Mr. Giemajner has worked extensively on projects throughout Europe, Africa and North and South America.
Mr. Hardwick said, “We are thrilled to join Akin Gump’s powerhouse energy team at a critical inflection point for the global energy and infrastructure markets. Akin Gump provides a terrific platform for our practice, and for our clients as they seek to maximize opportunity from the disruptive nature of the changes we are seeing across these markets.”
Mr. Giemajner added, “We’re joining a global team that is bringing cutting-edge energy, infrastructure and natural resources transactions to life. Akin Gump’s bench strength and global reach in areas fundamental to our clients will propel our practice and provide our clients with an elite, full-service offering, enhancing their ability to rapidly deploy capital around the world at a time of unprecedented change.”
Mr. Hardwick and Mr. Giemajner’s arrival in London continues the expansion of Akin Gump’s global energy capabilities. Over the last year, the firm has welcomed partners Alex Harrison in London, Shariff Barakat in Washington, D.C. and Ike Emehelu in New York, along with six additional lawyers in its project finance and development practice, which focuses on renewable energy and infrastructure projects and other transactions supporting energy transition. Energy regulatory lawyer Stephen Hug has also joined the firm as a partner in its Washington, D.C. office.
“One of our key strategic priorities is continuing to bolster our project finance and development practice as we help our clients play a role in the energy transition,” said Akin Gump chairperson Kim Koopersmith. “Matt and Dan’s experience will be invaluable to our clients in this space, and we are pleased to welcome them in London and to our global team.”
Sebastian Rice, managing partner of Akin Gump’s London office and co-head of the firm’s corporate practice, commented: “Akin Gump has a long history of working with many of the world’s leading energy providers. Matt and Dan add to the diversity of our energy capabilities as the energy industry focuses on bringing lower-carbon solutions to market.”
About Akin Gump in London
Akin Gump’s London office is the hub for the firm’s international practice. The firm’s strategy in London has always been to grow practices that complement its core strengths globally. This has resulted in the growth of a fully integrated office, advising clients at the top of their respective markets.
Core strengths on which the office is founded include financial restructuring, corporate transactions (including M&A, private equity and debt and equity capital markets), finance (including special situations and private capital financings, leveraged finance, project finance and development, institutional finance, sustainable finance and structured finance and securitization), energy and natural resources, financial services regulatory, disputes and international arbitration, investment funds (hedge, private equity, real estate and infrastructure), antitrust and EU competition, international trade and tax (including structuring and taxation of share schemes and management incentive arrangements).
The integrated nature of the international practice means that the firm’s London lawyers work closely, and on a regular basis, with their counterparts across the globe. The work of the firm’s London lawyers has been recognized in leading legal and industry publications and directories, including Chambers UK, The Legal 500 UK, IFLR1000 and others.
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers and advisors in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
