Global, sector-focused law firm HFW has continued to expand its fast-growing global energy practice with the hire of senior project finance partner Andrew Thomas.
Andrew joins the firm’s London office from Hunton Andrews Kurth.
He is the third partner to join HFW in the past seven days, following the arrival of corporate and finance partners Vince Gordon and Tania de Swart from Reed Smith in Abu Dhabi.
Andrew’s hire also comes just two weeks after fellow energy partner Derek J. Anchondo, an oil & gas and energy transactions specialist, joined HFW from Greenberg Traurig in Houston.
HFW’s global energy practice now has 33 partners and more than 100 lawyers in 20 international offices across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. Energy is one of the firm’s six core sectors, alongside aerospace, commodities, construction, insurance and shipping.
Robert Follie, Head of Energy and Resources, HFW:
“I am thrilled to welcome Andrew to HFW. He is one of the most experienced project finance partners in the market and has worked on major transactions around the world. We are seeing significant growth in client demand for project finance advice, and Andrew’s arrival further enhances our global offering.”
Andrew has almost three decades of projects experience, advising international energy companies, financial institutions and governments on high-value project financings across a wide range of sectors, including energy, oil and gas, transport, and infrastructure.
He also has a broad banking and finance practice spanning acquisition finance, private equity, Islamic finance, capital markets, real estate finance, syndicated finance, distressed debt and other complex transactions.
Andrew has acted on more than 30 major and long-running projects in 16 countries across Europe, Africa, the US, Latin America and Asia. He has significant experience in south-east Asia and is qualified in Hong Kong.
Andrew Thomas, Partner, HFW:
“I am excited to be joining one of the market’s fastest-growing energy practices. HFW’s geographic reach and deep industry expertise is a clear advantage in handling major projects work, and there is a strong synergy between my experience in the financing of energy and transportation projects and the firm’s leading practices in those sectors. I look forward to helping further develop an already strong global project finance team.”
Andrew’s arrival continues a period of sustained international expansion for HFW.
HFW has now added 23 new partners so far in 2018, including nine internal promotions and 14 lateral hires across Abu Dhabi, Brussels, Dubai, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Rio de Janeiro and Singapore.
HFW also recently entered into a cooperation arrangement with Brazilian law firm CAL– its seventh international merger or association since January 2016; and launched a new office in Abu Dhabi on 1 October – the firm’s fifth in the Middle East and its 20th worldwide.
