A&O adds Akin Gump energy partner in Washington DC

A&O adds Akin Gump energy partner in Washington DC

21-strong Akin Gump renewables team has been appointed by A&O for its Los Angeles inaugural in 2021

As part of its Washington DC office, Allen & Overy hired the head of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld's energy regulation, market enforcement and enforcement practice.

Having led the firm's energy regulation efforts at Akin Gump, George 'Chip' Cannon joins the firm after nine years there. In 2006, he was elevated to the position of partner with Latham & Watkins, having previously worked there for more than a decade.

His new role will see him reunited with a team of 21 project finance and renewables lawyers from Akin Gump that switched to A&O in 2021 to establish Los Angeles office. Partners Dan Sinaiko and John Marciano are co-leading the coast-to-coast effort in the firm's new Los Angeles and Washington DC offices respectively.

The twosome, the co-heads of Akin Gump's global projects team, were joined by partners Greg Lavigne in New York, Matthew Nesburn and Andrea Wang Lucan in California and Sam Kamyans in Washington and a backup cast of associates and counsel.

"As the US energy markets continue to become more regulated and diverse under the guidance of federal, state and local governments, Chip's experience, help ensure us to remain on the forefront of the industry. Hence assist our clients with complex matters in this area," mentioned Tim House, A&O's US senior partner.

A key focus of Cannon's practice is regulatory issues relating to acquisitions, divestitures and financings in the US power industry. A former attorney for the US Department of Energy, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and federal courts and state regulatory commissions, he has significant experience representing clients before those agencies.

Marciano is longing to see Chip coming back to the team. "He brings decades of experience in energy regulation to our transactional offering, help guide clients through the complex US energy landscape."

In addition to hiring seven White & Case partners, A&O also opened two new offices in California as part of its expansion in the United States. Bijal Vakil and Daren Orzechowksi, former tech partners with the firm, joined as co-heads of the tech practice group, which has offices in San Francisco and Silicon Valley.

As part of the firm's US expansion strategy, Peerpoint, the firm's flexible resourcing service, was brought on board to support US clients on both domestic and international engagements. With the launch in October 2021, Amie Davidson, a business development specialist, re-joined the firm from Deloitte to head up the US edition, spearheaded the launch.