Press Release

Morgan Lewis Concludes Recent International Expansion with Announcement of New Co-Managing Partners in London, Arrival of One More Partner, Hiring of Associates, Trainees, Staff

Monday, June 11, 2012

LONDON—June 11, 2012: Morgan Lewis today announced that Christopher Harrison and Peter Sharp will serve as the new co-managing partners of the firm's London office. The firm also confirmed that Olivier Chambord—an M&A and energy transactions lawyer who will relocate from Paris to London—has joined the firm as a partner in its Business and Finance practice.

"Chuck Lubar, who has served as managing partner in London, initially after the office was opened in 1981, and currently since August, 2009, will step down and continue to focus on his substantial client responsibilities and to provide senior leadership, as he has done for many years," noted Firm Chair Francis M. Milone in a memo to the firm. "Peter and Chris will work together to continue the integration of our new colleagues in London into the office, the firm, and our overall European presence, and will work closely with the Management Committee and others to drive the development and success of our London office."

Lubar oversaw the most significant expansion of the firm since it opened in the UK—more than doubling the firm's headcount in London over the past year. The latest partner arrival in an expansion most recently fueled by attorneys from Dewey & LeBoeuf, Olivier Chambord, has a broad commercial practice that covers international project development, cross border and national mergers and acquisitions and corporate work, with a strong focus on the energy, chemical and commodities industries.

"Olivier brings a keen insight into the business and legal needs of energy companies—a key segment of our client base—and other important sectors of the global economy," noted Charles E. Engros, leader of the firm's Business and Finance practice. "Rejoining many colleagues he has known and worked with for more than a dozen years, Olivier will be a great resource to our clients in the UK, EU, and Francophone Africa."

The firm has added a number of lawyers and staff across seven offices on three continents to continue developing its strong focus on energy, business and finance, and litigation—including a major expansion in London and two new locations for the firm in Moscow and Almaty.

Morgan Lewis invested in key geographic and practice areas for the firm's client base, drawing teams of lawyers and staff that have worked well together for many years. In addition to the 20 partners and international partners mentioned by name below, all told, the firm will be home to 5 counsel, 42 associates, as well as more than 70 staff from the former Dewey & LeBoeuf firm, including 10 trainees. In addition to Chambord, other recent partner arrivals have included:

  • Finance partner Marshall Stoddard in New York and Los Angeles
  • Energy partner Charley Moore in Houston
  • Litigation partners Peter Sharp, Nick Greenwood, and David Waldron in London
  • Finance partners Bruce Johnston, Amanda Jennings, and M&A partner Amy Comer in London
  • Business and finance partners Brian Zimbler, Jonathan Hines, Oleg Berger, Carter Brod, Roman Dashko, and Vasilisa Strizh; as well as international partners Dmitri Kunitsa, Nane Oganesyan, and Dina Kzylkhodjaeva
  • Corporate and energy transactions partner Aset Shyngyssov in Almaty

Chambord joins a Business and Finance practice comprised of more than 300 lawyers in offices throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia that focuses on mergers and acquisitions (including joint ventures, spin-offs, and strategic alliances), energy transactions (including oil and gas, utilities, and renewable energy), private equity, fund formation, finance, restructuring, securities (including public and private equity and debt offerings), emerging business and technology, outsourcing transactions, and tax. Applying a deep understanding of virtually every industry and type of business enterprise, Morgan Lewis attorneys serve as outside general counsel to many of the world's leading companies and act as special counsel to others either in specific areas or on a transactional basis.

Morgan Lewis is a leading provider of legal services in the global energy industry, with extensive experience advising on some of the world's most complex and significant energy transactions. The firm's attorneys—operating from more than half a dozen cities around the world—are well versed in national and cross-border transactions, as well as a wide range of energy and energy-related industry sectors. They have considerable experience managing and negotiating complex transactions in electric power; upstream, midstream and downstream oil and gas; LNG; gas transportation; power transmission; and renewable energy projects.

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