Pillsbury boosts London team

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman has hired two partners to its London office as part of a bid to boost its European growth within the energy, finance and capital markets. The recent hires are likely to herald further recruitment drives in London.

Denis Petkovic joins to head up the European and Middle East practice. He moves from Chadbourne & Parke where he was a structured finance partner. He was based at the firm since 2000, and worked in a variety of practice areas including energy, telecommunications, property, ports, oil and gas and steel.  

Rafi Azim-Khan, previously advertising partner at Wragge & Co, has also joined Pillsbury, and is running the bank's IP/IT practice.

Commenting on his new role, Petkovic remarks: "Pillsbury has one of the foremost energy and energy finance practices in the world.

“I was struck by the sheer size and scope of the practice which includes oil and gas, LNG, and power generation, as well as the leading nuclear energy practice in the US. They are one of the very few firms that have managed to couple their energy practice with a well-established finance practice.”

Pillsbury's expansion in London continues with the further announcement that current energy partner and liquefied natural gas (LNG) lawyer John Mauel will became a dual resident of both the firm’s Houston office and the London office as of June.

For the last two years, Mauel has looked after Pillsbury’s relationship with Qatar Petroleum, advising affiliates of the national oil and gas company on LNG terminal activities and investments in the US.

The client has now also tapped the firm to advise on the South Hook LNG Terminal in Wales.

Commenting on the new push in London, Michael Schumaecker, global head of Pillsbury’s finance practice, explains: “Having an energy development partner like John Mauel working closely with an energy finance partner like Denis Petkovic combines two of our key strengths in a powerful way.

“We are delighted to be able to showcase those strengths on this critically important new UK LNG terminal.”

He adds: “Pillsbury has successfully moved away from an office-centric model to a practice centric model that enables us to dedicate the right resources to a matter in a seamless way.”
(Click here to read more about Pillsbury's activities in GTR Jan/Feb 2008)