Shearman & Sterling, the law firm, has added two new partners to its global projects and finance practice.

Robert Nelson has joined the firm in San Francisco and Anthony Patten joins in Singapore.

Nelson joins from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, where he worked in both San Francisco and California. His remit includes cross-border transactions in energy, infrastructure, technology, private equity and foreign investment.

Through his career he has worked on a number of large transactions, including the US$3bn restructuring of the Dabhol power plant in India, owned by Bechtel and GE, and the project financing and construction of Dow Chemicals and Mitsui’s chlor-alkali facility in Freeport, Texas.

Patten joins from Allens, where he managed the oil and gas team in Asia and Australia. Before this he was a partner in Ashurt’s London energy, transport and infrastructure group. He also spent time as a senior in-house counsel at Royal Dutch Shell.

Both recruits report to Creighton Condon, senior partner, who says: “They are both outstanding lawyers, and we are very excited about the prospects of introducing them to our clients and having them bring the full global capabilities of Shearman & Sterling to their clients.”