Orrick lands Gibson Dunn duo to boost London energy bench

Orrick has hired a two-partner team from Gibson Dunn to strengthen its London energy and infrastructure practice, including one of the market's leading oil and gas lawyers.

Anna Howell, formerly co-chair of Gibson Dunn’s global oil and gas group, joins as Orrick’s global head of oil and gas alongside longtime colleague Mitasha Chandok who will join as a partner. The pair, who have practised together for 16 years, advise energy majors and private equity funds on cross-border deals spanning M&A, and project development and finance.

Big name hire

Howell is recognised as a market leader in the space, having advised clients including ADNOC, KKR and Marathon Oil. Her arrival adds depth in traditional energy to Orrick’s well-established London renewables practice.

The move continues a run of lateral activity at Orrick. Just last week, the firm moved for an eight-lawyer structured finance team from Cadwalader across London and the US, including a four-partner CLO group led by leading name David Quirolo.

What they said

Howell said: "Orrick is well known for innovating in the E&I space and has built a platform that connects the market globally. This is exactly what our clients need at this incredibly dynamic moment to address opportunity and risk and I am thrilled to now collaborate with this team I have long admired to offer something truly special."

Orrick chair Mitch Zuklie said: "We are thrilled to welcome another globally recognized advisor to our Energy leadership team."

He added: "Anna is a transformative hire whose practice connects with what we have built across the UK, Europe, the U.S. and Asia, and augments our Africa offering. We look forward to continuing to build globally with her leadership, and with Mitasha, who is exactly the kind of next-gen talent who thrives on our platform."