Paul Hastings adds another partner from White & Case in energy and infra-focused buildout

Paul Hastings has landed another partner from White & Case, hiring finance specialist William Watson in Abu Dhabi as the firm doubles down on its energy and infrastructure-focused expansion.

Watson joins from White & Case in Dubai and brings experience advising banks, credit funds and sovereign borrowers across conventional and Sharia-compliant finance transactions. His practice spans private credit, leveraged finance, restructuring and broader corporate lending across the Middle East, Europe and Africa.

The hire is the latest in a string of moves that have seen Paul Hastings reunite an eight-partner, 20-lawyer team from White & Case over the past three months, with a focus on energy and infrastructure specialists.

That group includes Din Eshanov and George Kazakov, who now co-head the firm's new Abu Dhabi office which launched in April, as well as Paris-based Xavier Petet and Abu Dhabi partners Stefan Mrozinski and Habeeb Rahman.

For White & Case, Watson’s departure caps a run of exits. In addition to the Abu Dhabi team moves, the firm lost a three-partner London infrastructure team to Milbank in April.

What they said

Gregory Tan, co-chair of Paul Hastings' energy and infrastructure practice, called Watson’s arrival "another significant step in the strategic expansion of our global energy and infrastructure platform."

Commenting on his move, Watson said he was delighted to reunite with his former colleagues, adding: “I look forward to supporting the energy and infrastructure team in Abu Dhabi while adding experience that is synergistic with the firm’s exceptional global finance practice."