Gibson Dunn has launched an energy and infrastructure practice in Paris with the hire of a nine-lawyer team from Linklaters. 

The group is led by partner Darko Adamovic and includes counsel Vincent Poilleux and Alex Bluett along with six associates. The team advises on project development and finance in the energy and infrastructure sectors both in France and internationally.

Tomer Pinkusiewicz, co-chair of Gibson Dunn’s projects and infrastructure practice group, hailed the team’s arrival along with recent hires in London, Dubai and Abu Dhabi as “another important step in cementing our comprehensive infrastructure product offering around the world.” 

Adamovic primarily advises on domestic and international infrastructure, telecoms, energy transition and conventional energy and transport projects, including in the electric vehicle sector, and also brings significant experience in M&A transactions in the infrastructure and energy sectors. 

Adamovic has joined Gibson Dunn after almost a decade at Linklaters, prior to which he practised at Willkie Farr & Gallagher. His clients include sponsors, lenders, multilateral institutions, contractors and governments and he has worked on a number of projects with French private equity firm InfraVia and also developed financing structures on behalf of the European Investment Bank. 

The arrival of Adamovix along with his team continues the expansion of Gibson Dunn’s projects and infrastructure and energy practices, particularly in the EMEA region. The firm has been a beneficiary of a wave of exits from Shearman & Sterling since late last year as the New York firm held now-aborted merger talks with Hogan Lovells before striking a deal with Allen & Overy, adding projects and infrastructure and energy partners from the New York firm in London, Dubai and to open an office in Abu Dhabi. 

In late 2021, the firm also added a pair of projects and infrastructure partners from US rival Vinson & Elkins in London, including practice co-chair Federico Fruhbeck, though going the other way it lost an eight-strong energy litigation team to Vinson & Elkins in Washington DC in February this year. 

In May Gibson Dunn secured Rahul Vashi in Houston from Kirkland & Ellis to co-chair its oil and gas group. 

Linklaters said its global energy and infrastructure practice had a record year, while in France the practice, which houses around 25 lawyers including five partners, is ranked band 1 by Chambers and Legal 500 and has recently been bolstered by the return of partner Fanny Mahler from competition law boutique Magenta. 

A spokesperson for the firm commented: “Linklaters has one of the leading energy and infrastructure practices based in France, combining expertise across the spectrum of project finance, acquisition of renewable and infrastructure assets, acquisition financing, PFI/PPP and public law, alongside field leading corporate/M&A and competition law practitioners specialising in the energy and infrastructure sectors. 

“The team is recognised as market-leading for its work on domestic and international projects, including in particular Francophone Africa, and in the energy sector. We are committed to investing in our talents to continue to offer our clients unparalleled advice and outstanding client service, as recent partner and counsel promotions testify.”