Top 15 US firm Greenberg Traurig has hired a lawyer from Baker Botts as the first head of its energy team in London, as the firm moves to take a bigger cut of the fast-growing renewables market.

Shashank Krishna has joined the Miami-based firm as a shareholder after a little more than two years at Baker Botts, where he was a partner, prior to which he was a partner at McDermott Will & Emery. 

The London hire follows recent partner additions in Warsaw and Singapore as the firm looks to expand its international energy practice. 

His practice focuses on M&A, joint ventures and project development and financing in the renewables, carbon capture and storage, hydrogen, clean transport, infrastructure and defence sectors.  

Greenberg executive chairman, Richard Rosenbaum, said: “Energy and infrastructure have been a strategic priority for the firm in the United States and worldwide as the clean energy transition is well underway. Coupled with global concerns around climate change, energy security and affordability, the demand for specialist advice in this sector has never been greater. Shashank will play an integral role in expanding our energy and natural resources, infrastructure, and government contracts practices.” 

Over the course of his career Krishna has practised in London, Singapore and Delhi and has worked on transactions in nearly 50 jurisdictions, amounting to nearly $100bn in value. At Baker Botts he recently led a team that advised Harland & Wolff on its £1.6bn consortium bid along with Navantia and BMT to deliver three naval support ships to the UK’s Ministry of Defence. 

At Greenberg, Krishna has joined an energy and natural resources team that houses more than 100 lawyers and is noted by Chambers USA for its strength in the energy transition space. He is currently the only member of the team based in London, where the broader energy team includes litigation and arbitration specialists Mohammed Khamisa KC, a shareholder, and of counsel Leith Ben Ammar. 

“Shashank is a welcome addition to our London team,” said Fiona Adams, London office managing shareholder and global corporate practice co-chair. “Adding a lawyer of his calibre bolsters our office’s ability to advise clients dealing with the complexities of the energy, infrastructure and government contracts sectors in the UK, Europe and beyond. His appointment aligns with our global commitment to these sectors and reinforces our continuing investment in the London market.” 

Last year, Greenberg hired a trio of partners from Hogan Lovells to launch its Asia energy and infrastructure practice and in February this year it secured a four-lawyer team from Wolf Theiss in Wasaw, led by partner Konrad Kosicki, who assumed the role of office head of energy and natural resources.

Krishna commented: “We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape our industries and societies – to decarbonise them and put them on a sustainable path. Clients are increasingly taking a global ‘whole of business and society’ approach in navigating these opportunities and challenges. They require customised global legal strategies with local knowledge and expertise to deal with these changes in an evolving political landscape. Greenberg Traurig’s global reach and strong presence in London provides an excellent synergy to my own international practice and client base.”

A Baker Botts spokesperson wished Krishna well and highlighted the firm’s recent hire of energy and infrastructure projects partner Shane Wilson in Dubai from Squire Patton Boggs.

There has been a spate of renewables-focused hires in the US in recent months amid an expected boom in work in the sector fuelled by the Biden administration’s $370bn package of subsidies for clean energy.  

Most recently, Kirkland & Ellis last week hired tax partner Sam Kamyans from Allen & Overy in Washington DC, citing increased demand from clients for energy transition-based tax advice.