Hunton Andrews Kurth has hired global nuclear power projects lawyer George Borovas as its new Tokyo office managing partner.

Borovas, who joins from Shearman & Sterling, will also chair the firm’s nuclear energy practice. He brings with him more than two decades of experience advising governments, sponsors and lenders on developing nuclear power programmes, and financing and building nuclear power plants.

Jeffrey Schroeder, head of Hunton’s energy and infrastructure team, said: “George played a central role in the development and financing of some of the largest nuclear power projects and programmes in the world. His significant experience and reputation as one of the top nuclear energy project lawyers are a welcome addition to the firm.”

Hunton's small Tokyo office was founded in 2011 by restructuring and corporate finance specialist J R Smith, who has since relocated to the Virginia office but retains a strong interest in Japan. The Tokyo office is one of three in Asia; the others are in Beijing and Bangkok, with the Bangkok arm serving as the main hub in terms of numbers, housing 29 lawyers, according to Hunton's website. 

Borovas had been at Shearman in Tokyo since 2014 as a partner and head of nuclear. He continues to be a board member of the World Nuclear Association, which he joined in 2017.

Borovas is the third energy specialist to depart from Shearman in Asia this autumn. In September, Singapore-based energy partner Anthony Patten, who was co-head of its oil and gas group, joined King & Spalding alongside colleague Lachlan Clancy. Patten remained in Singapore while Clancy was due to relocate to Tokyo.

Following those departures, Shearman promoted internally to replace them, with Singapore-based project finance lawyer Jean-Louis Neves Mandelli promoted to partner and Joe Freeman elevated to counsel.

Elsewhere in Asia, Clifford Chance last month named banking and finance lawyer Dauwood Malik as its new Hong Kong managing partner, the latest in a series of leadership changes in the region. Former Asia Pacific capital markets head Connie Heng was also promoted to regional managing partner, succeeding Geraint Hughes.

That came shortly after the firm’s Singapore office managing partner Kai-Niklas Schneider was appointed to Clifford Chance’s global leadership group in a newly created role to lead the firm’s financial investors strategy. Schneider also heads the firm’s funds and investment management group in Singapore.

And back in September, Mishcon de Reya expanded its recently launched Singapore office with the hire of experienced dispute resolution lawyer Gavin Margetson from boutique firm Sharpe & Jagger, adding to the two-partner team hired from Withers KhattarWong in May.