UK firm Allen & Overy has hired the head of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld’s energy regulation, markets and enforcement practice as a partner in Washington DC. 

George ‘Chip’ Cannon joins the firm after nine years at Akin Gump, where he led the firm’s energy regulation efforts. Before that, he spent more than a decade at Latham & Watkins, where he was elevated to partner in 2006. 

The move will see him reunite with a 21-strong project finance and renewables team from Akin Gump that jumped to A&O last year to set up an office in Los Angeles. The coast-to-coast team is co-led by partners Dan Sinaiko in the firm’s new LA office and John Marciano in Washington DC. 

The duo, who were co-heads of Akin Gump's global projects team, were joined by partners Greg Lavigne in New York, Matthew Nesburn and Andrea Wang Lucan in California and Sam Kamyans in Washington, as well as a supporting cast of associates and counsel.

Tim House, A&O’s US senior partner, said: “As the US energy markets continue to modernise under guidance from federal, state and local governments, Chip’s unparalleled regulatory experience will put us at the forefront of the sector, helping our clients navigate complex matters in this space.” 

Cannon focuses his practice on the regulatory aspects of acquisitions, divestitures and financings in the US power sector. He has significant experience representing clients before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the US Department of Energy, federal courts and state regulatory commissions. 

“We are excited to welcome Chip back to our team,” Marciano added. “His decades of energy regulatory experience round out our transactional offerings and will help our clients navigate the multifaceted US energy landscape.”

A&O also hired seven partners from White & Case to open two more offices in California last year as it forged ahead with its US expansion agenda. The offices, located in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, are led by veteran technology partner duo Bijal Vakil and Daren Orzechowksi, who joined the firm as co-heads of its technology group. 

Last year, the firm’s US expansion efforts also saw it bring its flexible resourcing service, Peerpoint, stateside to support its US clients on domestic and cross-border engagements. The US edition of the service is led by business development specialist Amie Davidson, who re-joined the firm in New York from Deloitte to spearhead the launch in October.