Gibson Dunn & Crutcher has added a pair of projects and infrastructure partners in London from Shearman & Sterling.

Ben Shorten and Trinh Chubbock have joined the top 10 US firm ahead of Shearman’s planned merger with Allen & Overy, which the two firms announced in May after Shearman’s merger talks with Hogan Lovells came to an end earlier in the year. 

The duo are the latest in a string of partner departures from Shearman, including several who have joined Gibson Dunn as the firm focuses on building its projects and infrastructure and energy teams in EMEA. In January, partner trio Renad Younes, Jade Chu and Samuel Ogunlaja joined from Shearman with their team to open an office in Abu Dhabi, while last October Shearman’s energy-focused global co-head of corporate, Marwan Elaraby, joined in Dubai.  

Federico Fruhbeck, co-chair of Gibson Dunn’s projects and infrastructure practice group, said: “Ben and Trinh are both fantastic additions to our team. Ben is a leading practitioner who has extensive project finance experience and, having been based in London, Abu Dhabi and Singapore, has a unique, global perspective. Trinh, likewise, brings considerable energy and transitional sector experience, particularly on the commercial side.”

Shorten spent nearly 24 years at Shearman, most recently as global project development and finance practice group leader, and at Gibson Dunn will lead the EMEA project finance team. He focuses his practice on the development and financing of energy and infrastructure projects with a particular focus on energy transition, power and water, and oil and gas projects. He regularly advises both sponsors and lenders in project financings, and at Shearman worked with clients including Petronas, ACWA Power, The Dow Chemical Company, PT Adaro, Standard Chartered Bank and HSBC. 

Meantime Chubbock’s energy practice is focused on project developments, M&A transactions and commercial contracts. She has a broad practice covering the full value chain from upstream oil and gas to downstream sectors, with experience in midstream work and LNG. She also focuses on renewable energy and energy transition. She joined Shearman as a partner in 2019, prior to which she was counsel at Ashurst. 

The duo’s arrival brings Gibson Dunn’s London projects and infrastructure lawyer headcount to 13, according to its website, including oil and gas co-chair Anna Howell. Howell is noted by Chambers as a standout energy lawyer for M&A and oil and gas work, and counsels clients including E.On, BP and Marathon Oil on major deals. 

Practice co-chair Fruhbeck is also based in London, having joined the team in 2021 alongside partner Alice Brogi from Vinson & Elkins. 

A Shearman & Sterling spokesperson said: “Our global project development and finance team regularly advises on landmark energy, energy transition and infrastructure projects. The legal expertise and innovation that our team brings has led to us advising on a number of first-of-its-kind projects, delivering cutting edge solutions for our clients. We thank Ben and Trinh for the contribution they have made to the firm and wish them all the best for the future.”