US law firm King & Spalding has hired two energy lawyers, Anthony Patten and Lachlan Clancy, as partners in Asia. Both men will join the firm’s corporate and finance group in Singapore, with Clancy expected to transfer to the firm’s Tokyo office at the end of September.  

The projects lawyers specialise in energy finance mandates, specifically oil and gas instructions, covering upstream, midstream and downstream sectors, and have specific experience in managing LNG-related work across Asia, for both an Asian-based and international clientele.

Hailing their “proven pedigree in advising major developers and investors on their most significant, strategic energy investments around the world”, Todd Holleman, who leads their new practice group, said their energy sector experience, client list, and team-working skills made the duo “an ideal fit for our own energy practice, in Asia and internationally".

The duo would “complement our established axis between the Singapore and Tokyo offices, our own energy experience and many shared clients”, said Kelly Malone, who manages the firm’s Singapore office. 

She added: “They also open up fresh opportunities for our wider corporate and finance practice in Asia and our international offices, including in London, the Middle East and the US.”

At Shearman, Patten was co-head of the oil and gas group, having originally joined the US firm in January 2014 from leading Australian firm Allens in Perth, bringing Clancy, formerly a counsel, with him a year later.  

Patten has extensive international experience, having worked for six years in-house for Shell in both London and Dubai, and undertaking a five-year stint with Ashurst in London, before returning to join Allens in 2011, where he also held energy sector leadership roles; Clancy, meanwhile, trained and qualified with Allens in 2009, having combined his legal studies, with service in the Australian Army reserves, as an infantry officer. 

Ben Shorten, Shearman’s head of Asia project development and finance said the duo had played an important part in building Shearman’s team, adding: “Whilst we’ll be sorry to see them go, we thank them for their contribution and wish them all the best in their new roles.” 

“Anthony and Lachlan’s departure will give us the opportunity to accelerate a number of changes which will enable us to further strengthen our proposition in Singapore and the wider Asian project finance market,” he added, but declined to offer further details. 

International expansion

The duo’s arrival is not King & Spalding’s only recent international team hire – it hired a four-lawyer team of litigators in Paris at the start of September, with the arrival of specialist French criminal lawyer, Jean Tamalet, who joined from Bird & Bird. 

Tamalet, who joined the firm’s white collar crime practice, is currently representing former Nissan CEO, Carlos Ghosn, in the various ongoing proceedings against him, among other clients, was the latest arrival at the firm’s French outpost, which has added five partners to its ranks over the last two years, while it has expanded its US ranks considerably in recent months in both the East and West Coast of America. 

Shearman, meanwhile, was reported bY Law.com to have added to its growing London ranks with the arrival of ex-Freshfields senior partner contender, and veteran corporate partner, Simon Marchant, as a senior adviser. Marchant, a three-decade veteran of the firm, left Freshfields in 2018 to work as a strategy and management consultant, and is expected to carry out a similar role for the US firm, advising on strategy, lateral recruitment, practice growth, business development and profile-raising opportunities.