UK Magic Circle law firm Linklaters has hired two renewables partners and a counsel as it continues its drive to build a heavyweight US practice in a sector that is expected to boom in the coming years.

Partners Marius Griskonis and Judy Kwok have joined Linklaters’ New York office from White & Case and Troutman Pepper respectively while Diana Jeschke is moving across to the Washington DC office later this month as a senior counsel from Crowell & Moring.

Griskonis will co-head the firm’s energy and infrastructure team alongside Ron Erlichman, who joined the firm in November from Sidley Austin.

The arrival of the trio boosts the dedicated Americas energy and infrastructure team to four partners, two counsel and seven associates and comes amid an anticipated boom in US renewable energy projects fuelled by The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) with its $369bn package of investment and tax breaks over ten years.

Kwok said: “The enactment of the IRA points to a historic moment and the unprecedented expansion of the renewables energy market across the range of clean energy offerings.”

Erlichman added: ¨The IRA has provided the US market with a tremendous boost and we will be visiting our overseas offices to talk to colleagues and clients about the opportunities it presents. It confirms that the US is committed to energy transition, but regardless of the IRA, we would have done what we are doing.”

Griskonis spent nearly 20 years at White & Case advising on the development, financing, acquisition, and sale of renewable energy infrastructure. Tax specialist Kwok was at Troutman Pepper for two years having joined as a partner from Mintz Levin. She is a former vice president, tax planning and tax counsel, at GE Energy Financial Services.

Jeschke, meanwhile, focuses on regulatory matters affecting clients before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

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Linklaters’ recruitment of experienced partners from Sidley in November and now White & Case promises to propel the firm up the US rankings. Both Sidley and White & Case are ranked by Chambers and Partners as band 2 power and renewables projects transactions advisers in the US.

Daniel Tyrer, head of Linklaters’ global energy and infrastructure group, said: “Marius, Judy, and Diana round out what is now a full-service, powerhouse energy transition and renewables team in the US, complementing our market-leading Europe and Asia teams to create an unparalleled global offering.”

Griskonis highlighted the UK firm's experience advising on wind projects.“Linklaters has advised on 88 off shore wind deals, 21 in the last two and a half years, and we don’t think there is another firm which can say that,” he said.

Like its global UK Magic Circle rivals, Linklaters is targeting US growth. Tom McGrath, head of Linklaters’ US global practice identified energy and infrastructure as one of three priority practice areas for investment in the US.

"Expanding our bench of talent in the US is a top priority of the firm, with an immediate focus on growing in areas that leverage our global market leadership in advising on complex multinational deals. The growth of our US energy and infrastructure team supports this strategy, alongside our ambitions to expand our US M&A and private equity practices.”

Linklaters’ UK Magic Circle rival Allen & Overy has also been investing in its US renewable energy practice, having opened a Los Angeles office in 2021 after securing a highly-rated six-partner US project finance and renewables team from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld.