K&L Gates Hires Three-Partner Energy Disputes Team in London

London - The London office of global law firm K&L Gates LLP has added a leading energy disputes team consisting of partners Jeremy Farr, Charles Lockwood, and Clare Kempkens. They join K&L Gates from Ince & Co, where their combined experience totaled almost 70 years and where Farr served as the global head of the firm’s energy practice.

The team has broad experience across the energy sector, including upstream and midstream oil and gas matters such as offshore construction; engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contracting; renewables; rig/FPSO construction; floating production; drilling; pipelines; oilfield services; and associated maritime and insurance issues. They divide their practice between assisting clients with the development of contracts, pre-litigation tactical advice/general advisory, commercial litigation, and international arbitration. Serving clients from around the globe, the group has particular experience representing client interests in relation to activities in the North Sea, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa.

“K&L Gates’ global platform offers us the ideal chance to broaden our focus and offer a fuller service to a wider range of participants in the sector including contractors, oil companies, and other upstream/midstream businesses,” said Farr. “Charles, Clare, and I are looking to forward to complementing the firm’s ambitious energy and leading litigation/international arbitration practices.”

Tony Griffiths, K&L Gates’ managing partner for Europe and the Middle East, stated: “With the challenges being faced by the energy sector, we have already seen a surge in oil and gas related disputes and pre-litigation advice both in London and across our global network. The recruitment of this team is an important move for K&L Gates and will enable us to offer a greater level of services to our existing clients as well as to attract new clients to the firm.”

The group is the latest in a series of recent additions to K&L Gates’ energy, infrastructure and resources practice area, including Houston partner Daniel P. LeFort in December; Fort Worth/Houston partners Joseph Regan and Adam Plumbley; Houston of counsel Zachary Ferreira; New York/Houston partner Toshi Yoshida; and Washington, D.C., partner Elias Hinckley and counsel James Wrathall.

K&L Gates’ global oil and gas practice is built on a deep, practical understanding of the international oil and gas business and the interplay between the legal and commercial aspects of exploring for, producing, transporting, storing, marketing, and processing crude oil, natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), natural gas liquids (NGLs), and other petroleum products. The firm represents participants in every segment of the oil and gas industry, including the related manufacturing, service, and supply sectors.