Paul Hastings Adds Transformative Energy & Infrastructure Team in Abu Dhabi, London and Paris

ABU DHABI, LONDON and PARIS – Paul Hastings LLP announced the significant expansion of its global energy and infrastructure practice with the addition of a premier European team and the opening of a new Abu Dhabi office situated as the firm’s regional hub serving clients across the UAE, Europe and Asia.

Dinmukhamed (Din) Eshanov and George Kazakov will co-head the new Abu Dhabi office and, along with Paris-based partner Xavier Petet, lead an international team spanning Abu Dhabi, London and Paris, strengthening the firm’s international energy and infrastructure capabilities and complementing its existing U.S. practice. The trio join from White & Case LLP.

“The addition of this strong, international team, alongside our elite U.S. infrastructure and energy group, expands our global reach in high-value transactional work, including finance, M&A, restructuring and large-scale infrastructure development,” said firm Chair Frank Lopez. “We currently represent a wide range of sovereign wealth funds, asset managers, banks and corporates across the globe that are highly synergistic with the team, and we look forward to gaining more market share of cross-border matters.”

The team will work closely with Energy and Infrastructure practice co-chairs Gregory Tan and Rob Freedman, who joined the firm in 2022 in New York, to accelerate the practice’s global growth, as well as with a broad range of other practices and geographies. 

"It is exciting to be part of the team leading the buildup of the Abu Dhabi-based practice, which will serve as a hub for the regional clients and transactions, as well as a vital bridge with Europe, the U.S. and Asia for the firm's clients," said Eshanov. “Helping expand the reach of European investors into the Middle East and facilitating investments from the region into Europe will be a cornerstone of the strategy.”

“We are thrilled to join Paul Hastings as the firm builds its global energy and infrastructure practice. With Paul Hastings’ incredible global platform and deep existing energy and infra capabilities, we are well-positioned to support clients navigating complex transactions in the region and globally,” said Kazakov. “We look forward to working with a world-class team to further strengthen our client relationships and drive the firm’s strategic growth internationally.”

Din Eshanov, based in Abu Dhabi, advises on various project development and construction agreements, including engineering and procurement agreements; power purchase agreements; operation and maintenance agreements; build, own, operate and transfer agreements; and FIDIC-based agreements across a range of industries, including the infrastructure and renewable energy sectors. He also advises on corporate, finance and commercial transactions, including cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and private equity. 

George Kazakov, who will work out of the firm’s Europe and Abu Dhabi offices, focuses on private equity M&A and finance transactions in the infrastructure sector, advising funds and financial sponsors on domestic and cross-border acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures, co-investments and restructurings.

Xavier Petet, based in Paris, focuses on private equity and infrastructure M&A. He advises financial sponsors in their M&A and private equity transactions, primarily in the middle- and large-cap market.

About Paul Hastings

With widely recognized elite teams across 17 core practices, Paul Hastings is a premier law firm with a culture of excellence focused on providing intellectual capital and superior execution globally to the world’s leading investment banks, asset managers and corporations. For more information, visit www.paulhastings.com.