Ashurst today announces the appointment of Peter Roberts as a
partner in its global energy team. Peter joins Ashurst from
Centrica Energy, where he has been General Counsel since 2007 and
led a legal and regulatory team responsible for Centrica's upstream
and power generation businesses, including exploration and
production of gas, LNG import and trading, and energy trading.
Prior to joining Centrica, Peter was a partner at Jones Day in Hong
Kong and subsequently in London.
Ashurst's global energy team comprises over 80 lawyers worldwide
and provides a comprehensive service to the energy and natural
resources industry, advising on all aspects of work ranging from
M&A, joint ventures and project development and financing, to
environmental law and energy disputes. The practice has grown
strongly over the last few years, and Peter's appointment builds on
the recent arrival in London of Antony Skinner on the power and
renewables side, and Judith Kim in Dubai from Shell.
Commenting on the appointment, Ashurst's head of global energy Geoffrey Picton-Turbervill said:
"We have built a strong global energy practice built on high
quality corporate advice and an in-depth understanding of the
commercial issues faced by our clients - it is a purely sector
focused practice, and having people who know and understand the
industry is key. Peter is a heavyweight industry lawyer - he has a
strong reputation for legal excellence and outstanding specialist
knowledge of the industry, which make him a good fit with our
existing practice and a valuable addition to the team."
Ashurst senior partner Charlie
Geffen added:
"I am very pleased to welcome Peter to the firm. The energy sector
is a key market for us and one where we see considerable
opportunities for future growth. The hire of a partner of Peter's
calibre is a significant boost and shows our commitment to building
a leading global energy practice, a goal which Peter will play a
key part in helping to achieve."