SPB charges up energy team with NRF hires

Squire Patton Boggs (SPB) has beefed up its energy and natural resources team with hires rom Norton Rose Fulbright.

Natalie Lonergan and Tatiana Gotvig join SPB’s Sydney office as the firm’s new partners, along with two associates. Lonergan and Gotvig cited SPB’s global reach as a factor in them making the jump.

“We were impressed with the firm’s international reach and its commitment to excellence. The energy sector is a global one and our clients will benefit from this firm’s expansive platform and talented resources,” they said.

Lonergan has particular expertise working with the international oil and gas and energy sectors. She focuses on acquisitions and disposals, project development and structuring, capital raising and commodity marketing.

For over 25 years, she has assisted on transactions in various stages of the project cycle, such upstream exploration and production, midstream transportation and storage infrastructure and downstream LNG and gas sales and procurement.

Gotvig has 20 years of experience with global energy and infrastructure transactions. She has handled gas, LNG and energy infrastructure projects across the APAC region.

She has worked in the in-house legal departments of international energy companies in various roles, as well as with the energy desks of financial institutions. She has operated not just in Australia, but in Vietnam and Hong Kong as well.

The pair’s addition to the partnership strengthens the firm’s APAC energy and resources offering.

“The addition of Natalie and Tatiana adds important development and energy commodity expertise and experience to the Asia Pacific region and complements the depth of our existing global team,” said Lisa Henneberry, SPB’s energy and natural resources practice leader.

Managing partner Campbell Davidson said that the hire of Lonergan and Gotvig reflects SPB’s desire to “continue building on what is already an extremely strong and effective international energy line-up.”

“Natalie and Tatiana bring significant expertise across the energy sector and we are delighted they have decided to join our firm,” Davidson said.

Earlier this year, SPB expanded the partnership in its Perth office with the addition of three new partners. Simon Adams and Caroline Brown also have experience in working with the energy sector.