Following the arrival of six energy and infrastructure partners hires from Norton Rose Fulbright in late January, Winston & Strawn LLP said on Feb. 15 that litigators Hugh Tanner and Denise Scofield have joined the firm in Houston.
Tanner previously served as managing partner of Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP’s Houston office, and also chaired its oil and gas litigation group initiative. This group expands Winston’s existing energy team in Houston along with other recent additions, including Doug Atnipp, who joined from Greenberg Traurig where he served as the firm’s co-managing shareholder of the Houston office and co-chair of the energy practice group, and of counsel Brenda Hanzl.
“We are pleased to welcome Hugh and Denise—and their formidable litigation skills—representing energy industry clients,” said Tom Fitzgerald, Winston’s chairman. “We know our clients will be well-served by their experience handling oil and gas industry disputes and defending major energy companies in complex litigation.”
Over the course of his career, Tanner has guided clients through federal and internal investigations and tried numerous complex cases in the oilfield services and other industries. A first-chair trial lawyer, Hugh has been recognized as a leading lawyer by Legal 500 US for General Commercial Disputes and Energy – Litigation and was recently named an Acritas Star Lawyer.
“We’re very pleased to be joining the first-rate team of lawyers at Winston,” Tanner said. “I’ve crossed paths with some of them over the years and have always been impressed by their smart trial work. We’re excited to be part of this robust energy industry platform the firm is building.”
Scofield advises chemical, pharmaceutical, manufacturing and transportation companies, in addition to oil and gas exploration and oilfield services companies. She has served as national and regional defense counsel in mass torts involving hundreds of plaintiffs. Scofield is also a past president of the Houston Bar Association and trustee of the Texas Access to Justice Foundation.
“Hugh and Denise bring terrific knowledge and talent to our Houston team,” said John Keville, managing partner of Winston’s Houston office. “Their practice strengthens our existing oil and gas industry experience in Houston, as well as our overall market position in Texas, where we’ve been focused on strategically growing to support our clients’ needs.”
With Winston’s ongoing expansion, the firm’s energy industry team offers litigation and arbitration, acquisitions and dispositions, project development and financing, and public-private partnerships. In addition, several of the new lawyers have held senior government positions and advise clients on regulatory matters involving the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
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