LOC makes management changes
Alex Harrison has assumed his new role at London Offshore Consultants (LOC) as group director, energy services after stepping down as managing director of LOC Australia. He was a director of LOC in London before transferring in 2005 to head LOC Australia. He joined the LOC Group Ltd. board in 2011. He remains based in Perth, Western Australia. Adam Solomons has taken over as managing director of LOC in Australia. Solomons studied Naval Architecture at the University of New South Wales after which he worked on offshore oil and gas projects in Australia, the North Sea, and the Caspian. He joined LOC Australia in 2006. He became a director of LOC Australia in 2011.
Dimitroff joins BakerHostetler
Sashe D. Dimitroff has joined the Houston office of BakerHostetler as a member of the litigation group and the energy and shale team. He was previously with Haynes and Boone. Dimitroff focuses his practice on international arbitration, complex business and energy litigation, and alternative dispute resolution. He represents a wide range of national and international businesses and will devote a significant amount of his practice to representing clients in the energy and oilfield service industries. Dimitroff is an adjunct professor at the University of Houston Law School, where he teaches International Risk Management in Oilfield Services. Dimitroff received his JD from the University of Houston Law Center, graduating magna cum laude. He received his MBA, graduating with full honors, from the University of Houston. He earned his BBA from the University of Texas at Austin.
O'Neill joins McDermott Will & Emery
Lisa O'Neill has joined international law firm McDermott Will & Emery as a partner in the firm's global energy advisory group, based in the firm's London office. O'Neill is a transactional lawyer with a diverse practice but a particular focus on the oil and gas sector. She advises a wide range of clients including major international oil and gas companies, corporates, infrastructure funds, some of the world's largest mining groups, financial institutions and private equity funds on M&A, joint ventures, commercial contracts and general corporate work. She joins from Berwin Leighton Paisner in London where she served as a partner.
Malgrain named EVP of BOURBON
Nicolas Malgrain has been appointed executive vice president of BOURBON. He will be in charge of strategy, finance, and administration of the group. He will succeeded Laurent Renard on the executive committee when Rendard retires December 31, 2014. Malgrain is an engineering graduate of the ENSEEIHT and an alumnus of the IEP Paris. He obtained an executive MBA from HEC in 2005. Prior to joining BOURBON in February, Malgrain served as vice president M&A Integration, responsible for the integration and development of Geoservices business, within Schlumberger.
Venture Global LNG hires Wicker as CEO
Venture Global LNG Inc. has hired William M. Wicker as CEO. Wicker previously served as Morgan Stanley's vice chairman of investment banking in the natural resources group. In addition to general management responsibilities, Wicker will focus on leading the company's international lines of business and project finance. As an investment banker and energy industry executive, he has conducted business in 26 countries. Wicker came to Venture Global from Morgan Stanley. Prior to working at Morgan Stanley, he spent seven years at Goldman Sachs, where he was a partner managing director in the Natural Resources Group in New York. He holds a bachelor's degree from Union College, a master's degree from Indiana University, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Royal Dutch Shell appoints chairman
Chad Holliday, the former chairman of Bank of America, is replacing Jorma Ollila as chairman of Royal Dutch Shell Plc. The company's board of directors has appointed Holliday as chairman with effect from the conclusion of the 2015 Annual General Meeting (AGM), subject to his re-appointment as a director of the company by shareholders at the AGM. Ollila will step down from the board with effect from the conclusion of the 2015 AGM, having served as chairman for nine years. Holliday was appointed as a non-executive director of the company with effect from September 2010, and is currently chairman of the Corporate and Social Responsibility Committee and Member of the Remuneration Committee. He was CEO of DuPont from 1998 to 2009, and chairman from 1999 to 2009.
DNO appoints COO
DNO ASA has appointed Jeroen Regtien as COO, based in Dubai, effective Jan. 1, 2015. Regtien comes to DNO from Royal Dutch Shell Plc, where he has had international exploration and production experience, including in the Middle East. His most recent position was country chairman and managing director for Shell Egypt. During his nearly 30-year career with Shell, Regtien worked in the Netherlands, Oman, Brunei, the US, and Australia. He holds a degree in experimental physics from Groningen State University.
Caldwell Boudreaux Lefler adds May to firm
Houston oil and gas pipeline law firm Caldwell Boudreaux Lefler PLLC has added energy lawyer Henry S. May Jr. to the firm. May joins the firm as special counsel. He previously led Vinson & Elkins' energy regulatory practice for more than 20 years before retiring after four decades with the firm.
Cascadia Capital expands to Houston
Seattle, Washington-based investment bank Cascadia Capital is expanding its Energy and Applied Technology practice with the opening of an office in Houston and the hiring of industry veteran Bob Schwartz. The new office will concentrate on advising middle market companies in oil and gas, oilfield products and services, and energy technology. Schwartz joins Cascadia as a senior advisor, bringing with him more than 50 years of industry experience, the latter portion focused on technology commercialization and business development. He was instrumental in bringing Norway-based Energy Ventures to the US in 2006, founded the Houston Technology Center's energy program in 2002, and was among the first to teach technology commercialization at the University of Texas at Austin.
Donadio elected to Marathon board
Marathon Oil Corp. has elected Marcela E. Donadio to the company's board of directors, effective Dec. 1, 2014. Donadio, 60, previously served as Americas Oil & Gas Sector Leader of Ernst & Young LLP, until her retirement this year after a nearly four-decade career. As Americas Oil & Gas Sector Leader from 2007 until her retirement, Donadio oversaw more than 3,300 oil and gas professionals across the Americas, directing firm oil and gas industry initiatives involving assurance, tax transactions and advisory services. She also sat on Ernst & Young's Global Oil and Gas Leadership Committee, helping set global strategy in connection with the firm's oil and gas clients. Donadio joined Ernst & Young in 1976. Donadio currently serves on the board of National Oilwell Varco. A graduate of Louisiana State University, Donadio holds a bachelor's degree in accounting.
Busmire to succeed Griffin as Energy XXI CFO
Energy XXI has appointed Bruce W. Busmire to the position of CFO, replacing West Griffin stepped down October 20, 2014. Busmire now leads Energy XXI's corporate finance, accounting, information technology, investor relations, planning and strategy functions. Busmire has more than 34 years of experience in the oil and gas industry and financial markets. Most recently he was CFO of Venari Resources. Prior, he was in financial executive positions with Anadarko Petroleum for eight years, serving as vice president of finance and treasurer, having served initially as vice president and chief accounting officer. He previously served as senior vice president, finance and CFO of Noble Corp. and was a founding member of Pickering Energy Partners. Busmire holds a BBA in accounting from Lamar University, an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, and has been a Certified Public Accountant since 1985.
Porter Hedges expands energy practice
Porter Hedges has expanded its energy practice with the opening of a new office in Oklahoma City led by partner C. Ray Lees. Lees' practice focuses on upstream and midstream oil and gas transactions including mergers, acquisitions & divestitures, joint ventures, finance, and real estate. He joins Porter Hedges along with of counsel Kendra D. Streeter. Lees has advised clients on some of the oil and gas industry's largest conventional and unconventional oil and gas acquisition and divestiture transactions, including deals with a combined value of more than $80 billion over the last ten years. He has also counseled clients in equity commitments from private investors and energy financing transactions involving oil and gas and midstream assets across the country. Prior to establishing the Oklahoma City office for Porter Hedges, Lees was managing partner of Commercial Law Group PC in Oklahoma City.
Locke Lord broadens energy practice
John Harris has joined the energy practice group at Locke Lord as a partner in the firm's Los Angeles office. Harris has more than 30 years of experience representing clients in all aspects of oil and gas, environmental and energy law. Prior to joining Locke Lord, he was a partner at Dentons and a part of its energy sector team. Harris has worked with producers, land and mineral owners, financial institutions and public agencies on oil and gas, energy and environmental matters. He also has significant experience representing oil and gas, industrial and local government clients in environmental litigation, transactional and regulatory matters. Harris has frequently represented clients in day-to-day legal issues that face energy producers in California. Harris earned his law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.
