Orrick Adds Three Partners From Bingham McCutchen

Christine Simmons

New York Law Journal

01-30-2013

Three energy and project finance partners at Bingham McCutchen have left for Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. Tara Higgins, Torsten Marshall and Rafael Galvan joined Orrick's energy and infrastructure group in New York. Higgins, who was cochair of Bingham's energy and project finance group, will become co-head of Orrick's U.S. energy practice.

The group's clients have included GE Energy Financial Services; U.S. Energy Department; Overseas Private Investment Corp., a government agency; and Atlantic Power Corp., Orrick said in a news release. The group focuses on the energy and infrastructure sectors, for work involving project finance, mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, and private equity, among other areas.

In an interview, Higgins said the trio made the move because Orrick offered "many more resources, much more substantive depth." "It gives us a geographic reach in the United States that we haven't had before," Higgins said, adding that she also was impressed with Orrick's international footprint.

The team began serious discussions with Orrick last fall. Higgins said clients are coming with the group, while a few associates from Bingham are also expected to join the firm. Higgins, who had been at Bingham for about 13 years, said the parting was amicable. A Bingham spokeswoman declined to comment on the impact of the departure, other than to say, "We wish Tara, Torsten and Rafael well."