McDermott Nabs Trio of Energy Dealmakers in New York, Houston

McDermott Will & Emery has bolstered its growing energy practice, adding three new partners with extensive backgrounds working on deals and projects in the industry.

The firm’s transactions practice group added former Kayne Anderson Energy Funds general counsel Kevin Brophy to its Houston office, and former Jones Day renewable energy partners Jim Salerno and Robert da Silva Ashley to its New York office.

Brophy spent nearly 15 years at Kayne Anderson, and will expand McDermott’s Houston-based Energy group led by Jack Langlois, who joined the firm in March from DLA Piper, to boost the firm’s conventional energy mergers and acquisitions and private equity capabilities.

“Texas provides significant opportunity for our clients and that is the primary reason we’re building out our footprint to support major energy infrastructure, project finance and transaction matters across the state,” Mike Poulos, McDermott’s head of strategy, said in a statement.

Salerno and da Silva Ashley represent multinational corporate and business entities primarily in the U.S., Latin America, and Sub-Saharan Africa on complex conventional and renewable energy projects affecting markets globally.

McDermott said it had hired 27 partners for its transactions group since the beginning of 2021, a number of whom will work on project finance, energy, and infrastructure.

“From the United States to Africa to Latin America, Jim and Robert counsel leading organizations impacting critical energy and infrastructure policy worldwide,” said Harris Siskind, global head of McDermott’s Transactions Practice group, in a statement.

Salerno advises clients on all stages of development for constructing and financing domestic and international energy and infrastructure projects. He represents developers, sponsors, investors, and lenders in structuring and negotiating renewable power, energy storage, carbon capture, renewables, geothermal, hydro, and nuclear generation projects. He also works with clients in the mining and metals industries.

Da Silva Ashley focuses on cross-border and domestic project finance and corporate lending transactions and is a recognized Latin American market expert. He advises international and domestic financial institutions, project sponsors and developers, investment funds, and multinational corporations.