Hogan Lovells hires King & Spalding partner trio with an eye on arbitration growth

Emerson Holmes, who recently joined the firm’s London office, is a market-leading international arbitration practitioner who has been involved in some of the largest infrastructure projects in Asia, Australia and the Middle East over recent years. Emerson’s practice is focused on representing owners, contractors and consultants in disputes arising out of the design and construction of LNG facilities, petrochemical plants, mine, off-shore platforms, and other types of infrastructure projects. Although focused on international arbitration, Emerson also has significant experience of advising clients in adjudications and in proceedings in the English courts where, more recently, he led the successful team in the landmark case  in which he obtained an injunction on behalf of his client that prevented an expert consultant from acting adverse to the client in an on-going arbitration.

Patrick McPherson, joining in Dubai, focuses on disputes relating to construction, energy and infrastructure projects across the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. He acts in complex and substantial claims for employers and developers, contractors, and engineering and design consultants. He is admitted to the High Court of New Zealand, and previously was in-house counsel for one of the Middle East’s largest construction companies. 

Randall Walker, also based in Dubai, focuses on disputes arising in the energy and infrastructure sectors, and represents clients across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, as well as in Europe. He advises energy producers, power and mining interests, and construction and engineering clients on disputes throughout the lifecycle of a project. His experience includes oil and gas projects, petrochemical plants, and power and water projects. He also acts on large-scale infrastructure projects such as railways and roads. 

This news about the trio closely follows the hires of environmental litigators Megan Nishikawa and Amber Trincado, who also joined Hogan Lovells from King & Spalding in September 2022 as litigation partners in the firm’s San Francisco office. Nishikawa and Trincado represent clients in high-stakes litigation in industry sectors including energy and pharmaceuticals. 

Oliver Armas, global Practice Area leader of the firm’s International Arbitration practice, commented: “We are delighted that our arbitration practice continues to grow tremendously – particularly in strategic markets such as London and Dubai. With their extensive experience in infrastructure, construction and energy projects, and their well-deserved reputation as leading advocates, Emerson, Patrick, and Randall together are a  great complement to our global arbitration practice, which represents clients in their most challenging matters.” 

Emerson Holmes commented: “I have fond memories of my time with Lovells as an associate in Hong Kong earlier in my career and I am excited to have re-joined the firm. Hogan Lovells has an unparalleled global Construction and Engineering brand and there is a unique and intriguing opportunity to collaborate even more across the globe to better serve the firm’s impressive client base. I am also excited to join a team that I know has a strong culture of working together collegially to service the best interests of clients.” 

Randall Walker said: “We are thrilled to be joining the firm shortly after Emerson joined in London, and look forward to working again with Emerson, as well as and the broader Hogan Lovells team.”

Patrick McPherson added: “Construction and engineering has a hugely exciting future throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, and with the support of Hogan Lovells’ global team we believe this move will be enormously beneficial for clients seeking both in-depth industry knowledge and robust global capabilities.” 

Alexander Dolgorukow, who was previously with the firm as a senior associate until 2018, also re-joined the firm as a counsel in the Munich international arbitration practice recently.  

The firm’s arbitration practice has also been growing organically, with the recent promotions of Melissa Ordonez (Paris) and Samuel Zimmerman (New York) to partner, and Catherine Bratic (Houston), Nata Ghibradze (Munich), and Janice Cheng (Hong Kong) to counsel.