Paul Hastings has named a third partner joining from White & Case following the debut of its first Middle East office in Abu Dhabi.
Xavier Petet, a specialist in private equity and infrastructure M&A, has joined the firm based in Paris.
In March, it was reported the firm hired Abu Dhabi partner Dinmukhamed ‘Din’ Eshanov and London partner George Kazakov from White & Case.
Eshanov and Kazakov will co-head the new Abu Dhabi office and, along with Paris-based partner Petet, lead an international team spanning Abu Dhabi, London and Paris, strengthening the firm’s global energy and infrastructure capabilities and complementing its existing US practice.
“The addition of this strong, international team, alongside our elite US infrastructure and energy group, expands our global reach in high-value transactional work, including finance, M&A, restructuring and large-scale infrastructure development,” said the firm’s chair, Frank Lopez. “We currently represent a wide range of sovereign wealth funds, asset managers, banks and corporates across the globe that are highly synergistic with the team, and we look forward to gaining more market share of cross-border matters.”
The newly appointed team will work closely with the energy and infrastructure practice co-chairs Gregory Tan and Rob Freedman, who joined the firm’s New York office in 2022.
Petet advises financial sponsors in their M&A and private equity transactions, primarily in the middle- and large-cap market.
Eshanov, based in Abu Dhabi, advises on various project development and construction matters across a range of industries, including the infrastructure and renewable energy sectors.
Kazakov, who will work out of the firm’s Europe and Abu Dhabi offices, focuses on private equity M&A and finance transactions in the infrastructure sector.
All three partners have joined the firm after just under four years as partners at White & Case.
Eshanov said: “It is exciting to be part of the team leading the buildup of the Abu Dhabi-based practice, which will serve as a hub for the regional clients and transactions, as well as a vital bridge with Europe, the US and Asia for the firm’s clients. Helping expand the reach of European investors into the Middle East and facilitating investments from the region into Europe will be a cornerstone of the strategy.”
A spokesperson for White & Case said: “We can confirm that Din Eshanov, George Kazakov and Xavier Petet are leaving White & Case. We wish them well in the future.”
