Oliver Irwin Joins Bracewell as Finance Partner in London

LONDON – Bracewell LLP announced today that Oliver Irwin has joined the firm’s London office as a finance partner. Irwin joins Bracewell from Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP, where he focused on project, energy and infrastructure finance.

Irwin has earned the respect of clients as an insightful and innovative project finance lawyer. He represents lenders and sponsors in the development and financing of cross-border projects, many of which are the first of their kind in their industry. He has significant experience advising on multi-sourced financing involving export credit agencies, multilaterals and development finance institutions and is a regular speaker at industry conferences. IFLR1000 has identified Irwin as a “Rising Star” every year since 2013 and he has been ranked in Chambers and Partners each year since 2012, where clients report that Irwin is considered “truly outstanding” and highlight his "knowledge of debt financing" and "drive to get the deal done." Irwin is also ranked as a "Next Generation Lawyer" for "Projects, Energy & Natural Resources: Infrastructure" in the Legal 500 2018 rankings and was nominated by in-house counsel and peers to appear in Euromoney’s 2015, 2016 and 2017 “Rising Stars” Expert Guides.

“Oliver is a wonderful addition to the London office and our market-leading finance practice,” said Bracewell Managing Partner Gregory M. Bopp. “We are pleased to welcome him to the firm.”

Irwin is the third partner to join Bracewell’s global projects team since the start of the year. In March, Bracewell added Fernando J. Rodriguez Marin and Nicolai J. Sarad to the firm’s project finance team in New York. In addition, Irwin’s arrival deepens the bench of Bracewell’s London office, which in December established an energy disputes practice with the arrival of John Gilbert and Damian Watkin.

“When we established the London office five years ago, we set out to recruit the best talent and rival even the largest firms in the energy space,” said London Managing Partner Jason Fox. “We have achieved that goal and Oliver’s arrival is another step in broadening and deepening our offering in energy finance.”

Bracewell is the only law firm in London dedicated exclusively to serving client needs in the energy industry. This unique focus has earned international recognition within the legal and business community. Most recently, Legal 500 UK honored Bracewell’s London team as the 2017 “Projects, Energy and Natural Resources Specialism Firm of the Year in Oil & Gas.”

“I am delighted to join Bracewell and look forward to working with my new colleagues both in London and throughout the Bracewell network,” said Irwin. “Bracewell has a unique position among law firms active in the energy sector, including in key emerging economies, and the fit with my practice could not be better.”