Bond Pearce gains a slice of Amerada with Stockley hire

Regional firm Bond Pearce has gained a foothold with US oil and gas corporation Amerada Hess after hiring a senior legal counsel from its UK subsidiary.

Paul Stockley, who originally trained with Boodle Hatfield, has joined as a partner in the commercial team. His arrival gives Bond Pearce a bite of work that is largely the domain of City firms such as Herbert Smith, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Lovells, as well as Scotland’s Ledingham Chalmers.

In-house lawyers at the corporation’s UK subsidiary are based in London.

Stockley is currently working on Amerada Hess’s projects in Azerbaijan. He will also be working with Bond Pearce’s highly-rated renewable energy practice, which has been built up over the last two years from its traditional planning base.

Team head Marcus Trinick commented: “The ever increasing size of renewable projects, particularly in the second round of offshore wind farms, require the project expertise which Paul has.”

The firm, which is involved in the UK’s first and second round of offshore wind farm developments, will be able to draw on Stockley’s offshore experience in the oil and gas sector.

“The offshore dimension means there’s a lot of scope for transferring skills to the wind energy market,” said Stockley.