Rudy Giuliani reveals scale of firm's UK ambitions
Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani yesterday outlined both the scale of his firm’s ambitions for the UK legal market and the extent to which the ‘shale revolution’ could transform the world’s supplies of energy.
Rudolph Giuliani
Giuliani, name partner at Houston-based Bracewell & Giuliani, confirmed that his firm’s decision to target the UK market had been partly triggered by the British Government’s decision last year to give the green light to the production of shale gas.
He said that while Bracewell & Giuliani had been in London since 1979 it had always been small. “Now we have the ambition to grow,” said the former mayor, highlighting Africa and Middle East-based energy projects funnelled through the firm’s office in Dubai.
The former mayor said US energy companies currently had the expertise to deliver gas from shale, a hint that the next few years are likely to see a significant influx into the UK of major US gas businesses. He added that China was also “100 per cent” gearing up to enter the shale market while there were also significant resources in Central and Eastern Europe as well as Israel north of Haifa.
“Some people talk about the energy crisis and how this might be the end of days, but fracking may be the beginning of much bigger days,” said Giuliani.
Earlier this month Bracewell & Giuliani moved to expand its London office with the hire of two energy lawyers including Simmons & Simmons partner Julian Nichol (15 January 2013).
More hires are expected imminently, with Giuliani confirming that his firm would look to build out its London office with related areas such as finance and litigation, an area where Giuliani himself built his reputation as a lawyer.
Giuliani served as mayor of New York between 1994 and 2001. He also served as the US Attorney in the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted several high-profile cases, including against the Mafia and Wall Street financiers such as Ivan Boesky and junk bond trader Michael Milken.
