Global law firm K&L Gates LLP continues to strengthen its energy, infrastructure and resources team with the appointments of Luke Westmore and Zac Kerr as partners in the Melbourne office. Both Westmore and Kerr join K&L Gates from Mills Oakley.

Westmore has more than 16 years of experience working as a projects and infrastructure lawyer in both Australia and the United Kingdom. He has a particular focus on complex energy and infrastructure projects, including drafting and negotiating of project documentation such as engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contracts; power purchases; and operation and maintenance agreements.

We were attracted to K&L Gates’ fully integrated global platform and expansive reach across five continents, said Westmore. We look forward to leveraging those offerings to our client base.

Kerr concentrates his practice on transport, energy, water, and social infrastructure projects, including greenfield and brownfield developments, secondary market sales, and drafting and negotiating project documentation for construction, operation and maintenance, feedstock, offtake, tolling, and other revenue agreements.

The pair has broad experience counseling sponsors, financiers, and contractors on public-private partnerships and the development and procurement of transmission and distribution assets, toll roads, power stations, railways, ports, airports, and wind, solar, hydroelectric, telecommunication, and industrial projects in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the United States.

It is an exciting time for both Luke and me, added Kerr. We are thrilled by the opportunity to further strengthen the firm’s energy, infrastructure and resources capabilities in Australia.

Last year was the biggest year ever for renewable energy construction investment with 2018 expected to exceed that record, commented Nick Nichola, K&L Gates’ Managing Partner, Australia. Luke’s and Zac’s appointments provide our clients across our global platform access to highly regarded legal advisers with the familiarity of working on renewable energy projects worldwide.

The arrival of Westmore and Kerr follows the recent additions of Sydney real estate partners Jennifer Degotardi and Sam Brown; labor, employment, and workplace safety partner Steven Amendola in Melbourne; and several energy, infrastructure and resources partners worldwide, including Jeremy Farr, Charles Lockwood, and Clare Kempkens in London; Daniel LeFort in Houston; Joseph Regan and Adam Plumbley in Fort Worth and Houston; Toshi Yoshida in New York and Houston; and Elias Hinckley and counsel James Wrathall in Washington, D.C.