Haynes and Boone Adds Noted Energy and Natural Resources Attorney John Fognani and Colleague Mike Hegarty to Growing Denver Office
DENVER, June 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The recently established Denver office of Haynes and Boone, LLP proudly announces the expansion of its energy, natural resources and environmental litigation capabilities with the addition of longtime Denver practitioner John D. Fognani and his colleague Mike Hegarty.
Both come to Haynes and Boone from Fognani & Faught, PLLC, an international law firm founded in Denver by Fognani, who for more than 35 years has represented numerous energy and mining interests nationally and internationally.
The latest arrivals join two other well-known Denver-based lawyers -- midstream and pipeline practitioner Anne Weber and securities / corporate attorney Alan Talesnick -- who opened the office in February.
Managing Partner Tim Powers said Fognani and Hegarty bring with them clients with additional legal service needs that will benefit from the firm's established national practices, including corporate, intellectual property, energy transactions, oil and gas litigation, tax and sophisticated finance.
"This is a wonderful fit both for them and us," Powers said. "John and Mike will help Haynes and Boone integrate and leverage our strong Texas oil and gas base of operations and deep energy sector experience with a broad range of new clients. It is exciting that we found each other, and the prospects are very bright for a vibrant, mutually beneficial alliance."
Added Denver Administrative Partner Patrick L. Hughes: "While we have longstanding relationships with clients and contacts in the greater Denver area, these talented lawyers and colleagues will strengthen and broaden the firm's presence in this important legal market. They both add specialized capabilities in an area that is integral to Colorado and internationally."
Fognani has served the natural resources and energy industry for more than three decades. He has been recognized as among the Best Lawyers in America, with key roles in some of the most celebrated cases impacting the industry. These have included the defense of Rockwell at Rocky Flats, the defense of former officers and directors of Canadian mining company Galactic Resources at Summitville and the seminal D.C. Circuit cases successfully challenging USEPA's regulatory definition of solid waste for the American Mining Congress (known now as the National Mining Association).
More recently Fognani served as executive vice president – legal and general counsel for Ivanhoe Capital Corporation and Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. where he developed transactional and international expertise to complement his environmental and litigation experience. In that position, among other things, he was instrumental in negotiating and documenting the investment agreement entered into by Ivanhoe Mines Ltd, Ivanhoe Mines Mongolia LLC and Rio Tinto PLLC to define and regulate the relationship for the construction and development of the world-class Oyu Tolgoi copper and gold mining complex near the China/Mongolia border.
Fognani' s practice has included representing clients in energy and natural resource matters of all kinds in North and South America, Asia and Africa.
Fognani said he is looking forward to joining his practice with Haynes and Boone for a number of reasons. "Our team from Fognani & Faught looks forward to the opportunity to add our international, transactional and litigation expertise to the dynamic and growing energy and natural resource presence of Haynes and Boone in the United States and elsewhere," he said. "This move provides us with a better opportunity to serve our clients and expand into areas we could not otherwise cover with our smaller presence. Haynes and Boone provides an excellent footprint for energy and resource-related work and a springboard for growth in the areas of practice that most interest our team."
Hegarty has practiced energy and natural resources and environmental law for more than 13 years, focusing on commercial transactions, project development and regulatory compliance. He works with clients throughout the United States on a variety of hard rock, coal and oil and gas projects. A significant portion of Hegarty's practice extends internationally as well, involving numerous clients and resource development projects and transactions in Asia, Africa, Latin America and elsewhere. Hegarty was deeply involved in the successful, years-long effort to build the multi-billion dollar Oyu Tolgoi mining complex in Mongolia, including among other things helping to create and implement a procurement contract program for services and equipment.
The prospect of working with Haynes and Boone lawyers in the firm's Shanghai and Mexico City offices is particularly exciting, Hegarty said. "With our work in Asia and some very interesting opportunities in Mexico, I think we can help round out the mining aspects of Haynes and Boone practices while the firm's established national energy practice will help us fulfill client needs in oil-and-gas deal-making," Hegarty said. "Beyond that, both John and I were impressed with the collegial atmosphere and enthusiasm firm lawyers obviously have for their law firm. The whole package was impressive."
The latest Denver growth comes on the heels of a significant expansion of the firm's Greater China cross-border practice, which added a six-member team of lawyers, including two seasoned partners – one in Shanghai and the other in Houston. Complementing this effort is the growth of the firm's 20-year-old Mexico City office in anticipation of the opportunities for regional oil and gas companies as a result of the historic energy and infrastructure reforms in Mexico.
Powers and Hughes said the firm's strategy calls for continued Denver growth in the near future. The Denver market entry further expands the footprint and capabilities of the firm's national, 75-lawyer energy practice. With it, Haynes and Boone becomes one of only a handful of Texas-based law firms to establish a solid base of operations in Denver as the center of the Rocky Mountain corridor of energy development.
About Haynes and Boone
Haynes and Boone, LLP is an international corporate law firm with offices in Texas, New York, California, Colorado, Washington, D.C., Shanghai and Mexico City, providing a full spectrum of legal services in technology, financial services, energy and private equity. With more than 550 attorneys, Haynes and Boone is ranked among the largest law firms in the nation by The National Law Journal. In 2014 the firm was named the Best National Firm for Diversity in North America in the Americas Women in Business Law Awards.
CONTACT: Douglas R. Bedell
Haynes and Boone, LLP
214.651.5815 (office)
214.704.3058 (cell)
[email protected]
SOURCE Haynes and Boone, LLP
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