Energy projects lawyer Sean Korney joins Baker Botts in Dubai

Korney has worked on major oil and gas and other energy projects and acquisitions and divestitures in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Americas during the past two decades. He joins Baker Botts from Denton Wilde Sapte where he led the energy practice group for that firm's Middle East offices. "I am very happy to be joining one of the premier energy law firms in the world," said Korney. "It is an exciting time in the energy industry and in this region."

"Sean joins Baker Botts in Dubai at an important time in the development of our office there," said Walt Smith, Managing Partner of Baker Botts. "He will provide a strong presence in the Middle East for our clients with business interests in the region. Sean will be a key resource for our clients."

Stuart Schaffer, chair of Baker Botts' Global Projects Group, said: "With Sean joining the Firm, we will accomplish one of our key strategic goals: growing our Middle East 'hub' office in Dubai to include an energy projects lawyer with particular upstream capability. Dubai is experiencing unprecedented growth, both as a business and financial center and as a legal market. Sean will provide our clients the necessary legal support to develop exploration and production and other energy projects."

Korney is the second lateral hire in the past two months for the Dubai office of Baker Botts. Nigel Thompson joined the Firm in April from Shearman & Sterling. Thompson also specializes in the development of energy projects, in particular electric power, petrochemical and LNG projects, as well as infrastructure projects.

"We expect to make additional announcements regarding the continued strengthening of the Dubai office before the year is out," Schaffer said. "One of our Firm's goals has been to build the preeminent energy practice on the ground in the Gulf region, and with the additions of Sean and Nigel, we believe we have done just that."

Korney received his Bachelor of Laws from the University of Calgary in 1993. He was admitted to the bar in Canada in 1994. He practiced law in Canada for seven years with Macleod Dixon and Donahue Ernst & Young. He joined Denton Wilde in 2001 in its Singapore office and relocated to that firm's Dubai office in 2004. In 2005-06 he led the multi-jurisdictional team for ONGC Videsh, which successfully completed the acquisition (through a joint venture with Sinopec) of nearly $1 billion of oil and pipeline assets in Colombia.

He is the regional director of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators Middle East Chapter and has been recognized in a number of publications as a leading energy and oil and gas lawyer.