Norton Rose Fulbright has hired a six-strong project development team from Eversheds Sutherland in Paris to strengthen its projects practice.

The team is led by partners Sindhura Swaminathan and Olivier Le Bars alongside four associates – Alix Boudin-Gilles, Oulématou Sy, Louis-Reynold de Seresin and Elaine Porter. The group specialise in finance and projects work with a focus on energy, natural resources and infrastructure in France and emerging markets, including Africa, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe.

Rob Marsh, global co-head of energy at Norton Rose Fulbright, said: “Sindhura and Olivier bring extensive experience with them, having worked on some of the most complex, cross-border projects and project financings in the energy, infrastructure and natural resources sectors. We have strong ambitions to continue to grow the team in Paris in the coming months and they add an exciting dimension to our global practice.”

Swaminathan arrives after four years at Eversheds, where she was a partner and headed up the Paris banking and finance team. Prior to that she spent a decade at White & Case, the latter months as counsel.

Le Bars spent just under four years at Eversheds, arriving shortly after Swaminathan from White & Case. He became a partner at Eversheds in May 2023.

George Paterson, head of Norton Rose Fulbright’s Paris office and global head of banking and finance, said: “Sindhura and Olivier are rated lawyers in their fields with diverse practices and they complement our wider banking and finance offering in France very well. We plan to continue to invest in our global projects and banking and finance practices in line with increasing client demand.”

The incoming team’s clients include sponsors, banks, global financial institutions and development finance institutions.

Swaminathan added: “Norton Rose Fulbright is the preeminent global firm for projects and project finance across major industry sectors and a go-to adviser for clients across all key markets. The firm provides us with an excellent platform to support clients with their most challenging and complex deals.”

Elsewhere this week, Paul Hastings added two energy and infrastructure partners from White & Case in Abu Dhabi – M&A lawyer Stefan Mrozinski and projects lawyer Habeeb Rahman – adding to fellow ex-White & Case lawyers Din Eshanov and George Kazakov who made the switch back in March.

Also in March, Akin hired project finance partner Alexander Malahias from White & Case to launch the firm’s Riyadh office.