Norton Rose Fulbright has hired US renewable energy lawyer Elizabeth Sluder from Morrison & Foerster (MoFo) as it seeks to strengthen its West Coast projects team.

Sluder joins as a partner in Los Angeles. Her practice focuses on project finance, M&A, private equity and general corporate matters relating to renewable energy transactions, construction contracts and offtake arrangements. She advises lenders and borrowers on a range of financing, including mezzanine and junior capital.

Jeff Cody, Norton Rose Fulbright’s US managing partner, said: “Elizabeth is a top of class lawyer with an impressive track record of success for clients in the renewables space. With Elizabeth’s addition to our Los Angeles office, we are strengthening and expanding our West Coast capabilities and our world-leading projects team.”

Sluder spent just under 10 years at MoFo, having joined from Kaye Scholar, where she spent just over six years.

Keith Martin, Norton Rose Fulbright’s US co-head of projects, said: “Elizabeth is the third lateral partner we have added to our projects group in the last few months. She is someone whom many of us saw across the table on deals and were impressed with her skill at moving complicated transactions across the finish line. She is smart and very well organised.”

In April, the firm hired renewable energy tax partner Hilary Lefko in Washington DC from Hunton Andrews Kuth, while in March, it hired Seattle-based infrastructure lawyer Rhodri Evans as senior counsel. Evans joined from the North American subsidiary of Spanish construction company Dragados, where he was in-house legal counsel. He also previously worked in private practice at DLA Piper and CMS.

Norton Rose Fulbright’s projects group has handled $191bn of transactions over the past four years.

Sluder said: “Norton Rose Fulbright’s projects team is widely regarded as a global leader, handling some of the most innovative and complex renewables projects.”

Other firms have been bolstering their projects teams in the US. Last month, Paul Hastings hired a three partner-strong projects and infrastructure group from Shearman & Sterling in New York, including high-profile lawyers Robert Freedman, Alexandro Padres and Gregory Tan. 

Meanwhile in April, Latham & Watkins hired an energy and infrastructure partner duo from White & Case. Christopher Peponis joined the firm in Houston and Hamad Al-Hoshan joined in New York.