Paul Hastings is expanding its international energy and infrastructure practice with the hire of a White & Case team in London, Paris and Abu Dhabi, according to a person familiar with the moves.

Among the team members making the switch are George Kazakov and Dinmukhamed ‘Din’ Eshanov, the person said. The moves will see Paul Hastings broaden its existing European coverage while also opening a new Abu Dhabi office, the person added.

Eshanov is based in Abu Dhabi and joins the firm after just under four years at White & Case as a partner. He brings with him experience on project development and construction agreements advisory work, including engineering and procurement agreements, power purchase agreements and operation and maintenance agreements, among others. He also advises on corporate, finance and commercial deals, including cross-border M&A, joint ventures and private equity.

Prior to his time at White & Case, Eshanov spent more than 13 years at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, the first four-and-a-half as an associate in New York and then as a senior counsel in Abu Dhabi.

Kazakov, meantime, is based in London. His practice focuses on private equity M&A and finance transactions in the infrastructure sector, advising funds and sponsors on a range of deals including disposals, joint ventures, co-investments and restructurings.

He also arrives after just under four years at White & Case, where he was a partner. He previously spent seven years at Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners as global investment counsel. Prior to that he spent more than five years at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, just over two years at Davis Polk & Wardwell and two years at Sullivan & Cromwell.

The incoming team will work closely with energy and infrastructure practice co-chairs Gregory Tan and Rob Freedman, who joined the firm in 2022 from Shearman & Sterling in New York.

Paul Hastings’ new Abu Dhabi office is its first in the Middle East, according to its website. Outside of the Americas region, it currently has bases in Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo in Asia and Brussels, Frankfurt, London and Paris in Europe.

The arrival of Kazakov and Eshanov and team follows the exit last month of two senior London infrastructure partners – Jessamy Gallagher and Stuart Rowson – to Freshfields.