A trio of US innovation companies – Nauticus Robotics, Hermeus and Elektron Energy – have all announced new legal heads over the past week.
Autonomous subsea robotics business Nauticus has hired Michael Ferrier as general counsel, defence aviation business Hermeus appointed Kim Nakamaru as GC and Bitcoin mining operator Elektron Energy has hired Vijay Selvan as chief legal officer.
Ferrier joins Houston-based Nauticus Robotics from energy company Berry Corporation, where he was assistant GC advising on commercial transactions, regulatory compliance and labour and employment matters. Ferrier is replacing John Symington in the role, who recently announced his departure from the company.
Ferrier spent almost four years at Berry Corporation, having previously been deputy GC at Parker Drilling Company and GC at Cenergy International Services before that.
Nauticus Robotics develops autonomous robotic systems to maintain and operate subsea infrastructure for industries such as renewables, defence, offshore mining, aquaculture, port security and more.
Nakamaru, meanwhile, joins Los Angeles-based Hermeus from reusable rocket company Relativity Space, where she was GC.
AJ Piplica, CEO and founder of Hermeus, said: “Kim has navigated the most complex legal and regulatory environments in aerospace. As we push toward our next milestones, that experience is critical to moving fast while maintaining the rigour our mission demands. Her leadership is a significant addition to the team at a pivotal time for the company.”
Hermeus is a venture-backed aviation business seeking to develop “the fastest aircraft in the world” for the US Department of War.
The third of the trio of moves sees Selvan join Miami-based Elektron Energy from crypto platform Gemini, where he was GC for international, handling the company’s US and international regulatory and licensing strategy.
At Elektron, he will oversee all legal, regulatory and compliance functions to support the company’s global expansion plans. He takes over the top lawyer role from GC Bill Belitsky, who will continue advising on governance and strategic matters.
Raphael Zagury, CEO of Elektron Energy, said: “Vijay brings a rare combination of legal rigour, financial experience and a deep understanding of Bitcoin as both technology and system. As we scale globally, we need leadership that can operate across jurisdictions while staying grounded in how the underlying infrastructure actually works.”
Elektron Energy is one of the world’s largest private Bitcoin mining companies.
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