Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) is delighted to announce a new leadership team for the firm’s Global Energy Sector.
London-based Henry Stewart continues as Global Energy Sector Head, a role he has held jointly since 2018 with Hamburg Partner Malte Jordan, who steps aside to focus on the continued growth and development of the firm’s highly regarded German energy practice.
Henry is now supported by WFW Madrid Office Head María Pilar García Guijarro and Singapore Partner Clarinda Tjia-Dharmadi, who have been appointed Energy Sector Head – Europe & Americas and Energy Sector Head – Asia Pacific respectively.
This team is designed to better address the challenges and opportunities presented by the broader energy transition, as well as the globalisation and interconnectivity of energy supply and demand. The new leadership, comprising senior experts and a broader international reach, reflects the firm’s commitment to supporting clients’ operations across this ever-evolving sector.
One of Spain’s most respected corporate and M&A lawyers in the energy space, María Pilar joined WFW in 2009 before becoming Madrid Office Head in 2011. With 20 years’ experience in the energy and infrastructure sectors spanning Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, she is particularly well known for her expertise in the renewables, power and gas sectors. With clients including international and domestic investment funds, financial institutions and energy players.
Clarinda joined WFW as a partner in January 2024 from McDermott, Will & Emery. With unrivalled expertise in Indonesia in particular, Clarinda has over two decades’ experience advising developers, sponsors, commercial lenders, multilateral agencies, export credit agencies and governments on many of Asia’s landmark energy and infrastructure projects. A former Global Co-Chair of Latham & Watkins’ Energy Practice, her deals regularly involve novel “first-of–their-kind” structures.
WFW Senior Partner George Paleokrassas commented: “With further worldwide investment and growth planned for our energy sector going forward, I’m delighted to welcome María Pilar and Clarinda to their new roles as Energy Sector Heads. They both have phenomenal track records of success, making them the clear and obvious choices to take our global energy offering to the next level alongside Henry.
“I would also like to thank Malte for his commitment to both the sector and the firm. He and Henry took on their co-leadership roles in 2018 at a time of great change in the European energy market with governments focussed on increasing renewable energy production. They were tasked with taking full advantage of this dynamic and rapidly changing market, in which they have been resoundingly successful. I look forward to seeing our energy sector thrive and expand in Germany under his leadership”.
Malte added: “It has been a privilege to have led the firm’s Global Energy Sector Group since 2018 alongside Henry. I know that it will continue to go from strength to strength under his, María Pilar’s and Clarinda’s leadership and I look forward to helping it do so in Germany”.
