Covington Boosts Project Finance Capability with London Hire
September 26, 2016
LONDON—Graham Vinter, General Counsel of BG Group plc from 2007 until 2015, has joined Covington’s London office. Mr. Vinter will chair the firm’s Project Finance practice and supervise an expansion of the firm’s capabilities in this area.
At BG Group, Mr. Vinter was a member of the Group Executive Committee and reported to the Chief Executive Officer. He was responsible for the company’s legal affairs and headed a legal department of more than 80 lawyers worldwide. Prior to joining BG Group, Mr. Vinter was for many years a partner at a Magic Circle firm and was the global head of its projects practice from 1996 to 2007. He was Who’s Who Legal’s Project Finance Lawyer of the Year in 2005, 2006, and 2007.
“Graham is a veteran of the project finance industry and is highly respected worldwide for his unparalleled knowledge of the sector”, said Timothy Hester, the firm’s chair. “We see an opportunity at Covington to build a leading projects practice that also provides synergies with other parts of the firm - in particular, arbitration, government affairs, tax, corporate, IP, and energy regulation. As we move along this path, Graham’s experience will be a valuable asset to both the firm and our clients globally.”
Mr. Vinter added: “Covington’s corporate and regulatory capabilities offer clients engaged in projects around the world significant depth and understanding of the business, political, and regulatory environments that can affect their projects. Project finance is all about navigating complex projects involving multiple sets of interests from around the world, and Covington’s strength in policy-facing matters and diplomacy is a huge asset in this context. It is a great platform on which to build a leading project finance practice, and I look forward to the challenge.”
Mr. Vinter received his law degree from the University of Oxford.