Clifford Chance strengthens Litigation & Arbitration capabilities with J. Laurens Wilkes in Houston

Global law firm Clifford Chance has appointed J. Laurens Wilkes as a partner and Global Head of Infrastructure Disputes, as the firm expands its litigation and arbitration offering and strengthens its energy and infrastructure platform in the US and globally, and continues its expansion in the Houston market.

Wilkes, who joins Clifford Chance from Winston & Strawn, brings over 20 years of experience advising US and international clients on matters across the full lifecycle of infrastructure, construction and energy projects. This includes front end bid/procurement disputes, risk counseling as well as breach of contract, administrative actions, products liability, fraud and fiduciary duty, trade secret, restructuring, and tort matters in state and federal courts, as well as domestic and international arbitration.

Joining Wilkes is Caitlin Gernert, a partner in Clifford Chance US LLP's Houston office, who advises infrastructure, energy and construction companies on a wide range of civil litigation and arbitration matters.

Global Head of Disputes Robert Houck says, "I’m thrilled to welcome Laurens and Caitlin to the firm. Their strong track record in guiding clients through complex issues in the energy and infrastructure sectors adds significant depth to our US and global Disputes team. This is particularly valuable as we continue to see strong demand for risk mitigation and disputes advice from clients operating in these sectors."

Houston Office Managing Partner Alex Wilde says, "We are excited to welcome Laurens and Caitlin to the firm and Houston office. Their significant sector experience builds on the strong momentum of our Houston office and will be instrumental in further expanding our capabilities, while also strengthening our global platform."

Wilkes says, "Clifford Chance has an exceptional global presence in infrastructure, energy, construction and projects, spanning investments and financings, project development and disputes. I look forward to joining this talented, collaborative team to support clients across all aspects of the project lifecycle."

The Americas region is a core part of Clifford Chance’s global platform and an important focus of the firm’s strategic investment. With more than 450 attorneys across New York, Washington, DC, Houston and São Paulo, the firm combines deep local market knowledge with the reach of a fully integrated global partnership. The Americas team advises clients on complex US, Latin America and cross-border transactional, regulatory and disputes matters across key sectors including private capital and financial services, healthcare and life science, technology, infrastructure, and energy.