Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP announced today that Daniel P. LeFort has joined the firm’s Energy, Environmental and Commodities Practice Group as a counsel in the Houston office. Prior to joining Sutherland, Mr. LeFort was in the Houston and Tokyo offices of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman.

With more than 30 years of corporate counsel and private practice experience, including serving 18 years as in-house counsel for Shell Oil and ExxonMobil, Mr. LeFort advises U.S. and foreign-based companies on the development, construction, procurement and sale of energy-related projects in the liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), petrochemical, oil and electric utility sectors.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dan to Sutherland. His addition reinforces the firm’s commitment to our energy clients,” said Managing Partner Mark D. Wasserman. “Dan’s experience both in-house and as an outside adviser in energy project development and LNG adds even greater depth to our existing client teams in those areas.”

Mr. LeFort routinely counsels on upstream matters including oil and gas leases, farm-ins and farm-outs, joint operating agreements and landowner disputes; midstream projects involving offtake agreements, natural gas pipelines, crude oil and gas processing facilities; and downstream refineries and petrochemical plants.

He also has particular experience counseling on power plant and LNG receiving and export terminal development and sales in Asia, Australia, Europe and the Middle East.

“Our increased LNG strength in Houston and Dan’s deep understanding and insight into oil and gas exploration and production is going to be an advantage to our clients,” said Sutherland’s Energy, Environmental and Commodities Practice Group Leader Herbert J. Short, Jr. “Dan is a great addition to the firm, and we are excited to have him as a member of our team.”

Sutherland’s addition of Mr. LeFort is the latest step in the firm’s expansion of its leading Energy, Environmental and Commodities Practice Group. Last week, the firm elected David M. McCullough as a partner in the group. In December, the team welcomed Partner Madeleine M.L. Tan, resident in the firm’s New York office, from Kaye Scholer LLP.

Sutherland’s Energy, Environmental and Commodities Practice Group includes more than 70 lawyers who represent clients that are active in the crude oil, natural gas, LNG, electric power, electric cooperative, renewable and alternative energy, oil pipeline and nuclear energy industries. The practice expanded internationally in March 2014 by combining with Arbis LLP in London and Geneva.

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