HBJ Gateley appoints new senior oil and gas consultant and promotes recovery, restructuring and insolvency specialist

Oil and gas specialist lawyer Philip Argo has joined HBJ Gateley’s Aberdeen office as a consultant, as the firm further strengthens its offering to the energy sector.

Senior associate Addi Shamash, previously based in Edinburgh, will also join the Aberdeen office having been promoted to partner in its corporate restructuring team.

Ms Shamash is dual-qualified in Scotland and England and deals with all aspects of recovery, restructuring and insolvency as well as real estate work.

Mr Argo has more than 20 years’ in-house experience having consulted with numerous E&P companies and major service firms in both the UK and overseas.

His particular specialisms are in field development and infrastructure projects in the UKCS, FPSO lease and operate agreements, purchase and transfer of oil and gas assets in UKCS, joint venture matters and supply chain agreements (including EPCI and drill rig agreements).

David Kirchin, partner and head of corporate, said: “Philip is someone whose abilities we’ve admired for a long time.

“Having his experience and expertise in all aspects of oil and gas matters adds real depth to our team.

“Addi has been an impressively-consistent performer in our restructuring team and she’ll make an invaluable contribution to our clients in Aberdeen. She has a keen ability to understand how she can add value to clients’ businesses and is a respected voice in the firm, which makes her a natural fit for partnership.”

The new appointments follow the announcement in August that Alison Sim, former in-house counsel at Subsea 7, had joined the firm as a partner.

Mr Argo said: “HBJ Gateley is a firm with strong credentials in Aberdeen and across Scotland, so the decision to join was an easy one to make. The firm is committed to the sector with a very good base on which to build. Despite the tough conditions, there are plenty of opportunities in the market and I’m looking forward to playing my part in helping HBJ Gateley support the energy sector.”

Ms Shamash said: “I’ve spent a lot of time working with my colleagues in Aberdeen so making the move to the office as a partner feels like a natural progression of that work. I’m looking forward to establishing myself in the Aberdeen market and I’m very excited about the challenges that will bring.”