Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM

Prominent energy and infrastructure project finance partner Mona Dajani has left Baker McKenzie to join Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman in New York as a part of its expanding projects team.

“It was once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Dajani, who joins Pillsbury as a partner in its global finance practice. “They [are] invested in the energy and infrastructure space, and I just thought it was a really great opportunity to take it to the next level.”

Mona Dajani, Pillsbury

Dajani began her career at Kirkland & Ellis over two decades ago and, over the years, has built a pre-eminent project finance practice, advising on acquisitions, dispositions, financing, leasing and project development transactions for energy and infrastructure facilities across the U.S. and internationally.

She also works with a wide array of commercial and public institutions, sponsors, private equity funds, utilities, investment banks and others in the structuring and negotiation of joint ventures, project contracts and financing connected to the development, financing and leasing of complex energy and infrastructure projects, equipment and facilities.

And while Baker McKenzie has a larger international footprint, Pillsbury has a bigger, more cohesive international project finance platform that is still expanding, said Dajani, who joined Baker McKenzie in its Chicago and New York offices from SNR Dentons in 2011.

“They're very focused on building this team not just here in the U.S., but also abroad, [particularly] in London,” she said, noting that she would be anchoring and spearheading its growth efforts.

“They're very invested in this space, and we want to expand very nimbly and we want to be inclusive,” Dajani said.

Baker McKenzie in a statement wished Dajani well and thanked her for her years of service to the firm.

“Simply put, Mona is a star,” said Pillsbury chair David Dekker in a statement. “Her broad experience and comprehensive understanding of the intricacies of project finance—not to mention the unique insight she offers in connection with renewable energy—are unsurpassed and will be invaluable to our clients.”

Dajani, who also sits on the board of directors of American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), is just the latest partner to join Pillsbury's global finance team in its New York office in recent months.

In July, the firm added leverage finance partners Michael Michetti and Joel Simon from Schulte Roth & Zabel to its global finance team in the Big Apple.

Then, in November, the duo reunited with Schulte colleague Joseph Fastiggi, who joined Pillsbury along with special counsel Heidi Spalholz and Paul Hastings senior associate Cecilia Wang to its New York finance practice.