Fulbright & Jaworski has made its second lateral partner hire in London in a month, as the Texan firm prepares to move to new offices with space to more than quadruple its City lawyer count.

The firm has hired Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer projects partner Andrew Hart, who is thought to have handed in his notice last week. Hart, who made partner at the magic circle firm in 1999, specialises in energy and infrastructure work and has worked with clients including the International Finance Corporation – also a client of Fulbright in London – as well as ExxonMobil and Ashmore.

His hire boosts Fulbright's London projects team to four partners, including Jeremy Sheldon, who joined from Ashurst in March this year.

The move follows this month's hire of Barlow Lyde & Gilbert's financial regulatory head, Chris Warren-Smith.

Steven Pfeiffer, chair of Fulbright's executive committee, commented: "Andrew brings London-based projects expertise to our growing energy and infrastructure practice, which is expanding in Africa, the Middle East, India, and Asia. A significant amount of global projects work is governed by English law [and] is obviously often associated with London, where we have enhanced our projects team to serve our clients' needs."

Meanwhile, Fulbright will move into the Reuters building in Fleet Street in late November, which will have room for around 70 lawyers. Following the latest hires, the firm will have around 17 lawyers in London, including eight partners, but it expects to at least double its partner count before the end of the year.

City projects partner Christopher Clement-Davies told Legal Week: "Our expansion drive is all set to continue. There is more to come in the energy, infrastructure, project and structured finance areas, as well as litigation and arbitration. M&A and private equity will also feature prominently among our capabilities."