High-profile former BG Group general counsel Stefan Ricketts has joined Texas-based law firm Fulbright & Jaworski as a partner.

Ricketts will initially be based at Fulbright's City arm but is to relocate to Hong Kong to spearhead the expansion of the 1,000-lawyer firm's global energy practice.

Ricketts moved to BG's Singapore office in 1999 and was promoted to deputy general counsel on his return to the UK in 2000. He became head of legal in 2002 and stepped up to the general counsel role in 2005, managing a global team of more than 100 lawyers across 20 countries.

Ricketts left BG in June after seven years at the gas giant. He was replaced as general counsel by former Allen & Overy global head of projects Graham Vinter, who took up the position in November.

Jeff Blount, who heads Fulbright's Beijing and Hong Kong offices, said Ricketts' hire would help meet the growing needs of clients in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Korea and Japan.

Fulbright global energy chief Micheal Irvin added: "Stefan has a winning personality, wonderful interpersonal skills, an impressive track record of successes and depth of legal experience in emerging markets."

Ricketts joins other recent additions to Fulbright's City arm including project finance partner Susan Farmer, who joined from Watson Farley & Williams, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer projects partner Andrew Hart and Barlow Lyde & Gilbert's former financial regulatory chief, Chris Warren-Smith.

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