Shearman & Sterling London-based project finance partner Kenneth MacRitchie is set to leave the firm at the end of this month to join UK Green Investments as general counsel.

MacRitchie, who was a partner in Shearman's London office for 15 years, focuses on advising lenders in the oil & gas, petrochemicals, transport, power & gas and telecoms industries. He previously headed the US firm's London office, before being replaced by Anthony Ward in 2008.

He has advised on high-profile project financings including the refinancing of Wembley Stadium in 2008, the upstream financing for ETAP, the Tunisian state oil company, and the proposed Galsi pipeline from Algeria to Italy.

In the New Year, MacRitchie will take over as the GC of UK Green Investments, the pre-cursor of the government's Green Investment Bank initiative. In his new role, he will be part of the team charged with the initial structuring of the institution.

The Green Investment Bank is expected to be fully operational by early 2013, with a remit to accelerate private sector investment in the UK's transition to a green economy.

The Government has made available £100m to invest in smaller waste infrastructure projects – typically in the size range of £15m to £25m – on a fully commercial basis.

In a statement, MacRitchie commented: "After 25 years as a banking and project finance lawyer in London, the last 15 years with Shearman & Sterling, I shall be moving on at the end of this year. An interesting and challenging opportunity has arisen which I shall be commencing at the beginning of next year."