George Fibbe, left, and Brendan Quigley, Baker Botts partners. (Courtesy photos)

Baker Botts beefed up its energy litigation and regulatory strength by hiring George Fibbe, who comes from the U.S. Department of Energy, but also previously served as general counsel for a renewable energy company.

Fibbe, who joined Baker Botts as a litigation partner in Houston on Monday, was the deputy general counsel for litigation, regulation and enforcement at the DOE for more than two years. Because of that background, Fibbe will spend some of his time in Washington, D.C., doing energy regulatory work.

Before his stint at the DOE, Fibbe was general counsel of Houston solar company Sunnova Energy Corp., a Baker Botts client, from 2014 to 2017, and head of litigation for BHP Billiton's petroleum business from 2013 to 2014.

Before that, Fibbe was a partner at litigation boutique Yetter Coleman in Houston.

As general counsel at Sunnova Energy, Fibbe said, he was impressed by Baker Botts' work as outside counsel, so he could not pass up the opportunity to join the Texas firm. Another plus, he said, is the firm's expertise across the energy sector, not just in oil and gas.

Van Beckwith, chairman of Baker Botts' litigation department, said in a press release that Fibbe brings wide experience in regulatory litigation and enforcement because of his government service. Additionally, because of Fibbe's time in the corporate setting, he brings an "invaluable perspective" of the legal risks that renewable, E&P and midstream companies face, Beckwith wrote.

At the DOE, Fibbe oversaw commercial litigation and environmental and administrative law cases, and also supported the agency's energy efficiency and renewable energy office.

Also on Monday, Baker Botts added New York lawyer Brendan Quigley as a partner in the firm's white-collar defense and corporate investigations practice. Quigley had been an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, where he tried 12 cases to verdict and briefed or argued 11 appeals.

Quigley was a member of the legal team that prosecuted two nephews of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores for a conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States. The nephews were convicted in 2016.

Alex Bourelly, chairman of Baker Botts' white-collar defense and corporate investigations practice, said in a press release that Quigley has an outstanding track record in the securities and commodities fraud area.

Quigley said he talked to a number of firms, but was impressed by Baker Botts' vision of building on its strong base in Texas while also expanding on the East and West coasts.

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