DLA has appointed World Bank project finance counsel Andrew Fitchie as a partner in its City office. Fitchie joined the commercial and projects group on 16 July.
Fitchie, a specialist in private sector infrastructure projects, will head the firm’s new specialist energy, oil and gas project finance capability alongside Ian Johnson.
Johnson was recently recruited from US firm Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe where he was London managing partner.
The move is part of a push by DLA, which has a respected public sector-led PFI practice, to expand its projects team into international infrastructure work, a sector which remains dominated by City leaders like Allen & Overy.
Fitchie and Johnson are expected to handle projects both in the UK and, through DLA’s international partnership D&P, in Europe and Asia. They are expected to particularly target waste, transport, and defence projects in Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Italy, and Germany.
DLA head of commercial and projects Mark Swindell said Fitchie’s range of international experience made him an ideal recruit for DLA.
Fitchie has previously handled projects in utilities, transport, and defence sectors in Hong Kong, the Middle East, Africa, the Russian Federation and China. He has been with the World Bank in Washington since 1995.
Fitchie said: “I am excited to join the commercial and projects group at DLA, where the mandate is to win international work.”
DLA’s commercial and projects group has seen turnover grow by 29% in the last 12 months. The group currently has over 20 partners, and is expected to add at least two more over the next three months.
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