U.S. law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe has hired renewable energy specialist Karthik Kumar as partner in Singapore from Jones Day.

Kumar becomes the second partner at the Singapore office, which was set up in August last year following the closure of the firm’s Hong Kong office. Offshore wind expert Jon Thursby joined Orrick as a partner in Singapore at the time of its opening.

A release from Orrick said the firm is looking to ramp up its renewable energy offering. “Singapore has emerged as a gateway as Southeast Asian governments and international investors respond to the climate and infrastructure modernization imperative,” said Evan Stergoulis, London-based co-head of Orrick’s global renewable energy practice.

With more than 19 years of experience, Kumar advises on project development, acquisition and finance with focus on renewable energy including solar, onshore and offshore wind, biomass and waste-to-energy projects. He acts for developers, sponsors, borrowers and financial institutions on projects in India, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand and China.

Kumar worked for Jones Day for nearly 11 years, becoming a partner in 2015. He previously, worked for Herbert Smith Freehills and the legacy Amarchand Mangaldas.