King & Spalding announced new lateral hires to both of its Texas offices this week.
The Atlanta-based law firm has added litigation partner Edward Fernandes, who previously led the Austin office of Hunton Andrews Kurth, and former U.S. Department of the Interior senior counselor Marcella Burke.
The moves come on the heels of the news that Houston private equity dealmaker Jeff Malonson has joined Weil.
Burke, who will focus her practice on energy and environmental regulation and compliance, is starting at King & Spalding’s D.C. office, but the firm says the plan is for her to move to Houston soon.
The former senior counselor to the Assistant Secretary of Land and Mineral Management at the DOI has worked in multiple senior roles for the federal government — she has also served as deputy solicitor for Energy and Natural Resources at the DOI and as deputy general counsel of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Burke, after receiving her law degree from the University of Houston, started her career at Akin Gump. She later clerked for then-Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett. 2017 was big for Burke — that year, she was named the Houston Outstanding Young Lawyer and went to work for the EPA.
Fernandes concentrates his litigation practice on construction, legal and accounting malpractice, patent and trade secret, and energy sector and securities matters.
“I am thrilled to be joining King & Spalding, which has carved out a stellar reputation in Texas,” Fernandes said in a statement. “The Austin and Houston offices already boast an excellent litigation practice – covering energy, construction, business litigation, IP, and pharma, amongst others – so I look forward to being part of that team.”