Law firm Husch Blackwell said on Friday that it has hired an energy-focused partner in Minneapolis, where it opened an office earlier this year.
Sara Bergan joins from rival firm Stoel Rives, which has lost at least three other partners to Husch Blackwell since the beginning of the year.
She will be a member of the energy and natural resources group at Kansas City, Missouri-founded Husch Blackwell.
Bergan represents independent power producers, renewable energy developers and energy storage companies in renewable energy projects, she said on Friday.
The Inflation Reduction Act passed by the Biden administration in 2022 has created increased interest in renewable energy projects. The Midwest has become a hotspot for such projects in part due to the ability to store energy in the region, she said.
Husch Blackwell announced in January it was opening a Minneapolis office, which officially launched in May. The firm said in May the office can accommodate about 30 attorneys and business professionals. Ten lawyers currently work out of the office, according to Husch Blackwell’s website.
Bergan spent almost 13 years at Stoel Rives. Other Stoel Rives lawyers who joined Husch Blackwell in Minneapolis earlier this year include energy partner Kevin Johnson and corporate lawyer Rob Kukuljan, who is the office’s managing partner.
Another former Stoel Rives energy lawyer, Richard Bonnifield, joined Husch Blackwell’s virtual office, dubbed The Link, in May.
A spokesperson for Portland-founded Stoel Rives did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the attorneys’ departures.
Since 2021, Husch Blackwell has opened offices in Boston, Los Angeles, Oakland, California, and Providence, Rhode Island.