Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison has added Kirkland & Ellis partner Kelann Stirling as its new head of project finance and development, while also onboarding partner Jamie Franklin from White & Case. Stirling, based in New York, and Franklin, in Houston, are "spectacular project finance lawyers, with deep experience in handling landmark energy and infrastructure deals,” Paul Weiss chair Brad Karp said in a statement. “As investment in energy and infrastructure, in particular digital infrastructure, continues to surge, Kelann’s and Jamie’s expertise will enable us to advise our clients on the most ambitious, transformative projects in the market.” Stirling had been at Kirkland for the last seven and a half years. Franklin had been at White & Case for the last five. Both overlapped at Latham & Watkins from 2011 through 2014, and again from 2016 through 2020, according to their respective LinkedIn profiles. “Kelann and Jamie are among the top project finance lawyers in the market and will be invaluable resources to our clients. We are thrilled to welcome them to our team,” Scott Barshay, chair of the Paul Weiss' corporate department, said in a statement. According to a release, Stirling has more than 20 years' experience advising clients on energy and infrastructure financings in the U.S. and abroad, including on financing structures such as senior secured project financings, holding company loans, back leverage financings, development capital and private placements. Stirling has also worked on the development of large-scale infrastructure projects, the firm said. Franklin, focused on the energy industry, specializes in project financings for natural gas clients, natural resources, power, and renewable power and clean energy projects. The firm also pointed to multi-source project financings, holding company and hybrid financing structures, project bonds and private placements, structured financing platforms and other debt-structured products and equity financings. According to a report by Mordor Intelligence, as of 2025, the global digital infrastructure market sits at about $360 billion. It is expected to hit the $1 trillion mark by 2030, which means a CAGR of about 24% annually between now and then, fueling significant legal work. Neither Stirling nor Franklin was made available for interviews. A spokesperson for White & Case said, "We can confirm that Jamie Franklin is departing White & Case. We wish him well in his future endeavors.” A spokesperson for Kirkland said, "We thank Kelann for her contribution to the firm and wish her well in the future.”