Global law firm Clifford Chance appointed Victoria B. Salem as a partner in its Global Financial Markets team, further strengthening its U.S. energy and infrastructure financing capabilities. Salem will be based in the firm’s expanding Houston office, which has grown to more than 40 attorneys since launching in 2023.
Salem joins from Cheniere Energy, the largest U.S. producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), where she served as Assistant General Counsel, Finance and Tax. In that role, she was responsible for global finance and tax legal work and led more than $20 billion in transactions. Her background includes advising on complex commercial and financing transactions in the energy and infrastructure sectors, with a particular focus on LNG projects.
“Victoria’s unique perspective from her in-house role, combined with her private practice experience in various types of financing, aligns well with our hybrid approach to project and corporate financings across the energy and infrastructure sector,” said Emma Matebalavu, head of Global Financial Markets at Clifford Chance.
Tony Giustini, senior partner of the firm’s global energy, infrastructure and projects groups, added, “Her knowledge of the LNG sector will be both valuable and additive to our existing capabilities, especially as we advise on the increasing number of LNG, renewables and broader energy transition projects in the U.S. and globally.”
“I’m excited to join such a high-caliber, international practice and bring my industry experience to the team,” Salem said. “There’s considerable opportunity for LNG projects as part of the energy transition, and I’m eager to help expand this potential for clients.”
Salem holds a BA from Amherst College, a Licence from L’Institut Catholique de Paris, and a JD from Columbia Law School.
