Duane Morris LLP is pleased to announce that Jonathan M. Petrakis and J. Colin Knisely have joined the firm’s Trial Practice Group as partners in its Philadelphia office. They join Duane Morris from Deeb Petrakis Blum & Murphy P.C., where Petrakis was the founding member and president.

Herbert Smith advised Apache North Sea Limited, a subsidiary of Houston based Apache Corporation, on its agreement to acquire the North Sea oil & gas assets of Exxon Mobil Corporation’s Mobil North Sea LLC for US$1.75 billion which was signed 21 September 2011.

Hunton & Williams (Thailand) Limited recently represented four financial institutions in a Credit Facilities Agreement of Baht 48,940 million ($1.6 billion) with two subsidiaries under the Wireless Group of the Company, consisting of BFKT (Thailand) Company Limited and Real Future Company Limited.

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, the premier provider of legal services to technology, life sciences, and other growth enterprises worldwide, is pleased to announce that it is opening an office in Brussels, Belgium. The office will be led by Michael Rosenthal, previously the managing partner of Hunton & Williams’ Brussels office, who will be joined by Götz Drauz, the former Deputy Director-General for Competition at the European Commission, and former Hunton & Williams partner Paul McGeown, along with a counsel and three associates. The team combines private practice, industry, and high-level government experience and offers a broad spectrum of antitrust and competition services at the European Union and national levels in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The office is expected to open in October.

The global law firm Jones Day announced that Martha Gooding and Michael Stimson have joined the Firm as partners in its Intellectual Property Practice, resident in the Firm’s Irvine Office. Both were most recently partners in the Irvine office of Howrey, where they were members of the firm’s IP Group.

WilmerHale is pleased to announce that Thomas Strickland has joined the firm as a partner in its Washington DC office. Mr. Strickland is the former Chief of Staff and Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks for the United States Department of the Interior. His distinguished service as a senior member of the Obama Administration followed his previous roles as chief legal officer for UnitedHealth Group, successful leader in private practice, United States Attorney for the District of Colorado, and Policy Director for Colorado Governor Richard Lamm. At WilmerHale, he will handle a range of matters at the intersection of law, business and government policy, including governmental enforcement cases, Congressional and internal investigations, corporate governance, and high-stakes crisis management matters.

Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC, a full-service national law firm, is pleased to announce that James C. Falvey and Allen Bachman have joined the firm’s Washington, D.C. office as Members.

Jeffrey B. Mullan, former Secretary and CEO of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, has joined Foley Hoag LLP in its Boston office, returning to the firm where he began his legal career.