Chris Glynn

Law firm Akin Gump is continuing to make good on its plan to grow its energy practice with the hiring of erstwhile Vinson & Elkins attorney Stephen Davis. Akin Gump has called energy a ‘strategic commitment’.

A preferred bidder for a 50-kilometre extension of the 407 Express Toll Route in Ontario is expected by the spring. Infrastructure Ontario drew up a shortlist for the $1bn project in March.

The El Paso Firemen & Policemen’s Pension Fund has put $2.5m with Global Investment Partners' second infrastructure fund. GIP II, which held its first close with $3bn, is targeting $6bn total.

ArcLight Capital Partners has offloaded Associated Asphalt Partners to Goldman Sachs Capital Partners for a purported $400m. ArcLight bought Associated in 2006, grouping the company in its midstream portfolio.

A $526m offer for WCA Waste Corp by Macquarie Infrastructure Partners II was given the stakeholder go-ahead, helping Macquarie Group expand its presence in the US waste management space. The acquisition is expected to be finalised by the end of the first quarter.

A 1,000-bed male prison in Wiri will be handled by a consortium of Fletcher Construction and John Laing Investments. The project is expected to begin construction in the second half of this year, with an opening scheduled for 2015.

Caledon Capital Management, a consultant, has identified direct investment in infrastructure as an emerging pension trend and is thinking of beefing up its team to satisfy client demand, partner Asif Hussain (pictured) said.

The Indiana Finance Authority is publishing a request for qualifications for a private partner to handle its half of the $2.6bn Ohio River Bridges Project. The toll road concession will be structured using the availability payment model.

The North Texas Tollway Authority has decided to break up the financial adviser position occupied by RBC Capital Markets and issue a separate request for qualifications for a PPP adviser. RBC had acted as the sole financial adviser to the NTTA since 1983.

Vikram Gandhi has landed a post with Greenhill & Company as special adviser. The appointment marked the second in a month for Gandhi, a specialist in Indian infrastructure and former Credit Suisse banker who started his own consulting business last month.