By Liz Moyer Lazard Ltd. (LAZ) named former U.S. Deputy Energy Secretary Bill White as chairman of its Houston office, continuing the expansion of its energy advisory group. Mr. White, a Democrat who served in the Energy Department under President Bill Clinton, is also a former three-term Houston mayor. He joins the firm effective immediately, Lazard said in a statement on Tuesday. "Our clients and our global energy practice will benefit from his tremendous insight, experience and relationships," Antonio Weiss, Lazard's global head of investment banking, said in the statement. While at the Energy Department, Mr. White helped develop interest in deepwater leasing and the expanded use of natural gas for power generation, according to Lazard's statement. Earlier this year, Lazard hired Mark Renton, former vice chairman of the energy group at Citigroup Inc. (C), to focus on merger and strategic advisory in the international oil and gas sectors. In May, the firm named David Cecil, formerly co-head of Scotia Waterous, as head of its North American exploration and production sector. Write to Liz Moyer at liz.moyer@dowjones.com
