EOG Resources to Acquire Encino Acquisition Partners for $5.6 Billion
The deal, which makes Houston-based EOG one of the largest producers in Appalachia's Utica shale play was advised by Wachtell, Akin and Latham & Watkins.
Megan Knell Joins Steptoe & Johnson
The hiring of the former Dykema member, a board-certified oil, gas and minerals lawyer, brings the Steptoe & Johnson headcount in Dallas to 31.
SCOTUS to Consider Chevron Removal Case
In April, a Louisiana state jury decided that Houston-based Chevron Corp. owes Plaquemines Parish $740 million for harm done to the local coastal environment by Chevron and its corporate predecessors during oil and gas exploration more than seven decades ago. On Thursday (May 29), the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to consider a grant of certiorari for an argument by Chevron and other oil companies that the case shouldn't have been heard by a state court in the first place. The Texas Lawbook backgrounds the case.
CDT Roundup: Texas Lawyers Deliver Rare $20B+ Hat Trick
In this edition of CDT Roundup, the week ending May 24 saw 15 deals reported for a total of $24 billion. The week prior saw 16 deals for $21.7 billion. In fact, it's the third week in a row we tallied $20 billion or more for transactions handled by Texas lawyers. And that's the first time that's happened since we started keeping these stats for deals reported to the CDT Roundup. It's also the first time we've seen three consecutive weeks of $10 billion or more since the three weeks the third quarter of 2024.
How Waste Management and Charles Boettcher Sealed the Stericycle Deal
Waste Management’s $7.2 billion acquisition of Stericycle was highly complex, merging WM’s $20 billion solid waste business with Stericycle’s $2.6 billion medical waste operation. The deal faced hurdles including class action litigation, a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigation, and major integration challenges. Over several years, WM’s Chief Legal Officer, Charles Boettcher, played a key role in strategy, evaluation, and execution — culminating in one of 2024’s most significant transactions, with outside counsel Vinson & Elkins. As a result, Waste Management's acquisition of Stericycle is one of two finalists for the 2025 Houston Corporate Counsel Award for M&A Transaction of the Year. The award will be presented by the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook today at the Four Seasons in Houston.
Simpson Thacher Hires Project Finance Veteran
Fern Han spent more than 14 years at White & Case advising on large-scale infrastructure finance. Her hiring raises the STB Houston office headcount to 85 lawyers.
CDT Roundup: Power Moves Supercharge the Week
It was a week could be easily and properly labeled "Infrastructure Week." Of the 10 M&A transactions reported last week, eight were related to energy or data center/storage infrastructure or both.
Blackstone to Acquire TXNM Energy for $11.5B
The take-private deal fits the grid-based energy strategy of Blackstone, one of the largest data center operators in the nation.
NRG to Acquire 18 Gas-Fired Power Plants for $12B
The transaction doubles energy generation for the Houston-based company at a time when demand for dependable grid power for data centers is accelerating. The deal also includes NRG's acquisition of CPower, a major grid provider of distributed energy resources.
CDT Roundup: Energy Sector Leads the Charge
The week ending May 10 was, to say the least, brisk. Depending on how you count, there were 21 transactions valued at $21.5 billion or 24 valued at just over $30 billion. Either way, that's pretty fair traffic compared to last week's 11 deals for $4.2 billion. But it seems in keeping with last year's 22 deals for $14 billion at about this time. Maybe deals just wanted to close themselves for Mothers' Day.