Jason Philyaw

CDT Roundup: Industrial Air and Power, Deepwater, Health and Hospice

For the week ended Feb. 28, the CDT Roundup saw 11 deals reported with a total value of about $7.3 billion. The deal count sits at par with the prior week's 11 and the year-ago 11, while last week's valuations up slightly from $7.1 billion the week before and more than double last year's $3 billion.

The M&A shortlist included two billion-dollar-plus transactions. Others were energy-adjacent, involving the sale of deepwater vessels and power generation assets.

That and more in this edition of CDT Roundup.

March 1, 2026 Jason Philyaw

CECO Environmental, Thermon Group Merge in $2.2B Cash, Stock Deal

CECO Environmental Corp. and Thermon Group Holdings announced an agreement to merge in a stock and cash transaction valued at about $2.2 billion.

Gibson Dunn and Sidley advised on the deal.

February 25, 2026 Jason Philyaw

Dallas-based Home Health and Hospice Care Provider Enhabit Going Private

Dallas-based Enhabit Inc. announced Monday that it agreed to be acquired by Kinderhook Industries, a middle market private equity firm, in a cash deal with a disclosed enterprise value of about $1.1 billion.

Jones Day and Kirkland & Ellis advised on the deal.

February 23, 2026 Jason Philyaw

CDT Roundup: Tampa Tanks, Bitcoin and a Cherokee Nation Power Play

For the week ended Feb. 21, the CDT Roundup saw 10 deals reported with a total value of about $7.1 billion. That's down from both the prior week's 14 for $20.5 billion and the 17 deals this time last year for $12.1 billion. That and more in this edition of CDT Roundup.

February 22, 2026 Jason Philyaw

Kornbacher Moving To Austin Tech-Focused Boutique Firm as Name Partner

Veteran tech dealmaker Devika Kornbacher Kornbacher comes from Clifford Chance, where she helped launch the Houston office in 2023 as managing partner and served as co-chair of the firm’s Global Tech Group. Prior to that, she was a partner at Vinson & Elkins in Houston for nearly 16 years.

February 19, 2026 Jason Philyaw

CDT Roundup: Not a Record-Shattering Week? A Return to Normal is Fine

For the week ended Feb. 14, the CDT Roundup saw 14 deals reported with a total value of $20.5 billion.

Aside from the prior week, last week's value of $20.5 billion is the highest recorded by the CDT since Nov. 8, when the Texas deal frenzy hit $76 billion boosted by Irving-based Kimberly-Clark's acquisition of Kenvue for $48.7 billion. That consumer products megadeal was the largest in terms of value in 2025 and the fifth-largest M&A transaction involving a Texas company or led by a Lone Star State lawyer since 2018, aside from a certain super-megadeal in early February.

February 15, 2026 Jason Philyaw

Saltchuk Takes Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Private for $1.2B Cash

Privately held Seattle freight transportation, marine service and energy distribution conglomerate Saltchuk said Wednesday that it has agreed to acquire Houston-based Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corp. for about $1.2 billion cash. Sidley Austin advised Great Lakes and its CLO Vivienne Schiffer, while Fried Frank represented Saltchuk.

February 11, 2026 Jason Philyaw

Transocean Acquires Valaris for $5.8B, Creating Deepwater Drilling Behemoth

Transocean announced Monday it has acquired Valaris Ltd. for about $5.8 billion in an all-stock transaction that creates an offshore drilling behemoth with 33 ultra-deepwater drillships, nine semisubmersibles and 31 modern jackups. Skadden advised Valaris with a team led by Eric Otness in Houston and Stephen Arcano and Max Troper in New York. Davor Vukadin is GC at Valaris, and Brady Long is Transocean's chief legal officer.

February 9, 2026 Jason Philyaw

Kilpatrick Bolsters Houston Office

Kilpatrick added another experienced energy attorney to its Houston office. Barclay Nicholson joined the firm’s construction and infrastructure team in December after nearly four years as a founding partner of the Sheppard Mullin office in Houston. Prior to that, he spent more than 21 years as an energy and commercial litigation partner with Norton Rose Fulbright.

February 5, 2026 Jason Philyaw

A&O Shearman, DLA Piper Advise on $7.5B Semiconductor Deal

DLA Piper and A&O Shearman advised on the deal whose announcement triggered a run-up on Nasdaq for Silicon Labs stock.

February 4, 2026 Jason Philyaw