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Mitsubishi Corp. said Friday that it has entered the U.S. shale gas business with the acquisition of specific assets from Dallas-based private investment firm Aethon Energy Management for about $7.5 billion. Latham & Watkins advised Aethon and Vinson & Elkins represented Mitsubishi.
Houston energy infrastructure company Talen Energy said Thursday that it has acquired two power generating plants in the PJM market from New Jersey-based investment firm Energy Capital Partners for $2.55 billion cash and about $900 million in stock. Talen General Counsel John Wander worked with Kirkland & Ellis and White & Case on the deal.
For the first full week of 2026, the CDT Roundup saw 18 transactions with a reported total value of nearly $9 billion (specifically $8.958 billion), the majority of which from just three deals. About a dozen firms circled back in early January with private equity or private investment deals that closed in mid-December.
And since we're closing the books on 2025, let's pause for a brief look at the numbers specific to The Roundup in this week's edition.
Balch Managing Partner Stan Blanton said the firm “could not have found another group of lawyers who offer the expertise and talent” of Duggins Wren Mann & Romero, particularly in the electricity and gas sectors.
Vistra Corp. said Monday that it acquired Cogentrix Energy for about $2.3 billion cash, about $925 million in common shares and the assumption of $1.5 billion of debt. Vistra used Latham & Watkins, Sidley Austin and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton as outside legal counsel. King & Spalding advised Cogentrix.
The week ending Jan. 3 — the day Larry David claims is the last day you can wish someone Happy New Year — had just two deals reported, with one of DFW's favorite Tex-Mex chains acquiring one of DFW's favorite Cajun spots through bankruptcy court and the announcement of an ATM offering by a Michigan energy company highlight this edition of the CDT Roundup.
Not much was reported for the holiday inflected week that ended Dec. 27. The Roundup saw only two transactions. Only one had a reported value.
However, one Houston-based utility got a Christmas week gift from the U.S. Department of Energy.
That and a bit more in this edition of CDT Roundup.
Harbour Energy said Monday that it agreed to acquire Louisiana-based LLOG Exploration Co. for $3.2 billion, including $2.7 billion cash and $500 million of common stock, giving the U.K. oil company its first deepwater presence in the U.S. Bracewell advised Harbour with a team led by partners in London, Houston and Washington, D.C.
For the week ended Dec. 20, The CDT Roundup saw 11 transactions reported with a total value of about $10.2 billion, which is roughly on par with the prior week's 15 deals for nearly $10 billion, though up from the 11 transactions at $3 billion this time last year. The week's top transactions and more in this edition of CDT Roundup.
For the week ended Dec. 13, the CDT Roundup saw 15 deals reported with a total value of just under $10 billion. At this time last year, we saw 15 transactions come across our desks with an aggregate value of $5.3 billion.
In M&A, this edition of CDT Roundup includes a handful of energy-related deals with a shuffling of midstream assets, Texas solar projects selling minority stakes and some offshore rigs trading hands.
And on the CapM side: a SPAC IPO, a nearly $1 billion private placement, a stock buy-back and a post-merger holiday cleanup on the Constellation-Calpine aisle.
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