Baker Botts and V&E Advise in $5.6 Billion Deal

By Natalie Posgate
Staff Writer for The Texas Lawbook
(October 10) — Dallas-based Regency Energy Partners LP announced Thursday that it has entered a merger agreement with PVR Partners, LP to acquire the Pennsylvania-based limited partnership for $5.6 billion.
The acquisition will give Regency a leading gas gathering and processing platform (including midstream assets) with a presence in oil and gas plays in Appalachia, West Texas, South Texas, the Mid-Continent and North Louisiana.
Baker Botts is advising Regency in the transaction, with Dallas partner Neel Lemon and Houston partner Breen Haire as the lead attorneys. Other attorneys involved include Dallas partners Steve Marcus, Doug Rayburn and Luke Weedon; Houston partners Joshua Davidson, Rob Fowler and Scott Janoe; Houston associate Daniel Gottschalk and senior associate A.J. Ericksen; and Washington, D.C. partner Paul Cuomo.
Vinson & Elkins is advising PVR. The lead V&E attorneys are New York-based, but some of the firm’s Texas lawyers are still involved. They include: Dallas-based partner David D’Alessandro and associate Missy Spohn, and Houston-based associates Ryan Carney and Robert Jacobson.
Baker Botts has worked with Regency in the past, including when it represented Regency’s placement agent and/or investors in a private investment in public equity (PIPE) transaction that raised more than $10 billion for the company.
V&E is also not new to its client. In May 2012, V&E advised PVR when it acquired Chief Gathering LLC for $1 billion.
The transaction between Regency and PVR is expected to close in the first quarter of 2014.