Balch & Bingham launched a Houston office this week with two energy mergers and acquisitions attorneys. It is the Birmingham, Ala.-based firm’s 10th office nationwide and first in Texas.
Philip Dunlap and David Browsher join Balch from BoyarMiller and Adams and Reese, respectively. They represent energy companies, private equity investors, public and private companies and startups on a mergers and acquisitions, securities and financing.
“Houston is recognized as the energy capital of the world, and our launch into the market is an important milestone for us,” Balch managing partner Stan Blanton said in a statement. “With Balch’s long history of serving energy and related industries, combined with Philip and David’s experience in supporting transactions across the energy sector and beyond, we are building a great team that fits perfectly into our culture.”
Dunlap, who received his law degree from SMU, focuses his M&A practice on representing oilfield services and midstream clients in the energy industry and health care clients.
Two transactions he has handled in the past year include leading the team that advised The Woodlands-based Kingsley Constructors Inc. on its sale to publicly-traded MasTec Inc and helping SupplyKick secure a new senior credit facility with Encina Business Credit LLC to refinance its existing senior debt and provide capital for growth.
Balch has more than 120 attorneys in its energy and environmental practices, which account for more than half of the firm’s total headcount. The firm has represented Energy Future Holdings and Vistra Energy, which was spun-off from EFH in 2016, in a number of matters. The Alabama firm says it serves close to 75 clients across Texas in the energy, banking and financial services, manufacturing and healthcare industries.
– Claire Poole contributed to this report