Blank Rome said Thursday it has expanded its energy industry team by recruiting a three-partner team from Reed Smith.
The trio includes Ryan Purpura, who offices in Houston and Pittsburgh and was previously the co-chair of Reed Smith’s global energy and natural resources industry group; Houston finance partner Matt Lea; and Pittsburgh corporate partner Ryan Haddad.
Leaders at Blank Rome noted that Houston and Pittsburgh are two important markets for the firm.
“Energy finance transactions for 2024 have been dynamic and reflect an increase in investment in energy transition, clean technologies, innovative financing, and mergers and acquisitions,” Cassandra Mott, partner and co-chair of Blank Rome’s Houston office, said in the announcement.
“We look forward to working with this group to further help our clients navigate the evolving energy industry landscape.”
Purpura represents oil and gas companies, private equity and hedge funds, and other financial institutions in mergers and acquisitions and project finance and development. He also advises clients on joint ventures and other strategic combinations regarding the development of oil and gas assets, primarily in domestic shale areas.
Lea, working with Purpura, focuses on representing both lenders and borrowers in various energy financing transactions, including conventional and mezzanine and related secured transactions, and alternative structures like production payments and prepaid swap agreements.
The group said it represented Diversified Energy in January in the asset sale of producing assets in Appalachia to Special Purpose Vehicle DP Lion Equity Holdco LLC and last year in the Birmingham company’s $250 million acquisition of Tanos Energy Holdings II LLC acquisition in Texas.
In two recent deals for Fortress Investment Group, the new Blank Rome team was involved in a $50 million financing for Aymium in June and the 2023 $1.84 billion acquisition of the Rocky Mountain independent natural gas producer PureWest Energy by a private consortium including Fortress.