Waste Management’s $7.2 billion acquisition of Stericycle was highly complex, merging WM’s $20 billion solid waste business with Stericycle’s $2.6 billion medical waste operation. The deal faced hurdles including class action litigation, a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigation, and major integration challenges. Over several years, WM’s Chief Legal Officer, Charles Boettcher, played a key role in strategy, evaluation, and execution — culminating in one of 2024’s most significant transactions, with outside counsel Vinson & Elkins. As a result, Waste Management’s acquisition of Stericycle is one of two finalists for the 2025 Houston Corporate Counsel Award for M&A Transaction of the Year. The award will be presented by the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook today at the Four Seasons in Houston.
NRG to Acquire 18 Gas-Fired Power Plants for $12B
The transaction doubles energy generation for the Houston-based company at a time when demand for dependable grid power for data centers is accelerating. The deal also includes NRG’s acquisition of CPower, a major grid provider of distributed energy resources.
CDT Roundup: Energy Sector Leads the Charge
The week ending May 10 was, to say the least, brisk. Depending on how you count, there were 21 transactions valued at $21.5 billion or 24 valued at just over $30 billion. Either way, that’s pretty fair traffic compared to last week’s 11 deals for $4.2 billion. But it seems in keeping with last year’s 22 deals for $14 billion at about this time. Maybe deals just wanted to close themselves for Mothers’ Day.
M&A Newsmaker: Katherine Terrell Frank Never Became Perry Mason, But It Still Worked Out
Katherine Terrell Frank has fond memories of growing up watching Perry Mason with her grandfather. “I imagined the life of a lawyer as theatrical and dramatic, with cases neatly resolved within an hour,” Frank said. But it was while she was with V&E that she discovered something different while working in their capital markets and M&A practice. “It turns out I really enjoy transactional work,” Frank said.
Sheppard Mullin Adds Tax/Executive Comp Partner in Houston from Kirkland
Jared Whalen’s career also includes nearly six years in-house at Waste Management.
Real Estate Veteran Nick Buehner Returns to V&E as a Partner
Nick Buehner has returned to Vinson & Elkins as a partner in its Dallas real estate practice after serving in two notable in-house roles for the past nine years, the firm announced Monday in a news release.
Munck Wilson Adds Depth to Corporate Practice
Scott Beckmen, who joins Munck Wilson from Spencer Fane, has nearly two decades of experience across the finance, gaming, technology, and energy industries. He also recently served as chief legal officer of SimWin Sports.
GT Bolsters Franchise & Distribution Practice with Cross-Border Adviser Mo Alturk
Mo Alturk worked for the last 14 years at Baker McKenzie, where gained significant experience working with multinational corporations and franchise systems.