First quarter global M&A activity fell back to levels not seen since 2013 with U.S. results eerily similar to 2008. Meanwhile, dealmaking involving Texas lawyers keeps chugging along thanks to transactions already in the works and some companies’ moves to shore up liquidity.
Dwindling Oil Storage Capacity and Impacts on Energy Companies
Commodity prices fell precipitously in the first quarter of 2020 as crude producers are getting hit on both the supply and demand sides. The U.S. is reportedly only weeks away from running out of crude oil storage capacity. Many E&P and midstream companies are evaluating whether to reduce production or pipeline capacity and/or shut in wells. The issue became more urgent last weekend when the Texas Railroad Commission reported that some oil companies are already receiving letters from shippers demanding production cuts and citing the unavailability of storage capacity.
Report: Borrowing Bases Expected to Slide at Least 20% After Oil Free-Fall
The results contrast with Haynes and Boone’s fall survey, which found the largest share of respondents predicting a 10% decrease during redetermination season.
CDT Roundup: 16 Deals, 13 Firms, 96 Lawyers, $6.5B
Preliminary data shows that global deal value slid 28% in the first quarter, with private equity firms making up a bigger chunk. Texas dealmakers haven’t been immune, although last week saw flat activity year-over-year with deal closings, restructuring work and private equity reloading to hunt for opportunities.
2019 Capital Markets Transactions
The Texas Lawbook’s Corporate Deal Tracker documents all M&A activity and securities offerings handled by in-house and outside counsel in Texas. Today, The Lawbook publishes a list of the 139 IPOs and equity and debt offerings that Texas lawyers worked on in 2019.
Did U.S. Sanctions Cause the Russian-Saudi Oil Price War?
Russia took the world by surprise three weeks ago by refusing to limit its oil production in the interest of supporting prices. Saudi Arabia responded by increasing production to record levels, driving down oil prices. This article examines whether the seeds for Russia’s sudden move were planted by the Trump administration’s expansive use of economic sanctions or even Iran’s attack on Saudi oilfields.
Bleak Deal Times Ahead After an Already Down 2019
Exclusive data collected by The Texas Lawbook’s Corporate Deal Tracker shows that transactions handled by lawyers in the state dropped by a quarter on a volume and value basis last year, thanks to the unpopular oil and gas sector. And 2020 is expected to be much worse given the coronavirus, uncertainty in the financial markets and low oil prices.
Two Deal Lawyers Make Career Moves in Midst of Coronavirus Crisis
Simpson Thacher picks up a former Blackstone managing director while a Texas utility brings on a Kirkland associate as general counsel.
CDT Roundup: 11 Deals, 7 Firms, 33 Lawyers, $11.91B
Two big transactions involving Texas lawyers helped move the value needle last week, despite shaky-looking deals in the rest of the M&A world thanks to the coronavirus.
Corp. Deal Tracker 2019 M&A Master List – 303 Texas Transactions and the Lawyers who Led Them
If a Texas lawyer works on an M&A transaction, The Texas Lawbook’s exclusive Corporate Deal Tracker database documents it. Today, The Lawbook has published our master list of all non-confidential transactions from 2019. The Corporate Deal Tracker lists the lawyers and law firms who represented the buyers and sellers in all 303 transactions.
