Free Speech, Due Process and Trial by Jury
(June 18) – Merger and acquisition, capital market and venture capital activity picked up this past week, reaching 13 transactions worth $14.2 billion versus eight deals valued at $6.3 billion the previous week. Fourteen law firms and 80 lawyers were involved in the deals, versus eight firms and 96 Texas lawyers the prior week. Claire Poole parses who did what in her weekly roundup in The Texas Lawbook.
A lot of private equity capital has been raised to invest in the oil and gas sector – $70 billion last year, eight-fold over 2012 – but the challenge is finding where the value is, says Sam Oh, founder of Houston-based Mountain Capital. He explained his view to a gathering of the Independent Petroleum Association of America Wednesday in Houston. Claire Poole and The Texas Lawbook were there.
With only eight deals worth a reported $6.3 billion announced last week, Texas lawyers seemed to lose some of the momentum that was building when 13 deals worth $14.5 billion were announced the week previous.
(June 7) – There was a surprise sale this week. Devon Energy sold all of its interests in publicly-traded EnLink Midstream Partners LP and EnLink Midstream LLC to Global Infrastructure Partners for $3.12 billion. Perhaps not surprising, Texas attorneys from three different firms were involved. Claire Poole has the names.
Right in step with the Texas weather, dealmaking heated up last week. There were 13 transactions announced worth $14.5 billion, still 29 percent below the year’s high of $20.4 billion. The activity involved 88 Texas lawyers and 10 different firms.
Deal activity leading up to the Memorial Day weekend was 76 percent off the previous week's 2018 high. Active industries included oilfield services, solar power and banking, along with oil and gas exploration, energy infrastructure, fertilizer and steel. The Texas Lawbook has the specific names and numbers.
After reports earlier this year that it was looking at launching an initial public offering, Bain Capital-backed BMC Software said May 29 that it has agreed to be sold to KKR. Deal terms weren’t disclosed, but media reports put the price tag at $10 billion.
Thanks to continuing consolidation of the midstream sector, deals last week hit a high mark for the year at $20.4 billion spread over 15 transactions worked by 63 Texas lawyers.
A lot of the action happened around oil and gas pipelines given rising production and possible takeaway restraints around certain parts of the country, including acquisitions and joint ventures.
Canadian oil and gas pipeline giant Enbridge announced a large asset sale on Wednesday. Lawyers from Norton Rose Fulbright counseled Enbridge’s U.S. affiliate on the sale of Midcoast Operating to ArcLight Capital Partners-backed AL Midcoast Holdings for $1.12 billion in cash. Gibson Dunn led the deal for ArcLight.
The first week of May saw asset sales, an initial public offering and joint ventures in the energy industry along with mergers in the coal and banking sectors. There also were joint ventures announced by companies big and small and the formation of a new private equity fund.
There weren’t as many deals this week as last week, but they amounted to a whole lot more and involved a lot more Texas lawyers, with mergers and big asset purchases among the highlights.
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