Free Speech, Due Process and Trial by Jury
Lowe's announced on April 14 that it had entered an agreement to acquire Artisan Design Group, a Dallas-based designer, distributor and service provider for interior finishes, for $1.325 billion. Lawyers from Latham & Watkins and Covington & Burling are advising on the deal.
The 2025 Texas Legislature is considering a host of bills that relate to the governance of Texas entities. For lawyers who have a taste for entity governance issues, your mouths are probably salivating over the prospects of the Legislature passing several bills. In addition, an important bill that would amend various statutes relating to the Texas business court is also under consideration.
The week ending April 12 saw 14 deals reported with an aggregate value of only $2.7 billion. Don't let that mislead. It's both better and worse than the numbers suggest. There were 10 M&A/funding deals. But the bulk of the M&A/funding value was provided by a $1 billion fund closing. That and more in this week’s CDT Roundup, The Texas Lawbook's regular feature highlighting the work Texas dealmakers are doing inside and outside the state.
Andy Smetana took what he considers an unconventional path to transactional law. After graduating from Boston University School of Law, he sensed that the conditions weren't favorable for dealmaking. He patiently worked as a litigator while waiting for corporate and market opportunities to improve. Once they did, Smetana quickly transitioned into the transactional sector and has not looked back since, he told The Texas Lawbook.
In this edition of the CDT Roundup, we take a look at a more robust deal week than we've seen recently, while the first-quarter deadline for being included in the rankings is later today. Plus, a helpful guide is now available for all things Corporate Deal Tracker. That and more in this week's CDT Roundup, our regular feature highlighting the work Texas dealmakers are doing inside and outside the state.
Brookfield Infrastructure Partners, the infrastructure company of New York's Brookfield Asset Management, and its institutional partners announced on April 3 that it had entered an agreement to acquire 100 percent ownership of Colonial Enterprises and its midstream asset portfolio for $9 billion. Lawyers from Kirkland & Ellis and Simpson Thacher are advising on the deal.
The 2025 Katten Middle-Market Private Equity report released Thursday was based on bullish post-election December business optimism. But the early and aggressive moves by the Trump Administration forced the report sponsor, Katten, to reassess its data — to the point of authorizing a "flash survey" to gauge whether optimism had survived.
Rocket Companies announced Monday that it had agreed to merge and acquire Mr. Cooper Group Inc., a Dallas-based mortgage servicer, for $9.4 billion. Lawyers from Paul Weiss, Wachtell and Bradley Arant are advising the deal.
© Copyright 2026 The Texas Lawbook
The content on this website is protected under federal Copyright laws. Any use without the consent of The Texas Lawbook is prohibited.
