Vinson & Elkins represented Validus while Kirkland & Ellis advised Devon on a deal that came as a surprise to analysts. Claire Poole has more on the transaction.
K/G’s Ryan Gravelle: “We’re a startup; we just sell legal widgets.”
Kastner Gravelle founding partner Ryan Gravelle wasn’t always a tech lawyer, but he says he got there as fast as he could. In this Q&A, the Austin corporate lawyer talks about the climate for startup funding and M&A for tech companies, competitors that have moved to Austin and how a potential recession will affect Austin’s tech community.
CDT Roundup: 8 Deals, 9 Firms, 78 Lawyers, $6.9B
There are two energy deals this week — the week’s two largest deals, in fact — that are both more, and less, than they seem. While on the surface they involve the mergers of large energy corporations, they are simply simplifications of two large corporate structures. What’s going on here? The Corporate Deal Tracker Roundup has the details, as well as the names of all of the Texas lawyers behind this week’s deals.
Shell USA acquires Shell Midstream Partners for $1.96B
Shell USA announced Monday that it is paying $1.96 billion to acquire all outstanding stock of its subsidiary Shell Midstream Partners, which has assets involved in crude oil and refined products pipelines and terminals that serve as key infrastructure to transport onshore and offshore crude oil production to U.S. Gulf Coast and Midwest refining markets. The entities chose Houston lawyers from Baker Botts and Gibson Dunn as its legal advisors. The Lawbook has lawyer names and other details.
Texas M&A Dealmaking Hits Another Record in H1 2022
Texas Corporate dealmakers thought there was no way 2022 could match the record number of M&A transactions they handled in H1 or H2 2021 – both were records. But new data from by The Texas Lawbook’s Corporate Deal Tracker shows M&A activity hit another record high during the first six months of 2022 – albeit by an inch or so.
The dollar value of transactions declined significantly from the year before because there were no megadeals announced by the likes of AT&T, Chevron or Match.com. As you might expect, the energy sector led the way. The Texas Lawbook has the data and insight from the experts.
Clifford Chance Lands Veteran V&E Tech Partner
The Magic Circle law firm has recruited Devika Kornbacher to be the co-chair of its global technology group. Kornbacher, who had a hand in almost every tech deal at V&E, started her career at the Houston-based firm and practiced there for 15-plus years.
CDT Roundup: 14 Deals, 10 Firms, 122 Lawyers, $3.7B
The value of upstream energy deals is down in the second quarter of 2022, according to Enverus; down compared to the first quarter of 2022 and down dramatically from the same period a year ago. The reason seems simple: an abundance of caution in a volatile economic climate. The CDT Roundup has the numbers and the analysis, as well as the weekly roll call of the Texas lawyers behind last week’s deals.