Free Speech, Due Process and Trial by Jury
Huntington Bancshares has accelerated its growth as a regional powerhouse with the $1.9 billion all-stock acquisition of Dallas-based Veritex Holdings. This deal significantly boosts Huntington’s footprint in Texas. Legal advisors include Simpson Thacher for Veritex and Wachtell for Huntington.
Last week, notable transactions included a $9.8 billion AI platform deal, $1.3 billion in two deals by Mach Resources and the sale of The Dallas Morning News to Hearst. The week ending July 12 saw 15 deals valued at just over $13 billion dollars. The week prior, there were nine deals for $15.8 billion and this time last year there were 20 deals for $17.2 billion.
In an all-cash, take-private deal valued at $74.9 million, The Dallas Morning News announced Thursday that it has agreed to join the Hearst Corporation, whose national chain of 28 daily newspapers will soon include the dailies of Texas' four most populous cities. Outside legal advisors on the deal include Haynes Boone for DallasNews and Clifford Chance for Hearst. Jeff Chapman of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher advised Robert W. Decherd, DallasNews’ majority shareholder and former chairman.
Chevron’s $53 billion acquisition of Hess remains in limbo despite FTC approval, which barred the son of Hess’ founder from a Chevron board seat due to antitrust concerns and alleged OPEC collusion. The merger’s fate hinges on an arbitration decision that could be announced soon with ExxonMobil over Hess’ stake in Guyana’s lucrative Stabroek Block. Meanwhile, CITGO, formerly Venezuelan-owned, saw a new winning bid in a Delaware court auction to settle expropriation claims.
Winburne was global head of the energy and infrastructure group at Orrick where he worked for more than nine years. He has been named co-chair of Willkie's energy and infrastructure practice.
Weil and Alston & Bird are advising on the acquisition of the Georgia-based building supply distributor. The acquisition is being made through Home Depot's McKinney-based subsidiary SRS Distribution, which was acquired last year for $18.25 billion.
For the week ending June 28, there were a dozen deals valued at nearly $7.8 billion: six in M&A and funding; six in capital markets and credit. But rather than compare that with last week's 16 deals for $6 billion or the 14 deals for $6.3 billion this time last year, let's compare these deals with each other. All in all, it was a curiously complicated week.
Kirkland and Akin advised on the combination of two Houston distributors of infrastructure machinery and supplies to create a $3 billion company with 350 service and distribution centers across 20 energy-producing countries.
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