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The $2.5 billion acquisition of Ranger Oil by Calgary-based Baytex Energy marked the first merger of public upstream companies in almost a year. If there's a renewed public-public phase of consolidation among small-to-mid-cap producers in the offing, there may be evidence of such in the Ranger-Baytex deal. The CDT Roundup explores the merger, along with the usual weekly listing of the deals reported by Texas lawyers.
No two law firms in Texas sat across the table from each other negotiating large mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures in 2022 more often than the Texas lawyers at Kirkland and V&E. Latham and Sidley were there several times, too. The Texas Lawbook’s Corporate Deal Tracker has its final 2022 law firm rankings for M&A activity by Texas lawyers have been tabulated. Some firms such as Haynes and Boone, McGuireWoods, White & Case, Katten and Munsch Hardt, scored big increases. Others saw large drops in deal count. The Texas Lawbook has the in-depth report with all the data.
Baytex says the transaction nearly doubles both its EBITDA and free cash flow, allowing an immediate step-up in direct shareholder returns, including the introduction of a dividend and increased share buybacks. The Lawbook has the names of the lawyers involved.
Regrouping is a powerful incentive for many M&A deals. This week's Roundup looks at a couple at a couple of billion-dollar energy transactions that should have come as no surprise for that reason. Also, a quick look at the recent work of Stephen Noh, a former sports management major who now plies his eye for detail to million dollar deals at Kirkland. And, of course, there's the usual roster of Texas lawyers who worked on last week's reported transactions.
Haynes and Boone advised the Oklahoma company and Holland & Knight assisted the British chemical multinational, which marks its entrance as operator into the U.S. onshore oil and gas market.
This week the CDT Roundup gives a tip of the hat to Winston & Strawn's Mike Blankenship, who has begun the first two months of 2023 on fire in what has become a rare form transaction: the traditional IPO. More on that, as well as the week's roundup of Texas-related transactions.
Are IPOs on their way back? If the first few weeks of 2023 are any indication, the answer depends on your point of reference: Maybe. Or sort of. Or hope so. After a lackluster 2022 when markets were pestered by war, inflation and defensiveness, a new study by Fidelity Investments suggests a modest rebound may be on the horizon. The CDT Roundup looks at the stats, as well as the cast of lawyers and firms behind 16 deals reported last week.
Long the global energy capital, the city can help lead the world toward a carbon-neutral future. A recent report from the Houston Energy Transition Initiative identifies makes the case the city is poised to do so.
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