As The Texas Lawbook has noted, capital markets activity – especially in the energy industry – has been moribund so far this year. Last week, the Austin analytics provider Drillinginfo confirmed that unsettling view. While the $22 billion worth of debt and equity raised in the first quarter was up 9% over the fourth, it was down a concerning 45% year-over-year. Drillinginfo says Wall Street is enforcing discipline in the energy sector, and in her weekly Roundup, Claire Poole describes exactly what that means.

One of the most discussed parts of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 is IRC section 199A, which includes the complex rules for determining when a taxpayer can deduct up to 20% of certain “pass-through” income. Jason Freeman of Freeman Law provides an analysis of the Treasury’s final regulations governing this provision.

Early last week, M&A activity for the year was lagging. Then came the $33 billion sale of Anadarko to Chevron. With that deal, everything changed – at least statistically. The equity and debt markets continue to be stingy, so what do companies do for new capital? Claire Poole has the answer, along with her weekly roundup of deals involving Texas lawyers.

Chevron Corp. of San Ramon, California, announced Friday that it agreed to buy Anadarko Petroleum Corp. of The Woodlands for $33 billion in cash and shares. Claire Poole has details and analyst reactions.