CenterPoint’s $6B Acquisition of Vectren is the 2019 Houston Corporate Counsel Award’s M&A Transaction of the Year

Monica Karuturi, an associate GC at CenterPoint Energy was visiting relatives in India when she first got word that CenterPoint was interested in acquiring Vectren, an Indiana-based utility. Within days she was on a flight to New York City to begin fleshing out the agreement. In the next few months Karuturi's team put together a $6 billion deal that has been named M&A Transaction of the Year in the 2019 Houston Corporate Counsel Awards. Mark Curriden has the background on the remarkable, award-winning transaction.

April 26, 2019 Mark Curriden

Occidental Picks Savvy Cravath Lawyer for Anadarko Counter Offer (alas, no Texans)

Occidental Petroleum didn’t go with a Texas lawyer for its $38 billion counter-bid for Anadarko Petroleum Corp., whose board already agreed to a $33 billion purchase by Chevron. The company chose Faiza Saeed, presiding partner at Cravath, whose media and entertainment clients have included Time Warner, Disney and DreamWorks. Still, Saeed is no stranger to the energy industry, as Claire Poole reveals.

April 25, 2019 Claire Poole

Three Texas M&A Attorneys Make Lateral Moves

White & Case and Shearman & Sterling announced new hires early this week.

April 23, 2019 Claire Poole

CDT Roundup: 13 Deals, 10 Law Firms, 90 Texas Lawyers, $13.5B

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.

April 22, 2019 Claire Poole

Section 199A: A Brief Introduction

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.

April 17, 2019 Jason Freeman

CDT Roundup: 16 Deals, 14 Law Firms, 91 Texas Lawyers, $38.9B

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.

April 16, 2019 Claire Poole

V&E Advises Anadarko on $33B Sale to Chevron in Biggest Shale Deal Ever

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.

April 12, 2019 Claire Poole

Q&A: Ryan Maierson’s Big Month and What It Says About the M&A Market

Latham & Watkins partner Ryan Maierson has been very, very busy, leading three billion-dollar deals in the last month. The Lawbook's Claire Poole had a chance to talk to him about those deals and what they say about dealmaking right now.

April 11, 2019 Claire Poole

CDT Roundup: 12 Deals, 11 Law Firms, 94 Texas Lawyers, $6.87B

M&A is down in the first quarter of 2019. That is a fact. But in the energy sector, according to Drillinginfo, it was worse than you think. Claire Poole has the startling numbers, along with her weekly roundup of Texas transactions.

April 10, 2019 Claire Poole

Robust Economic Growth and Tax Law Changes Mean Choice of Entity Decisions More Important than Ever

Business is booming in Texas, and recent changes to U.S. tax laws have brought billions of dollars from foreign investors to the state. These developments have elevated the importance of choosing the right entity when structuring a new business venture. Business lawyers seeking to stay up-to-date on this topic should attend the 17th Annual “Choice, Governance & Acquisition of Entities” course in Dallas on May 24.

April 8, 2019 William Hornberger & Byron Egan

Jimmy Vallee Leaves Paul Hastings for Winston & Strawn

Jimmy Vallee, a top energy-focused M&A expert, has moved to Winston & Strawn in Houston with the avowed purpose of quadrupling the firm's practice there. Vallee says others are already planning to join him. Claire Poole has him on the record.

April 4, 2019 Claire Poole

Stonepeak Acquires Oryx, UGI Buys AmeriGas in Deals Worth $9.6B

Two deals in the energy sector were announced Tuesday. They involved 58 Texas lawyers at six different firms and an enterprise value of nearly $10 billion. Claire Poole has the names and numbers.

April 2, 2019 Claire Poole