Add Akin to the list of corporate firms Clifford Chance has recruited from to build out its Houston launch.
Oil and gas dealmaker David Sweeney is the 10th partner in the office and the seventh lateral hire this month.
The Magic Circle firm has developed a talented roster of corporate lawyers including Jonathan Castelan and Trevor Lavelle from Latham & Watkins, Enoch Varner from Kirkland & Ellis, Alex Wilde and David Stringer from Jones Day and Jonathan Bobinger from Baker Botts. Former Vinson & Elkins partner Devika Kornbacher joined Clifford Chance last year.
Sweeney, a University of Texas School of Law graduate, has a mix of private practice and in-house experience. He started his career at Bracewell, where he worked for seven years before moving in-house to become the vice president of legal and general counsel at the Van Dyke Energy Company for a brief stint. He then joined Lukoil Overseas as its associate general counsel and chief compliance officer for a little over a year before returning to Big Law at K&L Gates. He has practiced the last six-plus years at Akin.
Sweeney’s practice focuses on a broad range of U.S. and non-U.S. oil and gas, coal, and other natural resource and infrastructure transactions, including acquisitions and divestitures, project development and finance, and anti-corruption compliance matters.
The Texas Lawbook’s Corporate Deal Tracker Roundup reported on several transactions involving Sweeney in 2022.
- He was on the Akin team that represented Aquadrill in its $958 million sale to London-based offshore driller Seadrill.
- Sweeney led Tamboran Resources Ltd., a public natural gas company headquartered in Australia, on its $40 million acquisition of Origin Energy’s Beetaloo Basin position and on a $130 million capital raise.
- Sweeney was the lead lawyer for Houston-based oil and gas producer APA Corp. in the acquisition of West Texas properties for a purchase price of $505 million.
Past clients also include EP Energy, Laredo Petroleum, Lukoil and Stone Energy.
In an interview with Hart Energy for earning the publication’s “Forty Under 40” distinction, Sweeney said being voted “Partner of the Year” in 2018 by Akin associates is at the top of his most revered professional accomplishments.