It didn’t feel like it at the time, but 2025 turned out to be a blockbuster year for M&A lawyers in Texas. The Lone Star State may no longer be matching national trends in M&A; it could be surpassing them. A good year elsewhere was a great year in Texas, regardless of the small print. Put simply, there were more deals made for more money (lots more) than we anticipated, and The Texas Lawbook’s Corporate Deal Tracker has the exclusive details.
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Saltchuk Takes Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Private for $1.2B Cash
Privately held Seattle freight transportation, marine service and energy distribution conglomerate Saltchuk said Wednesday that it has agreed to acquire Houston-based Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corp. for about $1.2 billion cash. Sidley Austin advised Great Lakes and its CLO Vivienne Schiffer, while Fried Frank represented Saltchuk.
Houston Trial Boutique Sorrels Law Adds Experienced Trial Lawyers
Jim Martin and Sam Kinne have joined Sorrels Law in Houston, continuing the plaintiff-side litigation firm’s expansion.
Texas Business Court First: Jury Trial Underway in Houston in $200M Crude Terminal Dispute
The dispute pits the lawyer Albert Theodore “Ted” Powers against three members of the Berry family, who, through their businesses, is one of the largest private employers in Corpus Christi. Its origins can be traced back to an idea Lawrence Berry had in 2018 to build a world-class crude export terminal outside of Corpus Christi that could receive oil from the Permian Basin and the Eagle Ford Shale. The product could be stored in Aransas Pass and then loaded onto tanker ships from Harbor Island before being shipped anywhere in the world.
Latham Hires Trial Superstars Expected to Eventually Launch Dallas Office
Latham & Watkins has hired prominent litigators Taj Clayton and Scott Thomas as partners, the firm announced Tuesday. The move, first reported by The Texas Lawbook on Feb. 6, significantly strengthens Latham’s trial team in Texas and across the country, adding two nationally recognized litigators with deep experience in high-stakes commercial, securities and white-collar disputes. The two litigators are expected to eventually play a key role in launching the firm’s Dallas office, as both are North Texas residents.
Business Court: January 2026 Decisions
If January is any indication, it’s going to be another blockbuster year for the Court. The Court penned three opinions and gave us an early contender for quote of the year.
Austin Energy Projects Partner Moves from Greenberg Traurig to Baker Botts
Regina A. Pearson will focus her practice on energy project development and construction matters across sectors such as liquefied natural gas, power, hydrogen and renewables. The move strengthens Baker Botts’ energy project development and construction capabilities in Austin.
Litigation Roundup: A Milestone for the Texas Business Court, MA Court Denies J&J’s Motions and More
In this edition of the Litigation Roundup, the first jury trial for the Texas Business Court kicked off, while Johnson & Johnson had a motion for summary judgment and its request for a new trial denied and a former partner of a Dallas venture capital firm filed a lawsuit against the firm and its founders, alleging fraud and more. That and more in this week’s edition.
Clear Channel to be Sold to Mubadala-led Investors in $6.2B Take-private Deal
Under the deal, Clear Channel, the world’s largest out-of-home advertising company would stay in San Antonio, led by former TelevisaUnivision CEO Wade Davis. Kirkland and Freshfields advised.
Transocean Acquires Valaris for $5.8B, Creating Deepwater Drilling Behemoth
Transocean announced Monday it has acquired Valaris Ltd. for about $5.8 billion in an all-stock transaction that creates an offshore drilling behemoth with 33 ultra-deepwater drillships, nine semisubmersibles and 31 modern jackups. Skadden advised Valaris with a team led by Eric Otness in Houston and Stephen Arcano and Max Troper in New York. Davor Vukadin is GC at Valaris, and Brady Long is Transocean’s chief legal officer.