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Texas businesses smashed all records when it came to mega-mergers, acquisitions and divestitures during the fourth quarter of 2016. The average value of M&A deals in Texas topped $1 billion during the final three months of last year. “It was the year of the big deal and the year of the big finish,” says Chad Watt of Mergermarket. “We blew the doors off in the second half.” The Texas Lawbook provides full data and charts, including a list of the 25 biggest Texas M&A deals of 2016.

Texas businesses smashed all records when it came to mega-mergers, acquisitions and divestitures during the fourth quarter of 2016. The average value of M&A deals in Texas topped $1 billion during the final three months of last year. “It was the year of the big deal and the year of the big finish,” says Chad Watt of Mergermarket. “We blew the doors off in the second half.” The Texas Lawbook provides full data and charts, including a list of the 25 biggest Texas M&A deals of 2016.

A Swiss arbitration ruled that Rudolf Suter owed $2 million to a Florida investor from a failed business deal. Suter ignored it. When the investor discovered he was living large in Texas, the investor sought and received a judgment from a Dallas federal court. Suter filed for bankruptcy. He ignored that until he was threatened with jail. And when a Dallas federal judge decided to hold a contempt hearing, Suter caught a British Airways jet for London.

Last month, Suter was arrested when he tried to return to the U.S. He was returned to Dallas, cuffed hand and foot, for a hearing last Friday and was presented with a whole new legal problem: federal charges for lying during his bankruptcy proceedings.

“He has been avoiding the U.S. legal system for over five years,” said one of the lawyers involved. “Although it took a while, it looks like the system has caught up with him.”

After a nine year fight in Texas courts to establish that its carbon dioxide pipeline is a common carrier, Denbury Green walked away from the Supreme Court of Texas Friday with a big win. Lawyers for energy interests praised the ruling as restoring stability to pipeline planning, while advocates for landowners said the decision gives pipelines a sort of get-out-of-jail-free card by letting them retroactively prove eminent domain authority. The Texas Lawbook has full details.

When the next history of the Supreme Court of the United States is written, several pages will be devoted to Judge Merrick Garland’s nomination and the 2016 presidential election. Some are already calling it the year the Republicans “stole” a Supreme Court seat. Now, President Trump will appoint Scalia’s replacement. Everyone is wondering who Trump will choose. Some reports suggests an announcement could come any day and Trump’s list of possible nominees includes a couple Texans.

Austin-based Venado Oil & Gas chose Baker Botts partner Mike Bengtson of Austin to advise the E&P company in its purchase of property and midstream assets in the Maverick Basin and Eagle Ford. SM Energy GC David Copeland and asst. GC James Lebeck are leading the deal for the Denver company.