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Prominent PE Dealmaker Sarah McLean Leaves Shearman for Willkie

January 2, 2024 Claire Poole

Willkie Farr & Gallagher announced Tuesday that prominent dealmaker Sarah McLean joined the firm as a partner in the corporate and financial services department and private equity practice based in Houston.

McLean was most recently a partner at Shearman & Sterling, where she was joint head of the U.S. energy industry group.

The attorney has more than 20 years of experience advising private equity funds and management teams on high profile deals across the energy sector.

In March of last year, McLean represented EnCap Flatrock Midstream on its sale of Lotus Midstream to Energy Transfer for $1.45 billion (EnCap Flatrock is one of her regular clients). The next month, she also advised Silver Hill Energy Partners on its sale of a 92 percent working interest in an unconventional gas asset in Texas to Mitsui & Co. Ltd. for undisclosed terms.

In 2022, McLean had her name pinned to 13 deals, according to The Texas Lawbook‘s exclusive Corporate Deal Tracker database, including ones involving Nickel Road Operating, which has backing by Fort Worth-based Vortus Investment Advisors; Foundation Minerals, a portfolio company of Quantum Energy Partners; Southcross Energy; ATX Energy Partners; and Elephant Resources (which has had backing by Trilantic Capital Management and RedBird Capital).

That comes after 2021, when McLean handled 11 M&A transactions (that the Lawbook is aware of).

In an interview, McLean said after six years at Shearman, she was looking for a firm that had a fund formation team, which is important to meet her clients’ needs.

The lawyer said that upstream deals have become more complicated in recent years, including more deferred payments, hedge strategies and joint ventures, forcing parties to be more “creative” than just transferring assets.

The deals she is most proud of are transactions in which there are some issues that pop up. “They don’t have the most dollar signs, but they need to be addressed,” she said.

McLean has been involved in some pro bono work at Shearman, including death penalty appeals and, during the 2020 election, cases revolving around access to the polls, and she said she wants to get involved in Willkie’s pro bono efforts.

Willkie said McLean is the sixth partner to join its cross-office energy team over the past 12 months, a list that includes Tan Lu from Vinson & Elkins and Tony Johnston from Kirkland & Ellis. The firm has been revamping its Houston office after several key departures in 2022.

Willkie chairman Thomas Cerabino said McLean brings significant dealmaking experience to its global energy team in Texas and across the U.S. and Europe “and will be an invaluable resource to our clients navigating the changing energy market.”

Archie Fallon, managing partner of the Houston office, added that McLean has a “stellar” reputation as a market-leading lawyer and dealmaker, with deep private equity and M&A experience in the oil and gas and energy transition sectors that will further the growth of its expanding Texas platform.

“As clients look for new opportunities in the evolving energy sector, Sarah’s substantial track record and experience will complement our capabilities in Texas and across the firm,” he said.

Claire Poole

Claire Poole is a senior writer at The Texas Lawbook, where she covers corporate transactions.

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