CDT Roundup: 11 Deals, 11 Firms, 95 Lawyers, $3.9B

Deals are deals, unless they turn out not to be. The proposed $4 billion acquisition of Houston-based Mattress Firm by rival Tempur Sealy seemed like a deal. But the Federal Trade Commission last week voted 5-0 to stop the negotiations and sought to do so in a Houston federal court. The FTC complaint contains the usual language about protecting the U.S. consumer, but it also features allegations of retail bullying by Tempur Sealy along with 182-redactions to back that up. A discussion of that, and the usual fare of Texas-related deal summaries and the firms and lawyers involved, is in this week's CDT Roundup.

July 10, 2024 Claire Poole & Allen Pusey

CDT Roundup: 14 Deals, 16 Firms, 224 Lawyers, $8.2B

The Corporate Deal Tracker has noticed an uptick in capital transactions over the past few weeks. One firm that seems to be getting its share of CapM deals is Baker Botts. In June alone, BB reported more than $4 billion in 10 capital markets transactions. Claire Poole takes a look at the lawyers behind the action at BB, along with her usual summary of Texas-related deals and the lawyers behind them.

July 2, 2024 Claire Poole

CDT Roundup: 12 Deals, 8 Firms, 137 Lawyers, $5.7B

Thomas Laughlin is one busy dude. Trinity Hunt Partners helps keep him that way. The CDT Roundup this week takes a deeper look at what Trinity and Laughlin, a Dallas-based Kirkland PE partner, have been up to, of late. There's that, and the usual summaries of transactions reported last week along with the firms and lawyers who worked them. But brace yourself; the list will be, shall we say, a brief read.

June 25, 2024 Claire Poole

CDT Roundup: 13 Deals, 16 Firms, 214 Lawyers, $9.9B

There were three billion-dollar transactions last week: a shale E&P deal, an offshore drilling acquisition and a midstream divestiture. All were in energy, but they had something else in common: they are part of an on-going consolidation in nearly every phase of energy production. The CDT Roundup takes a look at what these latest deals tell us, along with the usual summation of last week's transactions and the lawyers and firms behind them.

June 18, 2024 Claire Poole

CDT Roundup: 19 Deals, 13 Firms, 239 Lawyers, $23.9B

Over the last few years, this space has seen more than a few deals involving Morgan Lewis Houston partner Jeff Dinerstein and his client Park Lawn, Inc., the Toronto-based purveyor of funerals, cremations and such. With the news this week that Park Lawn has agreed to be acquired for $1.2 billion, the CDT Roundup decided to review a few of Dinerstein's deals. And, of course, we include the usual summary of the lawyers and firms behind transactions reported last week.

June 11, 2024 Claire Poole

CDT Roundup: 12 Deals, 11 Firms, 147 Lawyers, $34.5B

The ongoing once-in-a-generation wave of oil & gas consolidation has gained serious momentum, as witnessed by the $22.5 billion merger agreement reached last week between ConocoPhillips and Marathon Oil. What's driving it? The Roundup's Claire Poole tops off her weekly summary of Texas-related dealmaking with a roundup of factors behind the recent proliferation of big energy deals, and takes a bonus look at the prospect that they could lead to more.

June 4, 2024 Claire Poole

CDT Roundup: 13 Deals, 15 Firms, 171 Lawyers, $9.7B

We’re more used to writing about semiconductor chips than corn chips, but this week the CDT has the pleasure of highlighting the ones you stick in salsa. Yes, it’s a PE deal involving one of our favorites, And you can enjoy it alongside our usual review of last week’s dealmaking.

May 29, 2024 Claire Poole

CDT Roundup: 11 Deals, 11 Firms, 173 Lawyers, $5.5B

While the oil and gas business remains the endoskeleton of the Texas economy, oil and gas are currently living divergent performance experiences. Oil is experiencing boom times; natural gas, not so much. In such a market the semi-annual Haynes Boone borrowing base and price deck surveys can offer a valuable lenders'-eye view of the immediate future. The CDT Roundup mines the latest data, along with the usual survey of last week's Texas-related deals.

May 21, 2024 Claire Poole

CDT Roundup: 22 Deals, 14 Firms, 227 Lawyers, $14.9B

The $6.2 billion take-private sale of Minnesota utility Allete to a joint venture of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Global Infrastructure Partners would be noteworthy if just for the price tag alone. But a closer look reveals a common bond among the lawyers involved that graduates from noteworthy to extraordinary. The Roundup's Claire Poole takes that closer look, along with her usual list of Texas-related transactions reported last week.

May 14, 2024 Claire Poole

CDT Roundup: 13 Deals, 9 Firms, 87 Lawyers, $3.1B

If you happen upon a bank transaction in Texas (or even if it's not in Texas) there are a couple of lawyers you figure know something about it: Sandy Brown at Alston & Bird in Dallas and Chet Fenimore at Fenimore Kay Harrison in Austin. So, when Texas Dow Employees Credit Union announced its purchase of Sabine State Bank, The Roundup turned to them. Turns out, one of them was involved. CDT notes on that involvement, as well as the work of 87 lawyers who advised on deals last week.

May 7, 2024 Claire Poole