Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP advised Crestwood Midstream Partners LP regarding a merger agreement announced today with Inergy, L.P. The combined company, with an enterprise value of approximately $7 billion, will provide pipeline and other services in some of North America’s biggest oil and gas drilling areas, including the continent’s premier shale formations. The merger, which the parties currently expect to close in September, is conditioned on approval by a majority of Crestwood’s limited partners (more…)

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J. Patrick LaRue has joined Porter Hedges as a partner in the Corporate Practice Group. His practice primarily focuses on M&A, corporate governance, private equity and general corporate counseling and advisory services. He represents a wide range of public and private clients and serves as outside general counsel to various organizations in Houston and throughout Texas (more…)

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The Firm is representing Crestwood Midstream Partners LP (NYSE: CMLP) (“Crestwood”) in connection with the merger of Crestwood and Inergy Midstream, L.P. (NYSE: NRGM) (“Inergy Midstream”), an affiliate of Inergy, L.P. (NYSE: NRGY), to create a fully integrated midstream partnership with a total enterprise value of approximately $7 billion. The combination of Crestwood and Inergy Midstream will create a diverse platform of midstream assets providing broad-ranging services in the premier shale plays in North America. Under the terms of the definitive transaction agreements, the combination of the two companies will be effected through a series of transactions, which will result in Crestwood Holdings acquiring the general partner of Inergy prior to the consummation of the merger (more…)

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Mayer Brown, a leading global law firm, announced that prominent tax attorney Edward C. Osterberg, Jr. has joined the firm in Houston as a partner in the Tax Transactions & Consulting practice. Previously, he was a partner at Vinson & Elkins in Houston (more…)

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Bracewell & Giuliani LLP is representing Chesapeake Energy Corporation in the $300 million sale of Mid-America Midstream Gas Services, LLC to SemGroup Corporation. The acquisition includes 540,000 acres in the core of the Mississippi Lime Play, along with 200 miles of gathering pipeline, and a pair of cryogenic processing plants (more…)

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Reed Smith LLP today announced the addition of two partners to its rapidly growing Houston office. Mark D. Temple and Leah T. Rudnicki bring the total number of partners in the firm’s newest office to 16 and the number of lawyers to 22 (more…)

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Winston & Strawn LLP has announced Paula W. Hinton will join the firm’s Houston office as a partner in the litigation practice. Ms. Hinton was formerly a partner at Vinson & Elkins, where her practice focused on representing businesses in a broad array of complex civil litigation. The arrival of Ms. Hinton broadens the office’s litigation capabilities and underscores Winston & Strawn’s commitment to developing a full-service platform in Houston (more…)

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Wick Phillips announces that Michael L. Baum has joined the Dallas office as a partner in the employment and commercial litigation groups. With nearly 15 years of experience, Baum represents parties in employment related matters in both state and federal court based on: wrongful termination and discrimination in the workplace (age, race, gender, pregnancy, national origin, religion and disability); claims of unpaid overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act; and cases involving alleged violations of the Family Medical Leave Act. He also has extensive jury trial experience and has successfully arbitrated numerous employment-related cases (more…)

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James F. (Jamie) Thompson and Charlene B. Wright have joined Shook, Hardy & Bacon as partners in the firm’s national Environmental and Toxic Tort Practice. Thompson will be resident in the Kansas City office. Wright will be resident in Houston. Both were previously partners at Lathrop & Gage in Kansas City (more…)

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