MehaffyWeber is pleased to announce that Bill Hicks will join the firm’s Houston office as a shareholder in its energy group. Bill has over 34 years combined experience in the energy sector, both as in-house counsel and in private practice. Former General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of a leading oil and gas service provider, Bill has also represented clients in private practice in Federal and State courts throughout Texas. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. (more…)

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Continuing its strategic growth in Texas, the international law firm Greenberg Traurig LLP has added a top-tier team of five attorneys and one director across various practice areas including real estate, energy regulatory, corporate & securities and government law & policy to its Austin office. The team, whose experience further enhances the firm’s highly regarded multi-practice capabilities, includes shareholders Joshua Bernstein, Todd Kimbrough and Elizabeth Rogers along with associates William Teten, Jr. and Katie Van Dyk. Rounding out the group is Government Law & Policy senior director, Dr. Jennifer McEwan. (more…)

www.gtlaw.com

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Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP today announced that it is opening an office in Houston, Texas. The office will be the New York firm’s first new domestic office opening in more than 30 years. Willkie has a substantial client base in Texas including a number of the most highly regarded energy-related funds and most active industrial buyout firms in the region. This move furthers the firm’s strategy to combine the strengths of its existing relationships, the private equity, leveraged finance, M&A and capital markets skills of a traditional Wall Street firm and the talents of Houston-based attorneys specializing in energy and buyout transactions.

Launching the Houston office will be Willkie corporate partner Bruce Herzog, together with Michael Piazza, who joins from Bracewell & Giuliani LLP, and Angela Olivarez, who joins from Jones Day. (more…)

www.willkie.com

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King & Spalding represented real estate owner and developer Edens Investment Trust in its acquisition of all outstanding shares of AmREIT, Inc., in an all-cash transaction valued at $762 million. The deal was unanimously approved by AmREIT’s board of directors. It is expected to close in the first quarter of 2015. (more…)

www.kslaw.com

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The Texas trial firm of Deans & Lyons, LLP, is pleased to announce that respected trial and appellate attorney Brian P. Lauten has joined the firm’s Dallas office as a partner.

As a triple board-certified business trial lawyer, Mr. Lauten has represented clients nationwide in cases involving business and commercial disputes, professional liability, fiduciary litigation, contract disputes, legal malpractice, and labor and employment litigation. Mr. Lauten also has handled appeals before the U.S. Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of Texas. Prior to joining Deans & Lyons, he was a named partner in the Dallas firm Sawicki & Lauten, L.L.P. (more…)

www.deanslyons.com

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Vinson & Elkins advised Nuevo Midstream, LLC in the sale of the company to Western Gas Partners, LP for $1.5 billion in cash. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2014. (more…)

www.velaw.com

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Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP is pleased to announce that Michael S. Haynes has rejoined the Firm as a partner in the Bankruptcy and Business Reorganization Practice Group.

In 2005, Mr. Haynes began his legal career at Gardere as a bankruptcy associate after earning his J.D., summa cum laude, and M.B.A. from Texas Tech University. He joined Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP as a bankruptcy attorney in 2011. Prior to attending law school, Mr. Haynes worked as a stockbroker for Fidelity Investments. (more…)

gardere.com

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BakerHostetler is proud to announce that Sashe D. Dimitroff has joined the firm, resident in the Houston office, as a member of the Litigation Group and the Energy and Shale team. He comes to BakerHostetler from Haynes and Boone. Dimitroff will join more than 360 trial lawyers in the firm’s expanding Litigation Group. (more…)

www.bakerlaw.com

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Western Gas Partners, LP (NYSE: WES) (“WES” or the “Partnership”) announced that it agreed to acquire Nuevo Midstream, LLC (“Nuevo”), a leading Delaware Basin gas gatherer and processor, for $1.5 billion. The Partnership expects the acquisition will close in the fourth quarter of 2014, subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions. (more…)

www.bakerbotts.com

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Shell Midstream Partners, L.P., a limited partnership formed by Royal Dutch Shell, announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 40,000,000 common units representing limited partner interests at $23.00 per common unit. The underwriters of the offering have a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 6,000,000 common units from Shell Midstream Partners. The common units will begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange on October 29, 2014 under the ticker symbol “SHLX.”  The offering is expected to close on or about November 3, 2014, subject to customary closing conditions. (more…)

www.bakerbotts.com

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McGuireWoods today expanded its capabilities in its fast-growing Dallas office with the addition of accomplished restructuring and insolvency attorney Mark A. Platt, who joined the firm as a partner.

Mr. Platt, who has substantial insolvency and commercial litigation experience, focuses on several industries, including telecommunications, real estate and energy. He has successfully litigated cases for senior lenders, private equity firms and a wide array of debtors and creditors in federal and state courts across the country, including in Texas, Delaware, and New York. Mr. Platt is the current co-chair of the American Bar Association Bankruptcy and Insolvency Litigation Committee. (more…)

www.mcguirewoods.com

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On October 27, 2014, Carrizo Oil & Gas, Inc. (Nasdaq:CRZO) announced that it completed the acquisition of additional leasehold and producing interests in the Eagle Ford Shale from Eagle Ford Minerals, LLC (“EFM”), for $250 million in cash, subject to a closing adjustments, as well as an update to its third quarter guidance. The acquisition represents an approximate 25% working interest in certain Eagle Ford Shale properties that were already operated by Carrizo. Following the closing of the transaction, Carrizo holds an approximate 100% working interest in these assets. The acquired properties are in three main project areas (RPG, Irvin Ranch, and Pena) which are centrally located in the most prospective portion of the Eagle Ford Shale’s volatile oil window. (more…)

www.bakerbotts.com

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