Vinson & Elkins LLP fields a team of ‘knowledgeable and commercial’ practitioners that provide ’excellent advice and judgment’ across an array of important transactions. The firm is a frequent port-of-call to a growing roster of top name clients that include independent oil and gas exploration and production companies, prominent private equity firms, hedge funds, and investment banks, with a notable focus on the upstream and midstream space. Recent work highlights include multi-billion dollar upstream asset acquisitions, midstream joint venture merger transactions, as well as vast company takeovers. The practice is jointly led by Kaam Sahely, Danielle Patterson, and Matthew Strock, with Patterson and Strock particularly singled out for their wealth of expertise pertaining to M&A and private equity. ‘Real thought leaders’ Matthew Falcone and Lande Spottswood are ’terrific’ across the full range of hydrocarbon transactions, with the former especially well regarded for his financial sponsor-oriented work and the latter for her expertise in public company mergers or change-of-control transactions. Bryan Loocke has overseen a multitude of matters involving high quality asset consolidations involving major active basins, particularly the Permian Basin, while Austin’s Douglas Bland focuses on midstream transactions, from pipelines to natural gas storage facilities. Keith Fullenweider has recently been active on multi-billion dollar upstream assets and gathering and processing asset deals. Shay Kuperman also comes highly recommended for his capabilities across the entire oil & gas spectrum. Other than Bland, the team operates out of Houston.  

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'Matt Falcone and Lande Spottswood are terrific. Real thought leaders that understand how to get deals done.'
  • 'Very knowledgeable and commercial. Excellent advice and judgment, particularly on important transactions.'

Key clients

  • Tug Hill, Inc.
  • Brigham Minerals, Inc.
  • EnCap Investments L.P.
  • Baytex Energy Corp.
  • PureWest Energy, LLC
  • Cibolo Energy Partners LLC
  • Vitol Inc.
  • Lario Oil & Gas Co.
  • Lotus Midstream, LLC
  • Energy Transfer LP
  • Harvest Midstream L.P.
  • Talos Energy LLC
  • Targa Resources Corp.
  • Jonah Energy Parent LLC
  • Quantum Energy Partners
  • Continental Resources, Inc.
  • Enbridge (U.S.) Inc.
  • Plains All American Pipeline, L.P.
  • Momentum Minerals II, LLC
  • Woodside Energy, Ltd.
  • Devon Energy Corporation
  • Pioneer Natural Resources

Lawyers

Leading lawyers
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Kaam Shaley, Danielle Patterson, Matt Strock

Other key lawyers

Douglas Bland, Lande Spottswood, Bryan Loocke, Keith Fullenweider, Matthew Falcone, Shay Kuperman