With strong roots in Texas, Baker Botts L.L.P.’s energy practice advises clients on the full spectrum of oil and gas transactional matters, including M&A structuring and negotiation, federal and state tax support, and environmental and regulatory guidance. The team advises across the upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors. Key areas of focus for the team include M&A, structured and leveraged financing, infrastructure commercialization, and joint ventures. Houston-based Jason Bennett, focused on gas and LNG, clean hydrogen, CCUS, joint ventures, and transactions, and Carlos Solé III lead the team. Dallas-based Preston Bernhisel supports the team’s M&A ability with issuers and investment banks. Other key contacts include Houston-based Clay Brett, co-head of the energy private equity practice, and Clint Rancher, boasting extensive experience representing upstream, midstream, and oilfield services companies. Cody Carper joined the Houston office in February 2026, bringing invaluable experience in acquisitions and divestitures of upstream and midstream assets. Lawrence Hall, Jonathan Platt, and Scott Looper left the practice in April 2025, and Erin Hopkins left in October 2025.

Whether a leading energy company, financial institution, private equity sponsor, or government entity, clients turn to Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP for its trusted transactional oil and gas team. Oil and gas transactions, capital markets, restructuring and project development, and oil and gas tax advising are the team’s core strengths. Veteran practitioner Michael P. Darden leads the team alongside Rahul Vashi. Darden focuses on international and domestic oil and gas ventures, acquisitions, and divestitures, while Vashi specializes in acquisitions, divestitures, and strategic joint ventures in the upstream and midstream space. Hillary Holmes adds to the practice’s ability with corporations, investment banks, and institutional investors in raising capital. Tull Florey is a key contact for clients in oilfield service, oil and gas exploration and production, oilfield equipment manufacturing, and midstream matters. Chris Atmar is a rising practitioner in oil and gas M&A. Atama Kabad joined the team from Kirkland & Ellis LLP in June 2025, and Simone Tysoe from Latham & Watkins in October. All noted practitioners are based in Houston.

Across exploration and production to midstream infrastructure, LNG, refining, and petrochemicals, the oil and gas team at Latham & Watkins advises public and private oil and gas companies, private equity sponsors, investment banks, and lenders choose the team for its ability in M&A, joint ventures, and capital markets mandates. At the helm of the team in Houston are Michael King, an expert in upstream and midstream acquisitions, divestitures, farm-ins, drillcos, joint ventures, and midstream agreements, and Justin Stolte, the firm’s global chair of energy and infrastructure and veteran in oil and gas M&A and joint ventures. James Garrett is a key contact for oil and gas matters related to the private equity space. Enhancing the team’s ability in energy-related IPOs, M&A, and corporate governance is John Greer. Ryan Maierson, with extensive experience in M&A, IPOs, and securities offerings in the energy sector, and Lauren Anderson, focusing on private equity and M&A in the energy space, are other standout practitioners. Garrett, Greer, Maierson, and Anderson are based in Houston.

Boasting one of the market’s leading teams, Vinson & Elkins LLP has an expert transactional oil and gas ability, representing some of the largest independent oil and gas exploration and production companies and private equity firms. The team specializes in the purchase, sale, development, and financing of oil and gas assets and projects. Co-heading the transactional side of the team are Kaam Sahely in Austin, an expert in infrastructure investments and projects, and Matt Strock in Houston, who focuses on advising private equity firms on M&A, investments, and divestitures. Handling the corporate team are Dallas-based John Grand, specializing in the upstream and midstream sectors, and, in Houston, Danielle Patterson, a key advisor to clients in the upstream, midstream, and renewable power sectors. Chair of the firm from Houston, Keith Fullenweider, is experienced in advising private equity firms’ financings and transaction exits. Matthew Falcone is another key contact for leveraged buyouts and structured financings. Bryan Loocke supports the practice’s domestic upstream and midstream transactional ability. Robert Hughes is a noted practitioner for private equity firms and M&A in the energy sector. Falcone, Loock, and Hughes are based in Houston.

Oil and gas transactions and financing are the key areas of expertise for King & Spalding’s Houston-based team. The team focuses on acquisitions, divestments, and offtake agreements, with an emphasis on LNG, hydrogen, CCUS, and other petrochemical mandates. Veteran practitioner, Stuart Zisman, with extensive experience in midstream and downstream transactions and advising on pipelines, storage and processing facilities, is the practice head. Strengthening the practice’s project development and midstream and downstream oil and gas transactional ability is Mark Schlackman. Kimberlee Cagle, focused on leveraged finance and representing lenders and borrowers on reserve-based credit facilities for oil and gas exploration and production companies, is another key team member. Jonathan Newton is a stand-out contact for public and private M&A, securities offerings, and SEC reporting, especially in oil and gas transactions. Peter Hays left the team in June 2025.

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe boasts a large oil and gas transactional team that works across the entire value chain, with a particular focus on oil and gas securitizations. CCUS, hydrogen, and ammonia transactions and projects are an emerging area of focus for the practice. The larger energy and infrastructure practice is led by Kyle Drefke and John Eliason in Washington DC, Dahl Thompson in Houston, Louise Gibbons in San Francisco, and Teresa Hill in Seattle. From Houston, Joe Roger is one of the practice’s main contacts, specializing in upstream, midstream, downstream, hydrogen and ammonia, and oilfield services transactions. The Houston bench is further supported by Jonathan Ayre and Adam Kowis. Ayre is experienced in oil and gas securitization transactions and the petrochemical industry; Kowis focuses on acquisitions and divestitures, joint ventures, project development, and commercial agreements.

Across the oil and gas value chain, from exploration and production to midstream and refining, including petrochemicals and oilfield services, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP’s oil and gas transactional team has extensive experience. From Houston, Breen Haire, a key advisor to clients in power, renewables, and oil and gas midstream, oilfield services, contract drilling, and petrochemicals, leads the team. From the New York office, Eli Hunt is the co-lead, specializing in advising infrastructure and private equity funds in M&A, joint ventures, and reorganizations. Amy Mahon leads from the London office. Shamus Crosby, focused on the energy and digital infrastructure sectors, and Katy Lukaszewski, a key contact for private equity funds in energy and infrastructure, are stand-out practitioners in Houston. Also in Houston, Erland Modesto supports the practice’s acquisition financing ability in the exploration and production, midstream, and oilfield services sectors.

With a standout M&A practice, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP‘s energy team advises public and private companies, private equity firms, investment banks, governmental entities, infrastructure funds, and commercial banks. The team works across practices and jurisdictions in oil and gas M&A, joint ventures, asset auctions, restructurings, and strategic alliances. From Washington, DC, Aryan Moniri leads the broader energy and infrastructure projects team. Key team members include David Armstrong in New York, a key representative to commercial and investment banks on energy projects, and Eric Otness in Houston, focused on acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and structured investments in the energy sector. From Houston, Emery Choi and Mingda Zhao further support the practice’s ability in energy and infrastructure M&A and joint ventures.

Some of the US’s largest energy companies, private equity firms, and their portfolio companies choose Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP’s transactional oil and gas practice for its experience on the full oil and gas value chain. The team is experienced in public M&A, oil and gas property sales and purchases, industry joint ventures, and financing and restructuring in the sector. Houston-based Omar Samji, an expert in advising energy companies and investors on M&A, equity and debt financings, and commercial arrangements, leads the practice. New York-based Steven Lorch, an energy-tax specialist, and Houston-based Jacqui Bogucki, an experienced advisor to private equity sponsors in the energy sector, are additional notable contacts. Cody Carper has left the firm.

Milbank’s global energy practice advises financial institutions and national and international energy companies on oil and gas transactions. Project development and finance is the practice’s main focus, but the team also advises clients on minority interests and private buy and sell-side mandates across the oil and gas value chain. From New York, Daniel Bartfeld and Daniel Michalchuk lead the team. Bartfeld, the firm’s global energy practice chair, is a key advisor to banks, investment firms, multinational companies, and developers across the conventional and renewable energy sectors; Michalchuk specializes in representing project sponsors and financial institutions in domestic and international project financing. New York-based Sean O’Neill supports the team’s domestic and cross-border financing ability in the industrial sectors.