Locke Lord Continues Strong Deal Representation Momentum, Garners Notable Rankings

April 13, 2017 – Locke Lord ranks among the top law firms on recent Mergermarket league tables and The American Lawyer 2017 Corporate Scorecard, a survey of the most active corporate finance and capital markets practices.

Locke Lord jumped from 70th to 12th year over year in the Mergermarket Q1 2017 Legal Advisers League Table by Exit Deal Count in the United States. The Firm also rose from ninth to fourth in the Mergermarket 2016 Legal Advisers League Table by Deal Count in Texas, advising on 41 deals in 2016 — a 30 percent jump from the year before.

Locke Lord was listed 11th by number of transactions and 18th by value in the bond counsel category in The American Lawyer 2017 Corporate Scorecard. The Firm’s Public Finance Practice Group has one of the largest bond counsel practices in the country and more than 125 years of involvement in the law of public borrowing and the federal tax and securities aspects of public debt obligations.

Some recent high-profile and notable transactions led by Locke Lord lawyers included:

• Represented American Midstream Partners LP in its merger agreement with JP Energy Partners LP to create a combined midstream platform. The transaction was announced on Oct. 24, 2016 and successfully closed March 8, 2017 with a majority vote in favor of the merger. The combined partnership has an estimated enterprise value of $2 billion and creates a diversified midstream business operating in leading North American basins, including the Permian, Gulf of Mexico, Eagle Ford, East Texas and Bakken. The team was led by Bill Swanstrom and also included Van Jolas, David Taylor and Jeff Wallace.
• Represented ABRY Partners and Spectrum Equity in the sale of Yankee Cable Partners, LLC for $1.6 billion. The deal closed on Feb. 1, 2017. The team was led by Pete Barrett and Bob Baute and included assistance from Julie Dziobak.
• Provided counsel for Targa Resources Corp. and the company’s subsidiary, Targa Resources Partners LP, in the acquisition of 100 percent of the membership interests of Outrigger Delaware Operating, LLC, Outrigger Southern Delaware Operating, LLC and Outrigger Midland Operating, LLC. The deal closed March 1, 2017 and included an initial cash consideration of $565 million and total potential consideration that could be paid to sellers is $1.5 billion. The team was led by Bill Swanstrom and also included John Arnold, Van Jolas, Hanna Norvell, Gerry Pels, Ed Razim, Buddy Sanders, Michelle Gutierrez-Begin, Ryan Morgan and Jeannie Diep.
• Served as legal counsel to NGP Natural Resources XI, L.P. in two equity commitments during 2016 and 2017: $524 million of new equity commitments for Luxe Energy LLC that closed on Oct. 11, 2016, with Eric Larson leading the transaction alongside Rachel Fitzgerald; and a $254 million equity commitment to Luxe Minerals LLC that closed in March 2017, with a Houston team including Sara Longtain providing assistance.
• Represented White Deer Energy in the contribution of the company’s interests in Crescent Cos. LLC in an all-stock transaction valued at $207 million to Rockwater Energy Solutions Inc., announced on March 28, 2017. Rockwater and Crescent will be combined to create a leading water management services company, according to Rockwater’s press release. The team was led by Joe Perillo and additional team members included Jerry Higdon, Van Jolas, Paul Pruett, Ed Razim, Buddy Sanders, David Taylor, Jeff Wallace, DeLaina Mulcahy, Lauren Corbeil, and Laura Ferguson.
• Served as bond counsel to Cambridge, Mass. as the city raised $2 million through a sale of community-sourced mini-bonds, which some say could further a trend in the $3.8 trillion municipal bond marketplace. Mini-bonds, which are sold in smaller denominations, tend to be more accessible than traditional municipal bonds for potential investors. The team was led by Walter St. Onge.

About Locke Lord LLP
Locke Lord is a full-service, international law firm of more than 20 offices designed to meet clients’ needs around the world. The Firm has a history that spans more than 125 years and is a worldwide leader in the middle market sector. Locke Lord advises clients across a broad spectrum of industries including energy, financial services, fund formation, health care, insurance and reinsurance, private equity and venture capital, public finance, real estate, and technology, media and telecommunications, while providing a wealth of experience through its complex litigation, intellectual property, tax, regulatory and transactional teams.