Bracewell LLP
HeadquartersPennzoil Place
Houston, Texas
No. of offices10
No. of attorneys350 (2020)
Major practice areasCorporate & Securities, Energy, Environmental Strategies, Finance, Government Relations, Healthcare, Infrastructure, Litigation, Tax, Technology
Key peopleGreg Bopp (Managing Partner)
Mark Evans (Chair)
Revenue$295 million (2020)
Date founded1945
Company typeLimited liability partnership
WebsiteBracewell.com

Bracewell LLP is an international law firm based in Houston, Texas, that began in 1945. The firm has approximately 350 lawyers, and has United States offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Hartford, San Antonio, Seattle, Dallas and Austin, as well as offices in Dubai and London.[1]

The firm works primarily in the energy, infrastructure, finance and technology sectors, with practices in transactional, litigation, regulatory and government relations matters.[2][3]

History

The firm was founded on November 1, 1945, when J. S. Bracewell and his two sons, J. Searcy Bracewell Jr. and Fentress Bracewell, joined with Bert H. Tunks to practice together in Houston under the name of Bracewell & Tunks. Searcy Bracewell was elected to the Texas Senate in 1946, representing Harris County, and ultimately becoming the Majority Leader of the Senate. Fentress Bracewell led the development of the firm, serving as the firm’s first managing partner. Fentress was appointed Houston Port Commissioner in 1968 and chaired the Port of Houston Authority for 15 years. Bert Tunks was appointed a district court judge in 1957 and was later named chief justice of the First Court of Appeals.

Harry W. Patterson joined the firm in 1951, and was made name partner in 1966 as Bracewell & Patterson prospered from the commercial growth of Houston.[4] National expansion began during the 1970s, followed by international expansion later.

On March 31, 2005, former New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani joined the firm as a name partner, with the firm becoming known as Bracewell & Giuliani.[5] He helped the firm in establishing its New York office.[6] In January 2016, Giuliani left the firm[7] by “amicable agreement,”[8] and the firm was renamed Bracewell LLP.

Client base

The firm's clients include major energy and natural resource concerns, from conventional energy sources to renewable energy such as solar power, wind power,[9] hydrogen, hydropower, energy storage and renewable natural gas. The firm also has a multidisciplinary carbon capture utilization and sequestration practices in the U.S. In 2009, Bracewell's energy practice ranked as the largest in the U.S., according to Law360,[10] with 117 dedicated energy attorneys.

According to one source, because of its broad-based energy experience, "Bracewell has earned a reputation as one of the most powerful law firms in the energy sector."[11]

Notable clients and cases

  • Represented Phillips 66 in its $3.8 billion acquisition of all of the publicly held common units representing the limited partner interest in DCP Midstream, LP in 2023.[12]
  • Represented lenders in Saad 300 MW solar photovoltaic IPP in Saudi Arabia, which reached a financial close on January 18, 2023.[14]
  • Represented Cactus, Inc. in 2023 in $621 million acquisition of FlexSteel Technologies Holdings, Inc. and its affiliates.[15]
  • Represented Navigator CO2 Ventures LLC, a Blackrock Company, in connection with the Heartland Greenway carbon capture pipeline system.[16]
  • Represented Global Infrastructure Partners in 2022 in the formation of a joint venture with Ocean Winds to develop a U.S. offshore wind project. The joint venture participated in the New York Bight offshore wind auction and secured one of the leases for $765 million.
  • Represented Invenergy LLC and EnergyRe as project sponsors in 2022 in forming a consortium of investors in connection with Invenergy’s $645 million winning bid for an offshore wind lease in the New York Bight offshore wind lease auction.
  • Represented Holly Energy Partners in a set of transactions under which the company and HollyFrontier Corporation acquired Sinclair Transportation Company and Sinclair Oil Corporation.[17]
  • Obtained $1.6 billion in damages for BMC Software in suit against IBM.[18]
  • Represented Crescent Real Estate LLC in acquisition of The Crescent.
  • Appointed by U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken in 2021 to serve as special master in privilege review in a criminal investigation into Rudy Giuliani’s dealings with Ukrainian officials.[19]
  • Advised Kinder Morgan in 2021 in connection with its $1.2 billion acquisition of Stagecoach Gas Services and its four natural gas storage facilities.
  • Advised Marubeni Corporation and Aljomaih Energy & Water Company in the 2021 financial closing on the Rabigh 300 MW solar photovoltaic IPP in Saudi Arabia.[20]
  • Represented RES in the negotiation and execution of a first-of-its-kind fixed-price, habitat restoration, maintenance and liability transfer agreement with Klamath River Renewal Corporation in 2021.[21]
  • Served as co-bond and co-disclosure counsel to North Texas Tollway Authority in 2021 in obtaining $848 million in bond financing.
  • Defended Hilcorp. Energy Co. in a federal class action royalty dispute accusing the E&P company of underpaying royalties on natural gas production throughout Texas.[22]
  • Served as bond counsel in three transactions totaling over $1.363 billion in 2020 for the Houston Airport System.
  • Served as bond counsel and company counsel in $181.27 million financing for the TMC3 Collaborative Research Campus.[23]
  • Represented Equinor as U.S. counsel in 2020 in its $1.1 billion sale to BP of a 50 percent interest in the Empire Wind project and the Beacon Wind project off the U.S. East Coast.[24]
  • Represented Eni in 2020 in connection with its agreement to acquire a 20 percent interest in the Dogger Bank (A and B) 2.4 GW offshore wind farm project from Equinor and SSE.[25]
  • Represented Fotowatio Renewable Ventures in 2020 in connection with its second utility-scale battery storage project, in collaboration with UK developer Harmony Energy.[26]
  • Represented The Trevor Project in the effort to establish 9-8-8 as the National Suicide Prevention Hotline and to ensure that LGBTQ youth can access specialized services.[27]
  • Defended Toshiba Corp., Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. and Toshiba America Business Solutions, Inc. against five U.S. patent claims asserted by Monument Peak Ventures, LLC related to facial recognition algorithms, digital marketing, and the capture and manipulation of digital images.[28]
  • Represented Kinder Morgan (NYSE: KMI) in the 2019 sale of the U.S. portion of the Cochin Pipeline to Pembina Pipeline Corporation.[29]
  • Represented Prosperity Bancshares in 2019 in connection with a definitive merger agreement with LegacyTexas Financial Group.[30]
  • Represented AP Energy Holdings in the closing of financing and equity arrangements for the construction of the $1.3 billion South Field Energy project.[31]
  • Appointed by Cardinal Timothy Dolan in 2018 to serve as independent reviewer and special counsel to assess the Archdiocese of New York’s compliance with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.[32]
  • Represented Hydro One in the $5.3 billion acquisition of Avista in 2017.[33]
  • Represented Kinder Morgan's 2014 consolidation of Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP, Kinder Morgan Management LLC, and El Paso Pipeline Partners LP, the $70 billion deal was the second-largest energy deal when announced.[34]
  • Represented Kinder Morgan in connection with its 2011 IPO, the largest IPO in the energy industry in over a decade.[35]
  • Represented Apache Corp.'s 2010 acquisition of BP assets in Texas, New Mexico, Canada, and Egypt.[36]

Awards and honors

  • Earned 112 practice and individual rankings in Chambers USA 2023, including a Nationwide Band 1 ranking for Oil & Gas (Regulatory & Litigation) for a ninth consecutive year; Nationwide Band 1 ranking for Offshore Energy; Band 1 for Texas: Environment for a seventh consecutive year; and Band 1 for Texas: Banking & Finance for 16th consecutive year.[1]
  • Earned 41 practice and individual rankings in Chambers Global 2023, including a Band 1 ranking in USA Oil & Gas USA (Regulatory & Litigation).[1]
  • Earned 11 practice and individual rankings in Chambers UK 2023.
  • Earned 116 practice and individual recommendations in Legal 500 US 2023, including a Tier 1 ranking in Energy Regulation: Oil & Gas.
  • Earned 35 practice and individual recommendations in Legal 500 UK 2023.
  • Earned 9 practice and individual recommendations in Legal 500 EMEA 2023.
  • For the third time, named Infrastructure and Energy Projects Team of the Year at 2021 Middle East Legal Awards. Previously received the award in 2017 and 2018.[37]
  • Named Best Firm in US South at 2023 Women in Business Law Americas Awards.[38]
  • Named 2022 Law360 Texas Powerhouse.[39]
  • Named 2020 Law360 Environmental Group of the Year.
  • Named Legal Services Provider of the Year at 2018 Petroleum Economist Awards. Previously won the award in 2015.
  • Named 2018 Law360 White Collar Group of the Year.
  • Named Law360 Energy Group of the Year six times.

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 "Bracewell LLP, Global | Chambers Profiles". chambers.com. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Who We Are - Bracewell LLP". bracewell.com.
  3. ↑ Lavelle, Marianne; Lewis, Matthew. "Climate lobbying dominated by 10 firms". POLITICO. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Houston". Archived from the original on June 21, 2007. Retrieved June 26, 2007.
  5. ↑ Healy, Patrick D. (March 30, 2005). "Giuliani to Be Partner in Texas Law Firm". The New York Times.
  6. ↑ Michael J. de la Merced and Peter Edmonston (February 15, 2008). "Street Scene: From Candidate to Corporate Lawyer". The New York Times. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
  7. ↑ "Ex-New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani Leaves Bracewell Law Firm". January 20, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  8. ↑ Moyer, Liz (January 19, 2016). "Rudolph Giuliani to Join Greenberg Traurig Law Firm". The New York Times.
  9. ↑ "Federal Government Relations & Advocacy Practice Group, Bracewell & Giuliani Lawyers". Archived from the original on August 19, 2007. Retrieved September 29, 2007.
  10. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 6, 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. ↑ Amanda Griscom Little, Giuliani-Come-Lately, Grist magazine, April 8, 2005, at http://www.grist.org/news/muck/2005/04/08/little-giuliani/
  12. ↑ "4 Firms Lead $3.8B Phillips 66 Midstream Stock Acquisition - Law360". www.law360.com. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week - Law360". www.law360.com. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Bracewell Represents Lenders on Saad 300 MW Solar PV IPP in Saudi Arabia". Bracewell LLP. January 23, 2023.
  15. ↑ "V&E, Bracewell Guide $621M Sale Of Oil & Gas Pipeline Biz - Law360". www.law360.com. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  16. ↑ Willis, Derek (August 12, 2015). "Represent". ProPublica. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Texas Powerhouse: Bracewell - Law360". www.law360.com. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  18. ↑ "IBM Has to Pay BMC $1.6 Billion for Poaching AT&T Account". Bracewell LLP. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  19. ↑ Ramey, Corinne (June 4, 2021). "Rudy Giuliani's Seized Materials to Be Reviewed by Former Judge". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Marubeni consortium reaches financial close for Rabigh solar project". Energy & Utilities. April 11, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Houston-based RES Involved in Northwest Dam Removal Project". The Texas Lawbook. February 26, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  22. ↑ "Texas Powerhouse: Bracewell - Law360". www.law360.com. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  23. ↑ "CDT Roundup: 14 Deals, 8 Firms, 118 Lawyers, $8.15B". The Texas Lawbook. January 27, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  24. ↑ "offshore wind projects, forming new partnership". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  25. ↑ "Eni enters the UK offshore wind market". www.eni.com. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  26. ↑ "International Comparative Legal Guides". International Comparative Legal Guides International Business Reports. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  27. ↑ Willis, Derek (August 12, 2015). "Represent". ProPublica. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  28. ↑ "Global Energy Work Helped Bracewell Post Higher Revenue, Profits in 2020". Texas Lawyer. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  29. ↑ "Latham, Bracewell Assist on Pembina's $3.3B Purchase of Kinder Morgan Canada, Cochin Pipeline". The Texas Lawbook. August 21, 2019. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  30. ↑ "Houston bank closes multibillion-dollar acquisition of North Texas bank". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  31. ↑ "$1.3B Ohio Project Advances". Commercial Property Executive. August 29, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  32. ↑ Otterman, Sharon (September 20, 2018). "Church Sex Abuse Review Is Ordered by Cardinal Dolan". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  33. ↑ "Bracewell, Kirkland Guide $5.3B Hydro One-Avista Merger - Law360". www.law360.com. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  34. ↑ Ugolik, Kaitlin. "Kinder Morgan's $70B Megadeal Creates Single Entity - Law360". www.law360.com.
  35. ↑ "Bracewell Powers Up with Kinder Morgan IPO". amlawdaily.typepad.com.
  36. ↑ "Seven Firms Advise on BP's $7 Billion Asset Sale to Apache". amlawdaily.typepad.com.
  37. ↑ "The Middle East Legal Awards 2021: Who Won What and Why". Law.com International. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  38. ↑ "2023 winners │ Women in Business Law Americas Awards 2023". awards.womeninbusinesslaw.com. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  39. ↑ "Texas Powerhouses Excel In Saturated Market - Law360". www.law360.com. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
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