Eric C. Otness

Mr. Otness represents public and private companies, private equity firms and other investors, as well as investment banks and financing sources in a variety of U.S. and international transactions, primarily in the energy, infrastructure, chemicals and manufacturing industries. In addition to his practice, Mr. Otness serves as a member of Skadden’s Policy Committee, the firm’s highest governing body.

In recognition of his work, Mr. Otness has been honored as one of Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Energy Lawyers in 2024 and by Law360 as a 2023 Energy MVP. He also has been selected to Chambers USA and The Best Lawyers in America, as well as named one of MergerLinks’ Top Private Equity Lawyers in North America. In addition, he was previously recognized as one of Texas Lawyer’s Most Effective Dealmakers.

His relevant experience includes representing:

• Brookfield Asset Management in connection with various investments in the energy and infrastructure sectors, including:
  • Brookfield Infrastructure in its $13.3 billion take-private of Triton International Limited
  • Brookfield Renewable in its sale of the 50% interest in Smoky Mountain, a 378 MW U.S. hydroelectric portfolio, to Argo Infrastructure Partners
  • Brookfield Renewable in its deal with Closed Loop Partners LLC to establish Circular Services, a joint venture in the recycling space
  • Brookfield Super-Core Infrastructure Partners in its $3.5 billion acquisition of an additional 30% stake in FirstEnergy Transmission, LLC from FirstEnergy Corp. This followed a previous $2.4 billion acquisition of a 19.9% stake in the company from FirstEnergy Corp.
  • Brookfield Infrastructure Partners in the acquisition of co-controlling interests in two natural gas pipelines in Mexico from affiliates of BlackRock, Inc.
• WhiteWater Midstream in its joint venture with FIC, Stonepeak and Trace Capital Management to construct the Pelican Pipeline, a 170-mile natural gas pipeline in Louisiana
• Mobile Energy Rentals LLC in its acquisition by Solaris Oilfield Infrastructure, Inc.
• Five Point Energy LLC in the formation of Deep Blue Midland Basin LLC, a strategic joint venture between Five Point and Diamondback Energy, Inc. to create the largest independent water infrastructure platform in the Midland Basin
• NGL Energy Partners, L.P. in connection with its approximately $3 billion refinancing of its revolving loan, secured and unsecured notes
• New Fortress Energy Inc. in its $2.18 billion acquisition of Hygo Energy Transition Ltd. from Golar LNG Limited and Stonepeak Infrastructure Fund II Cayman (G) Ltd., and its $251 million acquisition of Golar LNG Partners LP
• Hanwha Affiliates, in its investment in NextDecade, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) development company focused on LNG export projects in the State of Texas
• ExxonMobil in connection with its joint venture with Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC) for their Gulf Coast Growth Ventures project, which includes the planned construction of a 1.8 million tonne ethane cracker and a monoethylene glycol unit and two polyethylene units in San Patricio County, Texas
• Ball Corporation in the $1.35 billion sale of Ball Metalpack to Sonoco Products Company
• Southwestern Energy in its:
  • $1.9 billion acquisition of GEP Haynesville, LLC
  • $2.7 billion acquisition of Indigo Natural Resources, LLC
  • $849 million acquisition of Montage Resources
• Devon Energy Corporation in its merger of equals with WPX Energy, Inc.
• SP Plus Corporation in its $1.5 billion sale to Metropolis Corporation
• Noble Energy, Inc. in its:
  • $3.2 billion acquisition of Clayton Williams Energy, Inc.
  • $3.9 billion acquisition of Rosetta Resources Inc.
  • $3.4 billion acquisition of Patina Oil & Gas Corporation
• EMAS Chiyoda Subsea in connection with the sale of assets to Subsea 7 in connection with its Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization
• Talen Energy Supply, LLC, a Riverstone portfolio company, in a variety of corporate and financing matters
• Sun Edison, Inc. and its affiliates in a variety of asset sales in connection with its Chapter 11 plan of reorganization
• the lead investor in RKI Exploration and Production, LLC in connection with the $2.75 billion acquisition of RKI by WPX Energy, Inc.
• Sage Road Capital, LP, a Houston-based private equity firm, in its acquisition of Banner Oil & Gas, LLC and a variety of fund-level corporate and oil and gas matters
• Five Point Capital Partners LLC and affiliates of GSO Capital Partners LP, in their acquisition of a 50% interest in Twin Eagle Resource Management, LLC from Chesapeake Energy Corporation and LS Power Group
• Castle Harlan, Inc., Lime Rock Partners and CHAMP Private Equity in the formation of Shelf Drilling, Ltd. and the acquisition by Shelf Drilling of a fleet of off-shore jack-up drilling rigs from Transocean Ltd., which received the highest ranking in the Corporate & Commercial category in the Financial Times’ 2013 U.S. Innovative Lawyers report
• Archer Limited (formerly Seawell Limited) in its $870 million acquisition of Allis-Chalmers Energy Inc., its $630 million acquisition of Great White Energy Services and its $158 million acquisition of Grey Wireline
• RRI Energy, Inc. in its $1.6 billion merger of equals with Mirant Corporation to create GenOn Energy, Inc., and GenOn Energy in its $1.7 billion merger with NRG Energy, Inc.
• BJ Services Company in its $5.5 billion acquisition by Baker Hughes Incorporated
• Compagnie Générale de Géophysique in its $3.1 billion acquisition of Veritas DGC, Inc.
• Vulcan Energy Corporation in its contested leveraged buyout of Plains Resources Inc.
• Harvest Partners, a private equity firm, in its investment in Seminole Energy Services
• Reliant Energy, Inc. in its $350 million PIPEs offering of convertible preferred stock to First Reserve Corporation, a private equity firm
• Vulcan Capital, a private equity firm, in its $219 million sale of its 50% indirect interest in PAA/Vulcan Gas Storage, LLC to Plains All American Pipeline, L.P.
• Santos TPY Inc. in its sale of Santos USA Corp to IPR Exploration, Inc.
• Titan Specialties, Ltd., in its sale of a majority of the limited and general partnership interests in Titan to Riverstone Holdings LLC and The Carlyle Group
• Silver Point Capital, L.P., a private equity firm, in various acquisitions and divestitures of oil and gas assets
• the audit, conflicts and governance committee of Enterprise Products GP, LLC in connection with the merger of Enterprise with TEPPCO Partners, LP
• Theo Bean in the sale of Mississippi Hub LLC to EnergySouth Midstream and certain funds managed by affiliates of Fortress Investment Group LLC