Paul Hastings Energizes Houston Transactional Practice with Partner Duo, Continues Global Lateral Surge

October 01, 2019

Houston—Paul Hastings LLP, a leading global law firm, announced today that energy-focused transactional partners Ned Crady (right) and David Peterman (left) have joined the firm as partners, based in Houston. Their arrival adds to the power of the firm’s leading M&A, capital markets, finance and private equity capabilities in Houston and adds to a steady stream of corporate partner additions across the firm’s global platform.

“With its intense degree of transactional activity and reliance on the global financial and capital markets for funding, the energy industry is an important driver of growth in the legal marketplace,” said Seth Zachary, chairman of Paul Hastings. “Strengthening our robust, focused and strategic practices in Houston is a top strategic priority for the firm,” he added.

“Paul Hastings is among the elite firms that have leading practices across M&A, capital markets, finance, private equity and tax,” said Crady. “The firm’s practice prowess, together with its strength in Houston, New York and London, was very attractive to us and our clients,” he added.

Crady has worked extensively in the oil, gas and power sectors, and on energy projects and transactions throughout the United States, as well as internationally, including in Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Spain and Venezuela.

Crady’s practice includes extensive midstream experience, advising clients in the exploration, development, purchase, transport, storage, tolling and sale of various energy commodities (including crude oil, natural gas, LNG and power) and related infrastructure facilities. He also represents energy companies and strategic investors in acquisitions and divestitures, project development and finance, and related entity capitalization, joint venture planning and corporate governance matters.

Peterman focuses his practice on M&A, with an energy and oilfield services focal point. He also has experience in the private equity, manufacturing, and retail sectors. He represents a broad range of domestic and international buyers, sellers, issuers and investors in acquisitions and corporate finance transactions, including acquisitions and dispositions of stock, assets and business divisions, and public and private securities transactions.

Paul Hastings’ Houston office serves as a gateway for Texas-based energy clients to a global network of capital markets, finance, tax advisory and litigation advisors. The Houston team regularly advises on high-profile and complex energy matters across the finance, private equity, capital markets and litigation practices, including the recent $4 billion refinancing of Valero Energy Corporation’s unsecured revolving credit facility, two senior unsecured revolving credit facilities for Murphy Oil Corporation for over $2 billion combined, and more than 35 energy financing deals for Wells Fargo in the last four years collectively valued at over $20 billion.

Crady and Peterman’s arrival continues a hiring boom at Paul Hastings. The firm recently announced the addition of Capital Markets lawyer Jonathan Ko, and the planned arrival of Mergers and Acquisitions partner Jonathan Kellner and Capital Markets partner David Flechner, along with several members of their team, in São Paulo, Brazil. Earlier 2019 additions include Capital Markets and Leveraged Finance partner Frank Lopez and Derivatives partner Joyce Xu in New York; Private Equity partners Ed Harris and Leanne Moezi and M&A partner Steven Bryan in London; Private Equity partner Alex Kaufman and M&A partners Bill Choe and Jason Rabbitt-Tomita in Palo Alto; Tax partner Bruno Leroy in Paris; and Private Equity partner Adam Brown and Investigations and White Collar Defense partners Jonathan Drimmer, Matt Herrington and Tom Best in Washington, D.C.

At Paul Hastings, our purpose is clear—to help our clients and people navigate new paths to growth. With a strong presence throughout Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the U.S., Paul Hastings is recognized as one of the world’s most innovative global law firms.