Sidley Austin LLP announced today that Robert G. Stephens has joined the firm’s Houston office as a partner in the Global Finance and Energy practices. He will have a leadership role in the Finance practice in Houston. Mr. Stephens is a highly regarded finance and energy lawyer whose practice is principally focused on structured energy transactions, including secured financings and derivatives transactions and energy asset acquisitions.
Mr. Stephens regularly represents financial institutions and energy companies in a wide range of energy-related financings and other transactions, including providing structured products such as credit sleeves, credit guaranties and securitizations. He has significant experience counseling clients in project development and financing, with particular focus on the use of secured commodity hedging arrangements in support of those transactions. Mr. Stephens also has experience handling M&A transactions involving energy commodity trading companies, power generation facilities and other energy assets. Many of the transactions Mr. Stephens has handled have involved secured credit and bankruptcy planning structures, and he is experienced in handling corporate restructurings and reorganizations.
“We are delighted to welcome Robert to our talented team of energy and finance lawyers in Houston,” said Jim Rice, co-managing partner of Sidley’s Houston office and co-leader of the firm’s Energy practice. “Robert’s arrival follows closely that of Energy and Private Equity partners David B. Denechaud and Joe F. Flack III, as we continue to expand our resources dedicated to energy transactions and financing. Robert’s broad and deep energy financing knowledge will greatly benefit the firm’s institutional finance, investment fund and operating company clients as they navigate the challenges of the current oil price environment.”
“Adding Robert to our team enhances our powerful capabilities in energy and project finance,” said Irving Rotter, co-leader of the firm’s Energy practice. “Robert has an exceptional skill set in finance and structured products. Working together with our other highly knowledgeable and experienced energy lawyers will enable us to expand the scope of services we offer to our global energy clients.”
Mr. Stephens is ranked in Nationwide Energy: Oil & Gas (Transactional) in Chambers USA 2014 and Chambers Global.
Source: www.sidley.com
