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Next Generation Partner – Industry Focus: Energy Transactions: Oil and Gas
The Legal 500 US 2022
Profile
Stephen C. Szalkowski is the former Deputy Office Managing Partner of the Houston office and a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Practice. He advises clients on domestic energy transactions, with an emphasis on acquisitions and divestitures, joint ventures, and private equity investments.
Mr. Szalkowski has significant experience in:
JVs and other strategic combinations, including carbon capture and sequestration projects and the development of onshore and offshore oil and gas projects
Acquisitions and divestitures of assets and businesses, with a particular focus on the upstream, midstream, and water sectors of the oil and gas industry
Complex commercial contracts, including JOAs, hydrocarbon and water gathering, processing and disposal agreements, hydrocarbon and CO2 transportation and offtake agreements, and services agreements relevant to the energy industry
Thought Leadership
Mr. Szalkowski regularly writes and speaks on oil and gas topics through Latham Client Alerts and webcasts. Recent additional papers and presentations include:
“Don’t Let it Escape: Managing Risks of Carbon Capture and Storage for Industry, Investors, and Insurers,” Perrin Conferences Webinar, December 2021
“Financing Carbon Capture Projects with Tax Credits,” Texas Journal of Oil, Gas & Energy Law Symposium, February 2021
“363 Sales: Key Considerations for Distressed Oil and Gas Acquisitions,” Latham & Watkins Webcast, June 2020
“Monetizing Water Infrastructure: Pathways and Pitfalls,” Texas Journal of Oil, Gas and Energy Law Symposium, Austin, Texas, February 2020
“Water Agreements Related to Shale Production: Procurement, Gathering, Recycling, and Disposal,” Institute for Energy Law Energy Transactions Conference, Houston, Texas, October 2019
“Key Considerations for Water Gathering and Disposal Agreements in the Oil and Gas Industry,” Latham & Watkins Webcast Series, Houston, Texas, April 2019
“Midstream and Upstream Joint Ventures in Oil & Gas: Structure Options, Transferability, Tax and Other Considerations," Strafford Publications Webinar Series, Houston, Texas, October 2018
“Examining a Typical Exchange Agreement," Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Special Institute, presentation and conference materials, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, July 2018
Joint Ventures in the Oil and Gas Industry – Part I: Midstream Joint Ventures”, Latham & Watkins Webcast Series, Houston, Texas, March 2018
“Midstream Joint Ventures," Texas Journal of Oil, Gas, and Energy Law Symposium, Austin, Texas, February 2018
“State of the Oil & Gas M&A Market: Not Just “Location, Location, Location” Anymore," Latham & Watkins Oil & Gas Transactions Seminar, Houston, Texas, November 2016
“Crafting Indemnification Provisions and Allocating Liabilities,” Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation Special Institute, presentation, Santa Fe, New Mexico, May 2016. Also published in Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation Journal, vol. 53, no. 2, 2016
Experience
Mr. Szalkowski's experience includes advising:
Oil & Gas – Upstream
Diamondback Energy in its US$745 million sale of Williston Basin oil and gas assets to Oasis Petroleum
Navitas Petroleum in connection with the project development and financing of the Shenandoah Prospect located offshore in the Gulf of Mexico
Nine Point Energy in the US$250 million sale of its Williston Basin assets to Bowline Energy pursuant to Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code
Vencer Energy, LLC in its acquisition of Hunt Oil Company’s Permian Basin oil and gas business
Colgate Energy Partners III in its acquisition of Luxe Energy in an all-stock transaction
An international oil and gas company in connection with its sale of a preferred equity investment in its US holding company
A private E&P company in multiple acquisitions of DJ Basin oil and gas properties from various private sellers
A private E&P company in multiple acquisitions of non-op STACK oil and gas properties from various private sellers
QEP Resources in its sale to Middle Fork Energy Partners of natural gas and oil assets located in the Uinta Basin
A multi-national conglomerate in drilling joint ventures in the Barnett Shale and SCOOP/STACK with a publicly-traded E&P company
QEP Resources in its US$735 million sale to Aethon Energy of QEP’s Haynesville Shale upstream assets and midstream business
Vortus Investments in connection with multiple investments in privately held E&P companies targeting oil and gas properties located in the Arkoma Basin, Williston Basin, DJ Basin, Midland Basin, and Eagle Ford Shale
Newfield Exploration Company in its joint venture to acquire and develop Arkoma Basin oil and gas properties with a private investor
A private E&P company in its acquisition of Williston Basin oil and gas properties from a public seller
QEP Resources in its US$600 million acquisition of Midland Basin oil and gas properties from a consortium of private sellers
Summit Discovery Resources in its sale of Midland Basin oil and gas properties to a private buyer
Newfield Exploration Company in its sale of South Texas oil and gas properties to a private buyer
Oil & Gas – Midstream & Water
Crescent Midstream in its acquisition of the Redstick Pipeline, located onshore Louisiana, from Shell, and subsequent sale to a private midstream operator
Hess Corporation in the sale of its Bakken produced water business to Hess Infrastructure Partners for US$225 million
Hess Infrastructure Partners in a joint venture with Targa Resources to develop the Little Missouri 4 gas processing facility in North Dakota
Hess Corporation in its US$5.3 billion joint venture with Global Infrastructure Partners of its Bakken midstream assets
A consortium of partners in the formation of a JV to develop and operate a pipeline servicing points in Texas and Louisiana
Energy Transfer in its joint venture with Phillips 66 for the development of the Dakota Access and Energy Transfer Crude Oil Pipelines
Technology
SparkCognition, Inc. in its acquisition of AI M2 Limited (AIM2), an artificial intelligence software and technology company, from Brevan Howard and Nomura in a cash and stock transaction
Qualifications
Bar Qualification
Texas
Education
J.D., University of Texas School of Law, 2007 With Honors
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